As we move on in the continuing series leading up to the expansion draft, today we look at players with a no movement clause (NMC) in their contract. Per the NHL/NHLPA labor agreement, all players with NMCs must be protected from the expansion draft. The only way for a player with a NMC to be exposed is if he voluntarily waives his rights to be moved.

The pool of NMC players can be broken into three categories. The first group is players that teams want to keep. The second group is comprised of players that the Golden Knights wouldn't want even if they were available and the final group is somewhere in the middle.

Group One

Its obvious that there are players who their teams would want to keep no matter what, so not much to do here. Can anyone really see the Penguins asking Sidney Crosby to make himself eligible for the expansion draft? NO! Players in this category include:

ANA - Perry, Getzlaf, Kesler; BOS - Krecji, Bergeron; CAR - J. Staal; CHI - Toews, Kane, Anisimov, Seabrook, Keith, Crawford; CBJ - N. Foligno, Bobrovsky; DAL - Benn; EDM - Lucic, Sekera, Talbot; LAK - Kopitar; MIN - Suter, Parise; MTL - Price; NSH - Rinne; NYI - Taveras, Boychuk; PHI - Giroux; PIT - Crosby, Malkin, Kessel; TB - Stamkos, Hedman; VAN - D. Sedin, H. Sedin; WPG - Byfuglien

Group Two

Players in this group can go ahead and waive their NMCs because the Golden Knights wouldn't draft them anyway. Reasons why group two NMC players won't be selected include salary, contract term, injury history, age, or any combination thereof. As matter of fact, not waiving could do more harm than good to their current team. For example, as much as the Rangers want to rid themselves of Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, neither will be selected in the expansion draft. As of now, NYR will expose Nick Holden and Kevin Kline. If Staal and Girardi make themselves available, the Rangers will keep their defensive depth. Players in group two include:

ANA - Bieksa; BOS - Chara, Backes; CHI - Hossa; COL - Beauchemin; CBJ - Hartnell; DAL - Spezza; MIN - Koivu, Pominville; NYR - M. Staal, Girardi; OTT - Phaneuf; PIT - Letang; TB - Callahan; VAN - Eriksson; WPG – Enstrom

Group Three

Here is where the uncertainty lies. If players in group three waive, they might get selected. Conversely, their team might want to “encourage” the Knights to select one of them. Keith Yandle is a good example here. The Panthers are tied to Yandle for $6.35M through 2023. At 30 years old, the blueliner is in his prime. Additionally, he is a known commodity in the Southwest due to his years of service with the Coyotes, which makes him marketable. By the end of this deal, he'll be 36 and passed up by the Panthers younger defenseman. In the desert however, he's a loved star through the end of his playing days. Does Vegas want to make the financial commitment? If the Knights are on the fence, maybe Florida kicks in a draft pick or mid-level prospect. It works the other way as well. The Penguins are currently in a position where they must choose between goalies Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury. In this case Pittsburgh gives the Knights an “incentive” not to take one of their netminders. The third group is comprised of:

AZ - Goligoski; BUF - Okposo; CHI - Hjalmarsson; COL - E. Johnson; CBJ - Dubinsky; DET - Nielsen; FLA - Yandle; MTL - Petry; NYI - Ladd; PHI - Filppula; PIT - Fleury

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