I dont get why people are talking about it anyway. That wouldnt happen until next offseason.

A lot of time between now and then. Players will be drafted, signed, traded, retire, croak, get busted in drug raids, fake injuries so they cant be traded (JVR, Briere, any other Flyer), quit, defect to the Grreat-ist OIce Hohhcckey League in da Vurld (KHL), deiced to go into another business (IE: Fashion- see; Avery, Sean), and or have such a stark difference in skills and pay grade that not a single team would touch them...

So lets hold off on all that until the time is right.
- jak521

There's a certain amount of prep work ahead of the expansion draft, but I get your point.

A bit too much pearl clutching.

My guess is quite a few moves will be made before next spring. The only guy who is pretty much impossible to move is AMac and we can only hope that an expansion team with an eye on reaching the cap floor will bite.

If not, by the end of next season, he'll only have three years and perhaps at that point they can try retaining some salary to move him.
- BiggE

I think NHL teams are being very serious about expansion now. The offseason and the draft are the times to make the cap work with big trades. That is harder to do at the deadline and teams will need to be set up for expansion THIS offseason. As has been mentioned....the Flyers will NEED to expose 2 forwards and 1 defenseman that has term on his contract and has played either 40 games this season or 70 the last two.

That last part is very important because the Flyers are lacking options, especially on defense unless they get AMac to 40 games.

I also think it is not impossible to trade AMac. It was impossible to trade Vinny, Randy Carlyle was never supposed to be an NHL head coach again. They can retain salary if necessary.

^ Hexy probably already started accounting for it in his long-term projections the minute he took office.
- Tomahawk

He probably started accounting for something that didnt exist?

In a way he has, but that was really just a side effect of trying to become salary cap flexible. It has a lot of advantages, especially at the point the Flyers are at. The timing of it all really isnt bad

He probably started accounting for something that didnt exist?

In a way he has, but that was really just a side effect of trying to become salary cap flexible. It has a lot of advantages, especially at the point the Flyers are at. The timing of it all really isnt bad
- YuenglingJagr

Everybody knew the NHL was looking at expansion (particularly to Seattle) at the time he took over... I'm sure the possibility was always in the back of his mind.

Everybody knew the NHL was looking at expansion (particularly to Seattle) at the time he took over... I'm sure the possibility was always in the back of his mind.
- Tomahawk

expansion, yeah, but the rules have been changing quite a bit...it isnt really possible to fully plan for something without knowing the rules. Streit and Umberger had to be protected up until like a week ago

expansion, yeah, but the rules have been changing quite a bit...it isnt really possible to fully plan for something without knowing the rules. Streit and Umberger had to be protected up until like a week ago
- YuenglingJagr

This is the other reason I'm not really worrying about this yet. Knowing the NHL, they'll change the rules 10 more times over the next few months.

This is the other reason I'm not really worrying about this yet. Knowing the NHL, they'll change the rules 10 more times over the next few months.
- BiggE

You obviously have great reasons to believe that...but they are kind of getting to the point where they cant. They cant expect to make any rules that the GMs have no time to account for without some type of out.