Mark Giordano left exposed in Seattle expansion draft

The full protection and exposure lists for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft aren’t out yet, but one big piece of Calgary Flames news has dropped. Captain Mark Giordano has been exposed, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Giordano, 37, has been the Flames captain since 2013, replacing Jarome Iginla. Since he put on the C, he’s become established as one of the top defensemen in the entire NHL. He’s been a perennial Norris Trophy contender throughout his 30s, capturing the trophy in 2018-19 after an excellent 35-year-old season.

But with Giordano nearing his 38th birthday, and Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson being young and requiring protection spots, the choice was between Giordano and 31-year-old Chris Tanev. All due respect to Giordano, one of the top players in franchise history, but protecting Tanev after the 2020-21 season that Tanev had was a no-brainer.

Full expansion protection lists will be released on Sunday morning. The Seattle Kraken will announce their selections on Wednesday night, starting at 6 p.m. MT on Sportsnet TV (and Sportsnet 960 The Fan).