Someone is going to have to protect these players.

Bobby Ryan will be a pending UFA during the Expansion Draft and OTT will probably buy out the last year or two of his contract anyway. I think Seabrook is the biggest liability b/c he will still have 3 years remaining on his current deal and his production has already fallen off precipitously. His cap hit is ridiculously high.

Seattle's first season is 2021-22 and Bobby Ryan is signed through 2022. So he has one season remaining after the expansion draft occurs.
Right? Or am I missing something?

No idea who these teams will need to protect. Depends who's on the team by 2021.

Yeah "pending" UFA not UFA. Similar to James Neal last season w/ VGK. The difference is Bobby Ryan most likely won't be playing for OTT in 2021.

some of these players will likely waive their NMC knowing that they arent valuable enough for Seattle to even want to take them

Players can waive their NMCs for the draft, which would enable their home team to protect one more player.

The player can change his contract where he can't be traded but only can be claimed in the draft. Due to cap and declining skills, I figure Seabrook, Ryan, Lucic wouldn't get claimed and therefore will waive their NMCs.

We know they will have to protect players with NMC.

I see what you're saying now.

How many players waived their NMC for the Vegas draft? If I recall correctly, there was maybe one (though I dont remember who).

Bobby Ryan didn't need to be protected last expansion. and won't need to this expansion either.

He is a unique case due to the specific wording of his NMC.

enstrom and fleury is all i can remember

Yes, but we don't know who else will be on the roster by then, and who the NMCs will stop them from protecting.

You can bet that during the next CBA negotiations, teams/owners will be fighting for another “get a free buyout” card like last time with the anticipation of the Seattle expansion draft. Then this problem neatly goes away.

Don't you remember the big discussion about MA Fleury and the Pens. Murray had won the Cup, and MAF had a NMC....so Murray was going to have go be exposed or likely traded before the draft.
MAF decided to waive his NMC and claimed in the draft. Pens therefore could protect Murray. It was actually more of a trade as Vegas received a 2nd rounder from the Pens, as well as MAF.
Clarkson was in career ending LTIR waived his NMC. Vegas traded for him (really just a paper trade, means nothing), and Columbus gave a first rounder to Vegas, not so much for Clarkson but for so Vegas wouldn't claim other Columbus unprotected players. Vegas was forced to claim "Marschault"....didn't that turn out well for Vegas

[ss

I thought Fleury had been traded (due to the existence of his M-NTC), but I was mistaken.
MacArthur and Clarkson I thought were injury exemptions.

dont see how bishops is bad

You're probably right about Clarkson and a injury exemption.. He was had a NMC, but undoubtedly would have waived due to never coming to play.