Dion Phaneuf Expected to Decline to Waive No-Move Clause
Asked and seemingly answered - Dion Phaneuf will have to be protected
With the expansion draft looming, Ottawa asked Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-move clause before yesterday’s deadline to do so. While we don’t have an official answer yet (that’s not due until Friday), the signs are that he will not allow himself to be exposed for selection by the Golden Knights.
Dion Phaneuf is not expected to waive his NMC, as was requested by OTT. That means Phaneuf would have to be protected in expansion draft.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 13, 2017
Definitely not going to fault Phaneuf for exercising a negotiated part of his contract, but it makes things a bit tougher for Dorion & company to decide who to protect. The team was almost certainly hoping to protect both Marc Methot and Cody Ceci in the draft, but that is no longer an option without exposing a lot more forwards.
The only other option to avoid losing Methot or Ceci for nothing is a trade. The most straight forward would be a bribe side deal with Vegas to not take them, but more likely it would be a trade to another team to try to get a return on them.
It is worth noting that while Phaneuf isn’t going to Vegas, he could be the one traded. His contract and limited no trade clause (10 team white-list) make it maybe the least likely of the three to be traded, but it is possible and would allow both Methot and Ceci to be protected.
Who is going to be playing elsewhere next season?
| Cody Ceci | 163 |
| Dion Phaneuf | 52 |
| Marc Methot | 113 |
| None of them - make a side deal or they protect 8 skaters | 108 |
