In return, the Penguins didn't deal Fleury at the trade deadline to a team on his no-trade list but he'd be exposed in the expansion draft.
Nashville forward James Neal, who has scored at least 20 goals in all nine of his National Hockey League seasons, including 40 in 2011-12, highlighted the next eight selections, which also included 35-year-old Calgary Flames defenseman Deryk Engelland, a Las Vegas resident and former member of the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL.
Fleury was one of three goalies taken in the expansion draft - Calvin Pickard (Colorado Avalanche) and Jean-Francois Berube (New York Islanders) were the other two - but Fleury is the presumptive starter. "We'll miss David Schlemko, we will".
He played four seasons with the Devils with six goals and 30 assists in 216 games, including one goals and five assists in 51 games in 2016-17 and has one season remaining on a two-year, $2.275 million deal.
It was expected that the three-time Stanley Cup champion would be selected in the NHL Expansion Draft.
The expansion draft affects every team in the league, so numerous stars convening in Vegas will be paying close attention to the names of the teammates they'll be losing to Sin City. So it should be no surprise that the Golden Knights would make decisions that might seem questionable at first glance.
"In the back of your mind, you try to prepare for expansion, yes you do", Wilson said.
"We'll get our numbers out there for guys to reach out if they need anything, if it's a place to crash, to see outside the Strip and come look for places (to live) or whatnot", Engelland said. "It gives us cap space to do some things".
Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward for a record-tying fourth time. Among all Predators players, only Filip Forsberg had more over that span. "I got drafted in Nashville, played my last game (in a Pittsburgh uniform) in Nashville". The job should be his for taking unless Heed or Ryan gives head coach Pete DeBoer no other choice in training camp. Doesn't matter where, they're going to be in this draft 20 years from now.
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New Zealand played on, went down the other end and almost scored, with the Mexicans urging their opponents to stop the game.
But it wasn't just about the players that the Golden Knights added today.
The expansion draft rules allowed each team to protect seven forwards, three defenseman and a goalie or eight skaters and a goalie.
The Knights can continue building their roster through free agency with more trades potentially to be announced Thursday.
Players with two or less years of professional experience in North America were also exempt, so the Sharks didn't have to make top prospects, such as Joonas Donskoi, Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc, available. "The youth that's coming helps, too".
McPhee got his starting goalie and first face of the franchise in Marc-Andre Fleury, a top-line winger in James Neal and a plethora of defensemen by raiding the existing 30 National Hockey League teams. "The people of Las Vegas are going to be happy with what we did".
None of them were selected by the Golden Knights, who chose defenseman Luca Sbisa from the parent Vancouver Canucks.
Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid started off the night with a win, as he was voted by players as the Ted Lindsay victor, edging out San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns in that vote.
Now, Neal moves on again, this time as the best forward, and possibly player, on the Golden Knights. "I appreciate all his contributions to our team".
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