It might not come as a shock to Buffalo Sabres fans, but the team already has at least one player who is already exempt from the upcoming Las Vegas expansion draft.
The NHL released a list of the players who can’t be selected, and from the names listed, it’s mostly due to being on LTIR (long-term injury reserve) or in the case of McCormick, being retired.
The NHL sent a memo to teams today declaring a list of players exempt from the expansion draft as agreed upon w/NHLPA. Full list: pic.twitter.com/xanQ1PS0QX
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) May 2, 2017
Yes, the Vegas Golden Knights cannot select McCormick, nor can they take Chris Pronger, nor any other player still receiving money from a team despite being on LTIR. McCormick counted for $1.5 million against the Sabres cap this year, according to spotrac.com.
As silly as this list seems (Pronger, really?) it means two things. First, we obviously hope Cody McCormick is in good health and is enjoying life outside of hockey. Second, the NHL is putting up the first barrier against cap shenanigans in this expansion draft.
The expansion draft remains one of the the most intriguing things happening this offseason, and we’ll keep you up to date on every new development regarding Vegas and their Knights.