At this time next year, the city of Las Vegas will be about 15 games into their first season as the 31st franchise in the National Hockey League. What the Sin City franchise team name will be and how the roster will look are the two questions that will be answered over the next seven-eight months.

We know which players won’t be on that list; unless they decide to waive a perk in their contract.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted that the NHL and NHLPA finalized their list of players that will be protected during June’s Expansion Draft. Most of the names have a full no-move clause in their contracts and will have to waive that if their name was to appear on the list of eligible players to be selected.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly says the league and NHLPA have finalized the protected list of players for expansion draft (con’t)

— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) November 15, 2016

These are mostly players with full no-move clauses. I believe this list contains between 65-70 players — Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) November 15, 2016

By the time the Expansion Draft comes, there list of protected players will grow when teams release the names that will be available for the new Las Vegas franchise. That is still a little ways away, but we do know – or at least have a good idea – of the Bruins who won’t be taking their talents to Sin City.

As it stands, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and David Backes have their no-movement clauses in tact after the 2016-17 season. Tuukka Rask, who has an NMC now, will have a limited no-trade clause next season, but it’s hard to imagine Don Sweeney not protecting Rask. Ditto for Brad Marchand, whose NMC kicks in for 2017-18.

Assuming those five aforementioned names are a given, this would give Sweeney up to six more players that he can protect. NHL General Managers can take one of two routes: protecting seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender or a combination of eight forwards and defensemen and one goaltender.

In addition to those with no-movement clauses, players who have skated in two or fewer professional seasons at the end of 2016-17 are exempt from the Expansion Draft.

Having spent some time on Cap Friendly’s Expansion Draft tool, I highly recommend it for any hockey fan. Also, make sure to check out the site’s insightful Q&A regarding June’s Expansion Draft.