New York Islanders Expose Two Big Players For Expansion Draft

The New York Islanders protected list has been released and it has two notable players not on it. Both Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey have been left exposed.

Notable #Isles left unprotected:

Jordan Eberle, Josh Bailey, Leo Komarov, Andy Greene, Sebastian Aho, Thomas Hickey, Michael Dal Colle, Kieffer Bellows, Otto Koivula
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) July 18, 2021

Interestingly, they have elected to protect fourth-liners Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck over them. That is an intriguing decision to say the least, but those two are seen as big parts of the team.

#Isles protected list

Forwards: Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, J-G Pageau, Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin

Defensemen: Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield

Goalie: Semyon Varlamov
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) July 18, 2021

In 55 games this season, Eberle scored 16 goals and recorded 33 total points. He has three years left on his contract, and it carries a $5.5 million cap hit. He has been a top-six forward in this league for many seasons, so the Kraken may be interested in claiming him. He is 31-years-old and has yet to show any real signs of regression, either.

Bailey is an alternate captain of the Islanders and has played a total of 919 games for them. His two-way play is highly praised, and he has developed into a very solid hockey player. In 54 games this season, he scored eight goals and registered 35 points. Like Eberle, Bailey also has three years left on his contract, but his cap hit is at $5 million.

It'll be interesting to see if the Kraken choose one of these two. They also could elect to save cap space and go after a handful of younger players available, too. Some of these include Kieffer Bellows, Sebastian Aho and Michael Dal Colle.