How to Watch the Expansion Draft

Watching the expansion draft is one of the best things to do during the offseason. Not only can you see how the teams are doing, but you can also watch the players that you like. The expansion draft is a great way to keep track of what's going on in the world of soccer.

Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken's expansion draft on July 21 was highly anticipated. The league was left with more than eight dozen players to choose from, but it's up to the Kraken's general manager, Ron Francis, to decide whether to stockpile assets or take a chance on a few late-stage players.

The Kraken will make its home opener on October 23 against the Vancouver Canucks. They will then select their full roster, including 30 picks, for the 2021-22 NHL season. You can watch the draft online or on fuboTV or fuboTV Free trial.

Those who watched the Kraken's press conference on Wednesday night got a glimpse of the future of the NHL in the Pacific Northwest. Among those on hand for the unveiling were former Washington Capitals defenseman Bobby Wagner, Boston Bruins winger Taylor Hall, and former Flyers head coach Dake Hakstol.

The NHL Expansion Draft required the general manager to choose a minimum of 14 forwards and nine defensemen. In addition, they must select three goaltenders.

There were a few buzzwords to keep an eye out for, including Carey Price and Alex Ovechkin. Price and Ovechkin are both marketable, and there is a strong possibility that the Kraken will be able to use them to their fullest potential.

Of the 30 players the Kraken selected, only three made headlines. One was the most expensive player in the draft, a goaltender called Alexander Kerfoot from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Another was a player named Vladimir Tarasenko.

Chivas USA

Chivas USA will not be fielding a team in MLS next season. The club is ceasing operations and plans to wipe the slate clean. It is expected to hold a dispersal draft in November.

The former club's owner, Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan, is one of the key figures in the new ownership group. He is also part of the ownership group that purchased Chivas USA.

Chivas USA drafted 10 players from other MLS teams. Two were homegrown. One was a loaned player, Luis Bolanos, from LDU Quito. A seventh was a player acquired by New York City FC. Another was a loaned player, Eriq Zavaleta, from Seattle Sounders FC.

Chivas USA's two homegrown players are eligible for the Dispersal Draft. They include defender Heath Pearce and midfielder Nick LaBrocca.

Former Chivas players who are not selected in the Dispersal Draft will take part in the Re-Entry Draft. In this draft, all MLS teams are eligible. If a team decides to pick a player, it will have the option to resign the player on any of the terms agreed upon. Any loan obligations will be assumed by the team.

Some of the players picked in the Expansion Draft were well-liked by MLS coaches. Besides Erick "Cubo" Torres, who will not be involved in the Dispersal Draft, other standouts included Alejandro Moreno, Ben Zemanski, Michael Lahoud, and Matthew Dunn.

Real Salt Lake

If you were wondering how Real Salt Lake will fare in the 2023 MLS season, the answer may come in the form of the Expansion Draft. The league has released a list of eligible players.

The MLS Expansion Draft, held in November, will feature a handful of the league's newest teams. Teams can pick one player from their current roster and one from the draft pool. Each team will receive $50,000 in General Allocation Money.

Unlike the MLS Superdraft, the Expansion Draft is not held every year. Rather, it is held in the year prior to an expansion team entering the league. MLS clubs can protect up to 12 of their senior players from the draft. This allows for the best and the brightest to be selected in the draft.

In addition to the standard MLS draft, the league is also holding a Re-Entry Draft. The re-entry is a reverse draft, in which the order of the final standings for the 2021 season is used. It also takes into account trades and post-season performances.

Notably, the MLS Expansion Draft will be held on Friday, November 11 at 6 p.m. A coin toss will determine which team will select first. There are no guarantees that any particular player will be selected. Likewise, there is no guarantee that any player will be picked by the same club in the following Expansion Draft.

St. Louis CITY SC

MLS is about to kick off its second decade, and one of the big talking points is having a team in St. Louis. The expansion team has already made several moves over the last few months, including signing two defenders, an attacking midfielder and a goalkeeper.

CITY SC is now in the process of building its first-ever roster, and will play its first season in MLS in 2023. In order to help their quest to build a solid foundation, they will be participating in the MLS SuperDraft, held on December 21, and the expansion draft, held on November 11.

Aside from the MLS SuperDraft, which is a great opportunity to add young players to a club's lineup, the Expansion Draft gives teams a chance to stockpile talent before the season begins. Each MLS team will protect 12 players from their current roster, and select five players from that pool.

CITY SC's top selection in the Expansion Draft is an upper-tier MLS player, Tim Parker. He's a center back who previously played for the Vancouver Whitecaps, and earned two United States caps.

Another high-profile addition to the CITY SC roster is German international Eduard Lowen. Lowen is a long-ball specialist who likes to tackle. His contract expires at the end of the 2022 season, but he's a good bet to be in the running for a new contract.

Other notable players include Swedish Winger Rasmus Alm, full international Selmir Pidro from Bosnia & Herzegovina, and New England Revolution center back Jonathan Bell.

Washington Spirit

The National Women's Soccer League's (NWSL) expansion draft is going down Thursday evening, and fans can watch it from the comfort of their own homes. You can even watch it via virtual draft!

The expansion draft is the latest in a long line of decisions that have been made at the top level of women's soccer. Teams have been trying to protect their college players, as well as individual college players.

The simplest way to describe the draft is to say that it is a week-long series of decision-making exercises. Each team will select a player or two from the pool of available college players, and these players are not automatically signed to the team's roster.

One of the main draws of the draft is the amount of buzz it creates. There are a handful of teams that are eligible to pick from the expansion draft. These teams include Seattle Reign, Seattle Storm, San Diego Wave FC, and Washington Spirit.

Some of these teams will be able to pick from a list of up to nine players. Other teams will have to protect an incoming transfer.

For example, the OL Reign and Angel City have partial protection, while Portland Thorns and Houston Dash are not. Several teams have traded for complete expansion protection, such as the Washington Spirit and Seattle Storm, and other clubs have made deals with new teams in California.

Kansas City Current

It's time to see if Kansas City can win its first ever NSWL championship. The club will take on the Portland Thorns in a 2022 NWSL title game. Watch live and stream the game at the official NWSL Twitch page.

The Current finished fourth in the league last year. The team has never won a match against the Thorns. However, in September, the two teams played a 1-1 draw. This will be the final meeting between the two teams this season.

In the opening round of the playoffs, the team beat Houston 1-0. Kate Del Fava played a key role in that game. After a winless season, the team was able to flip the script.

The Current has been working hard to raise awareness in the Kansas City metro area. The staff has a teal merchandise truck that has been spotted around the city. Fans can purchase Kansas City gear from the truck.

The team is expected to make eight picks in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The team will receive NJ/NY Gotham's second-highest pick, as well as a natural pick from the OL Reign.

The Current is expected to add eight new players to the roster on January 12. There are eight potential starting lineups, including Michelle Cooper, Megan Mewis, Kristie Mewis, Victoria Pickett, Kristen Hamilton, Sam Mewis, Hailie Mace, and Claire Lavogez.

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has invested in the team. He will attend the match and will be live at Boulevard Brewing Company.