DETROIT - After contemplating who to protect for the expansion draft for some time and debating it during their pro scouting meetings last week, the Detroit Red Wings are prepared to submit their list.

NHL clubs will file their protection lists by 5 p.m. Saturday.

After approval by the league, the lists will be revealed to the public Sunday at 10 a.m.

The Vegas Golden Knights will make 30 selections, one from each team. Their picks will be revealed during the NHL Awards on Wednesday (8-10 p.m., NBC Sports Network).

A trade freeze goes into effect at 3 p.m. Saturday, but Vegas is excluded, so clubs can make deals with the Golden Knights to not select a certain player right up until the expansion club submits its choices Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland confirmed long ago that his club will protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goaltender (as opposed to four forwards, four defensemen and a goalie).

Up front, the Red Wings are certain to protect Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Mantha, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Henrik Zetterberg and Frans Nielsen, who must be on the list due to his no-movement clause. The other spot is expected to go to Justin Abdelkader.

Why protect Abdelkader when he has six years remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $4.25 million and likely wouldn't be selected by Vegas? The Red Wings probably wouldn't expose a player they named an alternate captain less than a year ago, a potential future captain, and one of their few players that provides a physical presence, size and grit.

This would leave Darren Helm, Riley Sheahan, Luke Glendening and prospects Tomas Nosek and Martin Frk exposed. Dylan Larkin and prospects Tyler Bertuzzi and Evgeny Svechnikov (among others) are exempt because they have two years or less of pro experience (NHL or AHL).

On defense, Detroit is likely to protect Danny DeKeyser, Mike Green and Nick Jensen.

Some might advocate exposing DeKeyser, who has five years left on his deal at a $5 million cap hit. But the Red Wings believe, after four good seasons, that 2016-17 was an aberration and he can rebound.

Why protect Green, who has one year left at $6 million? Despite his defensive deficiencies, he's one of their few defensemen who can provide offense. He could also return perhaps a second-round pick at the trade deadline if the Red Wings are out of the playoff picture.

The smooth-skating, puck-moving Jensen's stock rose after he was recalled mid-season from the Grand Rapids Griffins.

This would leave exposed veterans Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson, who won't be selected due to a variety of reasons (age, contract, performance) and young Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul. Prospect Robbie Russo is exempt.

In goal, the Red Wings seem apt to protect Petr Mrazek despite his struggles last season. He is eight years younger than Jimmy Howard, who is not likely to be claimed by Vegas due to his age (33) and contract (two years remaining at a $5.3 million cap hit).

Jared Coreau, who led the Griffins to the AHL Calder Cup championship, would also be exposed. But he's unproven at the NHL level (he had some good outings and poor performances last season), so he probably wouldn't appeal to the Golden Knights.

Sheahan is a prime target to be taken. Despite going 79 games without a goal before scoring twice in the season finale, he's big (6-3, 222), young (25), has a manageable contract (one year remaining at $2.075 million) and remains under club control in 2018 as a restricted free agent. Many believe 2016-17 was a fluke, since he was fairly productive for a third-line player the previous three seasons.

Ouellet, 23, and Nosek, 24, are other possibilities for Vegas.