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NHL expansion draft: How it works, and what it means for the Flyers

How much have franchises paid to join the NHL over the last 30 years? Even adjusting for inflation, Seattle is paying more than seven times what two-time defending champion Tampa Bay paid in 1992.

Tim Kerr (center), the Flyers' third all-time leading goal scorer, was selected by San Jose in the 1991 expansion draft and immediately dealt to the Rangers. Here, he celebrates with Peter Zezel (left) and Brian Propp.
Tim Kerr (center), the Flyers' third all-time leading goal scorer, was selected by San Jose in the 1991 expansion draft and immediately dealt to the Rangers. Here, he celebrates with Peter Zezel (left) and Brian Propp.Read moreStaff file photo

The terms of Seattle’s expansion draft are identical to those Vegas followed four years ago. Whether the Kraken can have the same wildly successful first season as the Golden Knights remains to be seen. Here are the details:

  1. Step 1 is for NHL teams to submit lists of players they are protecting from Seattle by Saturday. Seattle will pick one player from each NHL team except Vegas.

  2. Step 2 is a July 18-20 window in which Seattle may negotiate with pending (and unprotected) free agents. Brian Elliott, Alex Lyon, and Samuel Morin are the Flyers’ unrestricted free agents. Carter Hart, Nolan Patrick, Travis Sanheim, and Carsen Twarynski are restricted free agents. Hart, Sanheim, and Patrick are expected to be protected. Patrick, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017 whose career has been beset by injuries, is a most interesting decision. He’s just 22, turning 23 on Sept. 19.

  3. A team can lose only one free agent to Seattle, which would count toward the expansion draft.

  4. Step 3 is the draft itself, which is Wednesday, July 21 (8 p.m., ESPN2). Chris Fowler will host.

  5. The Kraken will acquire 30 players, 20 of whom must be under contract for 2021-22. Seattle must get a minimum of 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders.

  6. NHL teams have two protection options. They can shield 11 players (seven forwards, three defensemen, one goalie) or eight skaters (any combination of forwards and defensemen) and one goaltender.

  7. Notable Flyers who could be exposed include Jake Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere, and James van Riemsdyk.

  8. Seattle’s head coach is former Flyers coach Dave Hakstol. Its general manager is Ron Francis, a Hall of Fame player and a former GM of the Carolina Hurricanes.

» READ MORE: What does Dave Hakstol's hiring mean for Flyers in expansion draft?

  1. Seattle’s last professional team, excluding junior hockey clubs, was the Totems, which played in the Western Hockey league from 1958-74 and the Central Hockey League in 1974-75.

  2. The Seattle Metropolitans won the Stanley Cup in 1917. After winning the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, they played the Montreal Canadiens, champions of the National Hockey Association, and won a best-of-five series, three games to one. The NHL formed following the series with four teams: two in Montreal, one each in Toronto and Ottawa.

  3. A kraken is a mythical sea monster. Think Bigfoot in water.

Gone from the Flyers

Seattle is the 11th team the NHL has added in the last 30 years. Here is a look at Flyers players plucked during the previous 10 expansion drafts.

Year
1991-92
New team(s)
San Jose
Flyers lost (picked)
F Tim Kerr (9th)
Year
1992-93
New team(s)
Ottawa, Tampa Bay
Flyers lost (picked)
D Darren Rumble (8th/Ott), F Mark Freer (33rd/Ott)
Year
1993-94
New team(s)
Anaheim, Florida
Flyers lost (picked)
D Gord Hynes (21st/Fla.), F Andrei Lomakin (40th/Fla.)
Year
1998-99
New team(s)
Nashville
Flyers lost (picked)
C Craig Darby (20th)
Year
1999-00
New team(s)
Atlanta (now WPG)
Flyers lost (picked)
F Jody Hull (19th)
Year
2000-01
New team(s)
Columbus, Minnesota
Flyers lost (picked)
D Artem Anisimov (21st/Min.), F Martin Streit (44th/CBJ)
Year
2017-18
New team(s)
Vegas
Flyers lost (picked)
F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (12th)

Notable

  1. Kerr, third all-time in Flyers’ history with 363 goals, was immediately traded by San Jose to the Rangers. He finished his career with Hartford in 1992-93, coached by Paul Holmgren.

  2. Rumble, a Flyers’ first-round pick in 1987, played two seasons for Ottawa. He was minus-24 the first season, minus-50 the next. Those were some rough Senators teams back then.

  3. Lomakin was the first Russian to play for the Flyers. His 19 goals in Florida’s inaugural season was second to Scott Mellanby (30). Lomakin was out of the league two years later.

  4. Hull was reacquired by the Flyers before he played a game with Atlanta. He played all 18 postseason games in 1999-00 as the Flyers lost to the Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven grinding games.

  5. Anisimov, a Flyers’ third-round pick in 1994, should not be confused with the current Senators defenseman with the same name.

  6. Bellemare was a key defensive specialist as the Golden Knights reached the Cup Finals in their first year, easily the most successful inaugural season of the four major sports.

Money, money, money

Here is the cost of expansion over the last 30 years:

Year
1991-92
Team(s)
San Jose
Cost
$45 million
Today’s equivalent
$88.9 million
*Worth
SJ: $515M
Year
1992-93
Team(s)
Ottawa, Tampa Bay
Cost
$45 million
Today’s equivalent
$86.3 million
*Worth
Ott: $430M, TB: $470M
Year
1993-94
Team(s)
Anaheim, Florida
Cost
$50 million
Today’s equivalent
$93.1 million
*Worth
Ana: $460M, Fla: $295M
Year
1998-99
Team(s)
Nashville
Cost
$80 million
Today’s equivalent
$132.1 million
*Worth
Nash: $435M
Year
1999-00
Team(s)
Atlanta (now WPG)
Cost
$80 million
Today’s equivalent
$129.2 million
*Worth
WPG: $405M
Year
2000-01
Team(s)
Columbus, Minnesota
Cost
$80 million
Today’s equivalent
$125.0 million
*Worth
CBJ: $310M, Min: $500M
Year
2017-18
Team(s)
Vegas
Cost
$500 million
Today’s equivalent
$549 million
*Worth
VGK: $570M
Year
2021-22
Team(s)
Seattle
Cost
$650 million
Today’s equivalent
$650 million
*Worth
TBD

Source: Inquirer research, USInflationCalculator.com.

Notable

  1. Franchise values are according to Forbes as of December.

  2. The Rangers ($1.65 billion), Toronto ($1.5 billion), and Montreal ($1.34 billion) had the highest values.

  3. Arizona ($285 million), Florida ($295 million), and Columbus ($310 million) had the lowest.

  4. The Flyers ($800 million) were ranked 7th. Ed Snider and his group paid a $2 million expansion fee in 1967-68, the equivalent of $15.4 million today.