The state of Washington- and its surrounding areas- has been a hockey hot bed for over 100 years and, surprisingly enough, having a professional ice hockey team is not going to be a new adventure for the city of Seattle, whose professional teams date back to 1915. Initially, the Seattle Metropolitans were founded and played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. Next, the Seattle Iron Men were in existence from 1944-1952 and played in the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL), but then switched their name to the Seattle Bombers in 1952 and played through 1954 when the PCHL became known as the Western Hockey League or (WHL). Still in
the WHL, the Bombers then changed their name again in 1955 to the Seattle Americans, where they were to play under that name until 1958 when they were renamed the Seattle Totems and joined the Central Hockey League (CHL) in 1974 when the WHL folded. Although the ‘74- ‘75 season would be Seattle’s last in professional hockey, that does not mean that Seattle’s love for hockey died. Their support simply migrated and set strong roots in cheering on their junior teams (who both play in today’s WHL): the Seattle Thunderbirds (who the Flyers goaltender prospect Roddy Ross currently plays for), and the Everett Silvertips, who play in the state of Washington
as well and helped to develop the great Carter Hart and Flyers’ defensive prospect Wyatte Wylie.
Now gifted with yet another chance at a professional team, Seattle made a recent announcement that let everyone know that the team will be called “The Kraken,” along with unveiling their new jerseys. With this announcement came the realization that the NHL is going to have a 32nd franchise coming to fruition.
As a result, this means yet another expansion draft will have to occur: This time the Philadelphia Flyers are set to lose a much larger piece than they lost in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft when the Las Vegas Golden Knights selected the versatile forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare from the
Flyers’ ranks to join their club. This latest expansion draft, which is set to take place after next season, will follow very closely the rules that were in place when Vegas made their selections. Seattle will have to select one
player from all 30 teams (this excluding the Golden Knights), of which they must fill 14 forwards, 9 defenseman, and 3 goalies. Each of the thirty teams will be able to protect either 7 forwards, 3 defenseman, and one goalie, or 8 skaters total (forwards and defenseman) and one goalie. The other rules for teams during this expansion draft are were taken straight from www.nhl.com as follows:
- All players with no movement clauses at the time of the draft, and who decline to waive those clauses, must be protected, and will be counted toward their team’s applicable protection limits.
- All first- and second-year NHL players, and all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward protection limits. In addition, all NHL teams must meet the following minimum requirements regarding players exposed for selection in the draft.
- One defenseman who is a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played in at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons.
- Two forwards who are a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons.
- One goalie who is under contract in 2021-22 or will be a restricted free agent at the end of his current contract immediately prior to 2021-22. If a team elects to make a restricted free agent goalie available to meet this requirement, that goalie must have received his qualifying offer
prior to the submission of the team’s protected list. - Players with potential career-ending injuries who have missed more than the previous 60 consecutive games (or who otherwise have been confirmed to have a career-threatening injury) may not be used to satisfy a team’s player exposure requirements unless approval is received from the NHL. Such players also may be deemed exempt from selection. Look at just who the Flyers might try to protect, using the standard “7 Forwards, 3 defenseman and a goalie” format:
Selecting just seven forwards to protect will be a daunting task, but here it goes: - The Flyers will have to protect the Captain (with his no movement clause) Claude Giroux, and why not? He has over 800 Points as a Flyer and his name and number will most certainly be hanging in the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center shortly after he chooses to hang up his skates.
- The Flyers will surely look to protect the hard-working Selke Award Finalist (an award given to the forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive zone) and new dad, Sean Couturier.
- The multi-talented center Kevin Hayes who was brought in with Head Coach Alain Vigneault this season will be protected, as he has a no movement clause, as well. Hayes showed the fans this year just why he was awarded a seven-year $50 Million dollar contract at the start of this season.
- Travis Konecny, the team’s 23-year-old speedy, goal-scoring winger who works hard every shift, continues to get better every year and who loves to talk trash will be protected.
- The team recently re-signed 23-year-old winger Oskar Lindblom who was leading the Flyers in goals this season before being diagnosed with the rare bone cancer Ewing’s sarcoma (which he has since battled back from) to a 3 year 9-million-dollar contract starting next season. The team has shown that they have faith in him that he has made a complete recovery and will be in the Flyers’ fold for some time to come. Why would the Flyers not think that way, when Oskar has
already been back on the ice and skating flawlessly with his team before he even finished his final cancer treatments? Lindblom has now been cleared by both his oncologist (cancer doctor) and the team’s doctors for the ability to fully participate in all team activities. This Swede’s determination not only helped him to beat cancer in record time, but his resurgence has earned him a spot on the final thirty-one-man roster that is already headed to Toronto, Canada for the playoffs! A miraculous feat indeed, so why wouldn’t the Flyers look to protect this man from Seattle’s suction cup-like tentacles after next season?
- Now here is where it begins to get tricky: The Flyers have great depth in the forward position; something they did not have this back in 2017 when the Golden Knights were assembling their roster. Additionally, Philadelphia has developed some albatross-like contracts that are, and will persist to be, hindering the Flyers’ finical plans in the future when they continue to try and re-sign their restricted and unrestricted free agents. Philippe Myers, Robert Hagg, Nolan Patrick, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel are all restricted free agents after this season that still need to be signed; and unrestricted players include Derek Grant, Tyler Pitlick, and Brian Elliott who the team will need to make a decision on soon. Not to mention names like Carter Hart, Travis Sanheim, and Scott Laughton who will need new contracts after next season. This is why Jakub Voracek (who is 30-years-old and has 4 years left on his contract that pays him an outrageous $8.25 million a year) or 31-year-old James van Riemsdyk (who has 3 years left on his deal that pays him $7 million a season) will probably not be protected. With the hopes that Seattle will select one of these veterans (who both happened to be in Coach Vigneault’s dog house for much of the season) to help them release the Kraken and at the same time release the burden of their cap hit from the Flyers’ payroll, the question is: Which Flyers winger could the team afford to do without the most? Both are around the same age and have played for the Flyers for many years (van Riemsdyk left and came back). Voracek is a set up guy where van Riemsdyk is more of a gritty goal scorer. The Flyers have plenty of set up guys and for $1.25 Million more in cap space the Flyers should look to leave Jakub Voracek exposed. Choosing instead to protect the goal scorer James van Riemsdyk.
- This last forward spot is going to be up to two players: Either former number two overall pick Nolan Patrick (who is still trying to return from a head injury), or the versatile forward and former 1st round pick Scott Laughton who is beloved by both HC Alain Vigneault and General Manager Chuck Fletcher for his ability to play anywhere in the lineup that he is needed. This protection depends vastly on Patrick’s health at this time next year. If he has shown he can return to the lineup and be effective next season, then the spot should be his. If not, expect Laughton to be the last forward that is protected.
Selecting these players would leave either a 30-goal scorer (JVR) open for the taking or a once elite set man, ripe for picking in Voracek, with hopes that in doing so the Kraken would not select Scott Laughton or Nolan Patrick if they were left exposed.
Now here is where it gets easier selecting three defensemen.
- The first to be protected will undoubtedly be the future Norris Trophy winner (an award given to the league’s best defenseman) Ivan Provorov. This offensively-gifted defenseman who eats up serious minutes on the Flyers blue line will hopefully lead this young Flyers defensive core for the next decade at least.
- The second defenseman the Flyers will protect will be the young Travis Sanheim. This will continue to enhance his play and solidify his role as a reliable second-pairing defenseman for the Flyers for many years to come.
- The last d-man who will be saved from Seattle’s grasp is Philippe Myers, who has a remarkably similar playing style to the above-mentioned Sanheim and improved vastly in his first full season in the NHL, especially after the Christmas break.
Protecting these three defensemen who are all still under the age of twenty-five will leave the Flyers with an impressive core group on defense for the foreseeable future. Doing this will leave defensemen like Shayne Gostisbehere and his hefty $4.5. million-dollar cap hit exposed. With any luck, the Emerald City will take a chance on this once promising young defenseman with the mindset that he could be fixed and could run their power play from the point. Also left exposed to the Kraken will be defenseman Robert Hagg who was the Flyers’ muscle this year, laying massive hits while at the same time being one of the team’s best stay-at-home defenseman.
Now, Goaltending. As if it needs to be said. The Flyers will protect their future Vezina (award given to the league’s best goalie), and Conn Smythe Trophy (award given to the playoff MVP) winner Carter Hart. Hart, who is still just twenty-one years old, demonstrated so much talent this season with his play that he was able to best some of the current league’s best goaltenders. The sky is the limit for this young man moving forward. Protecting Hart will leave goalie Brian Elliott open (if the Flyers choose to re-sign him after this season) or any potential free agent goaltender that is signed by the Flyers next season in Elliott’s wake (hopefully Anton Khudobin).
Whomever Seattle’s General Manager Ron Francis elects to pluck from the Flyers’ roster will be undoubtedly be a terrific player. The upside is the Flyers have depth in all positions in their system. With any luck, the Kraken will select one of those players (above mentioned) with those albatross/hefty contracts that will then allow the Flyers the ability to re-sign their future perennial All-Star goalie, along with others, to a contract they so deserve.
