MLS and Atlanta Release List of Expansion Draft Eligible Players

The post-season is in full swing as MLS has just released the list of players that Charlotte FC can potentially pluck from other teams in the Expansion Draft tomorrow. The entire list can be viewed over on the MLS site, but the names Atlanta fans should be curious about is right here.

• Adams, Mo
• Ambrose, Mikey
• Bauer, Joshua
• Damm, Jurgen
• De John, Alex
• Hernandez, Ronald
• Hyndman, Emerson
• Kann, Alec
• Lopez, Erik
• Lundgaard, Ben
• Mulraney, Jake
• Sejdic, Amar
• Torres, Erick
• Walkes, Anton

There are a few names on there that stick out more than others, and quite a few that probably every fan expected to be listed. In regards to the former, Alec Kann and Anton Walkes are two players that just about any MLS team would love to bring over, while Atlanta United would probably do anything to get rid of Jurgen Damm’s contract. Emerson Hyndman is another name that might look pretty to Charlotte, but Atlanta may have put him on the list as a freebie because of his recent injury. It’s unlikely that a new team would snag a player who hasn’t played in a year and is coming off an ACL injury.

Short of Kann, the list seems fairly straightforward. Jake Mulraney could be an enticing option depending on the type of team Charlotte is looking to build, as he’s served Atlanta fairly well with his speed. Ronald Hernandez is another player who could fit in very well with the right team.

But it’s worth noting that there are plenty of other options among the eligible players throughout MLS, and when those are examined it becomes very obvious that Alec Kann would likely be the most at-risk of being stolen away. He’s clearly a starter-caliber keeper, and anyone who’s played against him knows he can handle his business at goal. Luckily for Atlanta, the other players listed have plenty of “competition” throughout the league, so those would be a coin-toss. Just saying, but Diego Rossi is also available.

It’s worth remembering a few things about the Expansion Draft, too. For one, Charlotte only gets five total picks. They can only choose one player from any one team, and though it’s often looked at by the team getting a player taken as robbery, having a player moved off the roster isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Each of Atlanta’s listed players are far from perfect, and having one taken could open up an opportunity for the Five Stripes to be forced to find a more suitable replacement.

The Expansion Draft can be watched on the MLS website and app tomorrow at 7 Eastern, if you’re into sitting on pins and needles while watching legal theft. If they take Kann, the Peach Derby or whatever this rivalry is going to be called is going to be very interesting.