Doug MacLean reflects on experience with expansion Blue Jackets

When Doug MacLean was general manager of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000-01, his payroll was $18 million and the Detroit Red Wings' was $55 million.

“And we played the Red Wings eight times,” MacLean said. “I remember those days vividly.”

MacLean tells the story to explain how different the expansion team building process is today with the Vegas Golden Knights compared to the way it was the last time the NHL expanded.

“It’s going to be better team just because the floor of the salary cap is $55 million,” MacLean said. “(GM George McPhee) has to have some higher priced players to get there."

MORE NHL:

Here's how Vegas Golden Knights will go in expansion draft

Expansion draft: Eight pressing questions as Vegas Golden Knights construct roster

When the NHL expanded from 26 to 30 teams from 1998 to 2000, there was no salary cap for the Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild and Blue Jackets. Expansion general managers were looking for less expensive players.

Today, McPhee needs to consider available expensive players such as goalie Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.75 million), defenseman Toby Enstrom ($5.75 million) James Neal ($5 million) and Paul Martin ($4.85 million).

The Golden Knights are expected to make a run at some higher-priced free agents, such as T.J. Oshie or Kevin Shattenkirk.

One rumor: If Brent Burns hadn’t re-signed in San Jose, the Golden Knights were going to make him an offer he could not have refused.

MacLean said if he had it to do over, “I would be much different cutting deals.”

In the last expansion, when the Wild and Blue Jackets entered the NHL for $80 million, teams could protect most of their important players. MacLean remembers there were several teams that offered no one he wanted. He drafted a free agent or European prospect and simply didn't sign them. The Golden Knights paid $500 million to enter, and their expansion draft scenario is more favorable.

To fill the Golden Knights' roster, teams could only protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight defensemen or forwards and one goalie.

“There was not much available to us, and we made soft deals,” MacLean said. “(McPhee) is in a better situation where he can cut better deals because there are better players available.”

His advice to McPhee? “Really be tough on deals," he said.

MacLean laughs at the memories of general managers telling him they would “do him a favor down the road” if he would give them a break during the expansion process.”

He remembers making some good deals, such as getting a second-round pick from the Montreal Canadiens for not taking Eric Weinrich. He drafted Geoff Sanderson, who scored 30 goals in Columbus’ first season.

But he remembers taking Jan Caloun and picks from the San Jose Sharks in order to not draft Evgeni Nabokov. MacLean made the deal because he had already made deals to have Ron Tugnutt and Marc Denis as his goalies.

Brian Burke was general manager in Vancouver back then, and MacLean remembers Burke jokingly telling him that he would give him the secret to success.

“The formula is real simple, Burkie said,' " MacLean recalled, laughing. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the formula – you just finish last five years in a row and you have the No. 1 pick five years in a row. Then you have a good team.”

MacLean said what Burke didn’t tell him is that he would have to meet “my owner every two weeks to explain why we weren’t competitive.”

“George will have that situation too,” MacLean said. “Owners understand being competitive and winning. They don’t understand building. That hasn’t changed.”

If anything, MacLean said, expectations may be higher because Las Vegas is an important market.

“There may be more pressure,” MacLean said, “to be better quicker.”