HWP 110: Expansion Mock Draft

We're now a week away from the Expansion Draft, and things are heating up!

We assume.

No doubt the Wild's front office is working hard behind the scenes to sort things out, but the actual news getting out there is at a crawl.

But don't worry! Even with a light news week for the State of Hockey, we still bring it in a jam-packed episode. Because there's something about expansion we've yet to discuss.

What are the Vegas Golden Knights going to look like, anyway?

To find out, Joe and Tony decided to do an Expansion Mock Draft. Joe played GM for the Eastern Conference, Tony the Western, choosing which players to protect. Then they each played Vegas, picking from the players the other left exposed. Once you get through the episode, you'll see a team that might well resemble what the Golden Knights will look like in their first season.

Topics include:

• Pittsburgh winning the Stanley Cup
• Nashville's electric atmosphere
• Matt Cullen's victory lap
• Jake Guentzel's ascension
• Expansion Mock Draft
• Which teams are in a bad spot?
• Potential buyouts on the horizon
• Who decides to protect 7 forwards/3 defensemen, and who decides to protect 8 skaters
• The goalies potentially available to Vegas
• Can the Golden Knights build a good, young defensive core?
• The barren wasteland known as "The Available Forwards"
• Post-hype sleepers Vegas could scoop up
• Tony and Joe pronounce names badly!
• They also argue about Nail Yakupov!
• And of course, how will the Wild handle expansion? And who would Vegas want?
• Jason Pominville's NMC drama
• A glimpse at the Wild's new sweaters
• The guys discuss their favorite candy bars
• Who would pick the warm-up music in case Dumba leaves?
• A ton of Pokemon questions
• And more!

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We'll see you next week!