Uncovering the Sens’ Most Shocking Expansion Draft Losses That Changed Everything

Joey Daccord’s journey from a seventh-round pick by the Ottawa Senators to becoming a key figure in the NHL couldn’t be more compelling. Now, secured with a lucrative five-year contract to guard the nets for the Seattle Kraken, he’s not just making waves on the ice — his alma mater, Arizona State University, is celebrating him in a truly special way by retiring his number 35 jersey. It’s a historic first for the Sun Devils and a personal milestone that cements Daccord’s legacy far beyond draft day. Yet, the path that led here has its twists — after all, Ottawa chose not to protect him during the 2021 expansion draft, a move that sent him packing but sparked a deeper reflection on the Senators’ past expansion draft losses. When you map out the players they’ve parted with, Daccord and Marc Methot stand head and shoulders above the rest as the most impactful departures in recent memory. While Methot’s shadow looms large due to his position and tenure, Daccord’s story is far from finished — his prime years are still unfolding, and for fans like me, his emotional first NHL win remains a vivid memory. So, who really was the biggest loss for Ottawa in these drafts? That debate is still wide open, and one I’m eager to revisit as Daccord’s career unfolds. LEARN MORE

Things are going pretty well these days for former Ottawa Senators goalie Joey Daccord. For one, he’s starting his new set-for-life contract, a five-year deal worth $25 million to tend goal for the Seattle Kraken.

Secondly, his old school announced this week it plans to honour Daccord by retiring his number 35 jersey. Daccord’s number will rise to the rafters at Arizona State University in the Sun Devils’ season opener when they face Gavin McKenna and Penn State on October 3rd.

Daccord will become the first ASU player to ever have his number retired, and he’s also the first to be drafted, sign, and play with an NHL team. The Sens selected him in the seventh round back in 2015.

But he’s long gone from the Sens organization because they left him unprotected in the 2021 Seattle Expansion Draft. Teams could only protect one goalie, and the Sens went with Filip Gustavsson, while leaving Daccord, Anton Forsberg, Marcus Hogberg, and Matt Murray unprotected.

It got me thinking about players the Senators have historically lost in the expansion drafts of the past.

Here’s the full list:

2021: G Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken)

2017: D Marc Methot (Vegas Golden Knights)

2000: F Kevin Dineen (Columbus Blue Jackets)

2000: F Joe Juneau (Minnesota Wild)

1999: F Phil Crowe (Atlanta Thrashers)

1998: F Denny Lambert (Nashville Predators)

1993: D Mark Ferner (Anaheim Ducks)

1993: F Marc LaBelle (Florida Panthers)

Because the pre-Vegas expansion draft rules allowed existing teams to protect many more talented players on their rosters than we saw in the past, there’s a huge drop-off in calibre before 2017. So any discussion about the greatest player Ottawa ever lost in an expansion draft is a two-horse race between Methot and Daccord. 

We’ll give the edge to Methot right now, because his loss was the biggest to the team, simply because the Sens spent a lot of years trying to find another right-shot defenseman like him. But Meth is now long retired, and Daccord has a lot of race track still ahead, so we may have to revisit this in a few years.

In the meantime, we’ll always have a soft spot for Daccord, especially after his emotional interview following his first NHL win, a few months before he headed for Seattle.

After unexpected start, Joey Daccord candidly details ‘special’ first NHL win
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