MLS teams roll the dice with protected lists ahead of expansion draft
Montreal Impact captain Patrice Bernier, Toronto FC goalkeeper Clint Irwin and Vancouver striker Giles Barnes were among players left unprotected for Tuesday’s MLS expansion draft.
Atlanta United, which has first pick, and Minnesota United FC will be able to take up five players each from the list of 259 available. The existing 20 teams can each only lose one player in the draft.
Teams were allowed to protect 11 players from their 2016 roster. Generation Adidas players and homegrown players were automatically protected and do not count against the 11 protected spots.
Teams can strike deals to further protect their roster. But sometimes choosing your protected list comes down to a roll of the dice with teams hoping that a player’s age or salary might be enough to ensure they are left alone.