2017 NHL Expansion Draft: Vegas reportedly sets sights on Schlemko (UPDATE)

David Schlemko’s San Jose Sharks tenure is over after a season, as the Vegas Golden Knights have selected the defenseman ahead of tonight’s Expansion Draft, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

Vegas General Manager George McPhee told reporters yesterday that his team was “going to claim a bunch” of defensemen, and reports indicate that he has made good on his promise. In addition to Schlemko, Vegas has reportedly picked defensemen Trevor Van Riemsdyk, Marc Methot, and Brayden McNabb, among others.

San Jose signed Schlemko as an unrestricted free agent to a four-year, $8.2 million contract last summer. Despite playing five less games (62) and nearly two minutes fewer per game (16:49) than he did the previous season, Schlemko scored the second-most points of his career (18), and set a career-high in shots on goal (118). He added three points in six postseason games, scoring two goals and matching his totals from the regular season.

Schlemko and defense partner Brenden Dillon formed a formidable third defense pairing, but the Sharks have options to replace him. Dylan DeMelo has played sparingly over the last two seasons, but seems ready for larger responsibility. Tim Heed and Joakim Ryan, who signed contract extensions last weekend, will likely be in the mix for DeMelo’s old spot.

UPDATE (4:29 PM PST): The Sharks did not trade any assets to ensure that Vegas took Schlemko, according to Friend of the Blog Kevin Kurz. Schlemko is also likely to be traded to another team in the coming days, according to LeBrun.