The Washington Capitals will reportedly expose Jay Beagle to the Vegas Golden Knights for the NHL Expansion Draft.
Typically, the NHL Expansion Draft has been an inefficient system. New teams haven’t been given opportunities to get quality players from other teams in the past. For better or for worse, the 2017 version will change this. The Vegas Golden Knights won’t be getting any huge stars, but they’ll be able to get some proven NHL players. Unfortunately, the Washington Capitals are a team who might get hit very hard.
The team has already been aggressive to try to expose as little talent as possible. Acquiring Tyler Graovac from the Minnesota Wild allows them to protect Lars Eller. But now, the Capitals might ironically be trying the precise opposite.
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According to Washington Post reporter Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington is likely going to expose fan favorite Jay Beagle in the upcoming expansion draft. In doing so, they will be choosing to protect Tom Wilson over him.
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Beagle has a huge fan following because of his blue collar work ethic. Perhaps no Capitals player works harder than him. But for Washington, exposing Beagle is a good idea. There is very little risk and a potentially huge reward.
The Capitals are likely going to lose either Philipp Grubauer or Nate Schmidt to the Golden Knights. Losing either isn’t optimal, even if the former is a backup goalie. Exposing Wilson likely won’t change that. However, maybe making Beagle available would at least make Vegas general manager George McPhee think twice. The best case scenario for the Capitals in the expansion draft is one where they can keep both Grubauer and Schmidt.
While Washington would still likely trade Grubauer in this scenario, they would at least be able to get something for him. That’s far better than losing him for nothing. Beagle is coming off a career year (career high 13 goals, 17 assists and 30 points in 82 games). Moreover, he could fetch a nice return at the 2018 NHL trade deadline, as he’s a free agent after the 2017-18 season. If Vegas is looking for players who could get them future assets, Beagle is a tempting choice.
Next: NHL Mock Expansion Draft version 1.0
Losing him would hurt the Capitals. However, it’s easier to replace a fourth line center (or a backup goalie) than it is a top four defenseman.