Tomorrow team expansion lists are due to MLS for this week's MLS expansion draft for Portland and Vancouver. Back in October when the rules were announced I took an initial look at the list of who KC was likely to protect. Since then there's been some information that's come out that can and has affected some people's protection lists. Of that news, I've been informed that Omar Bravo does not need to be protected, and will not be available for selection in the draft apparently since he is on loan to Chivas still. The other thing that affects selection is the fact that Chance Myers has graduated from the Generation Adidas program. Roger Espinoza was expected and did graduate as well, but Myers was a bit of a surprise. That said, here's my updated list of who to protect for this year's expansion draft.
Davy Arnaud
Stephane Auvray
Teal Bunbury (GA)
Sunil Chhetri
Roger Espinoza
Michael Harrington
Jack Jewsbury
Kei Kamara
Jon Kempin (HG)
Jonathan Leathers
Craig Rocastle
Ryan Smith
Graham Zusi
Remember KC has to protect 3 of their internationals, who are currently Korede Aiyegbusi, Sunil Chhetri, Zoltan Hercegfalvi, Nikos Kounenakis, Ryan Smith, Jimmy Nielsen, and Craig Rocastle. I could see Nielsen added to the list as an international in place of Chhetri, but currently my 3 protected internationals are Chhetri, Rocastle, and Smith. Kamara and Auvray have their green cards while Espinoza is a dual citizen. Bunbury and Kempin are exempt due to their status as Generation Adidas and home grown.
So that leaves the following players exposed:
Matt Besler
Jimmy Conrad
Birahim Diop
Zoltan Hercegfalvi
Aaron Hohlbein
Nikos Kounenakis
Eric Kronberg
Chance Myers
Jimmy Nielsen
Shavar Thomas
Josh Wolff
Again you can replace Nielsen for Chhetri, but with the way that Portland and Vancouver appear at goalkeeper, I think Nielsen is safe to expose at this point. The only change from my list last time is moving Jack Jewsbury to the protected list in place of Bravo, who as I said does not have to be protected apparently.
So who, if anyone do I see Portland or Vancouver selecting? There are a few that could be potential picks. Myers is one that I could see either team going for, although his injury history will scare a few people off. The others are Shavar Thomas or Matt Besler, a defender that could immediately come in and start could help the expansion side. We'll see how right I am some time tomorrow most likely.
Good call Mike- "KC" it is.
ReplyDeleteI see Chance Myers being selected by an expansion team as he has youth on his side and the hope he could develop into something for an expansion team. That said I think he is a player who has suffered from not having the reserve league available to him.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm KC I also put Kamara on the expansion list. You know more about what he's making, but I don't think he's worth monetarily what he brings to the field. I'd actually like to see a bit of turnover in KC. I'm a firm believer that when you're not winning over a certain amount of years you have to remove some of the players that carry a lot of weight in the lockerroom, i.e. Conrad, Kamara, Wolff.
We just had a bunch of turnover last year. Why do it again this year? Lots of turnover leads to months like April through June where we win once.
ReplyDeleteDrew-you're not serious about Kamara are you? He makes under $200K and was our best, sometimes only, offensive threat. He's a steal considering his production.
ReplyDeleteMyers is a bust. Period.
Kamara is the only mature goal-scoring threat we have right now. I agree that he isn't long-term, but we need him until one of the kids develops. Losing Kamara resigns us to another year in the basement.
ReplyDelete