We’re one more sleep away from waking up on Expansion Draft day. I’m already nervous and anticipating something fun. Whether we receive another exciting trade from GM Chuck Fletcher, I’m still beyond thrilled at Chuck’s recent move, trading Nolan Patrick and Phil Myers to the Nashville Predators for D Ryan Ellis.

Now, it’s go time.

The Flyers have protected NAK, Giroux, Hayes, Couturier, Konecny, Laughton, Lindblom, Provorov, Ellis, Sanheim & Hart. That leaves Jake Voracek ($8.2), James van Riemsdyk ($7.0) & Shayne Gostisbehere ($4.5) as three notable Flyers that will be exposed to the Seattle Kraken. There have been rumors circulating twitter ever since the Ryan Ellis trade has happened. Anthony SanFilippo of CrossingBroad came out with an article on July 18th, stating that the Flyers might not be done just yet. There’s a scenario laid out that based off talks in the episode Snow the Goalie had with Chuck Fletcher, and other information that Anthony said came his way “from a couple sources, one within the Flyers organization, and one outside of it”, led him to:

• Seattle selecting Tarasenko from Blues in expansion draft
• Flyers will then trade Voracek and a pick (either 2nd or 3rd) to the Seattle for Tarasenko
• Seattle then selects Robert Hagg from Flyers in expansion draft

Anthony did add that the entire situation is still fluid, so things could definitely change and there could obviously be more moving parts.

The Flyers still have their 13th overall pick, not giving it up in that Ellis trade was huge by Chuck Fletcher. Still gives him the ability to dangle it in a trade to bring another player in here that can help this year and beyond. Somebody who’s really been on the ball with rumors for a while now, is @NHLRumorsDaily. He had the Flyers being in on Ryan Ellis 4 days before it happened, after it seemed it was time to pivot away from Columbus and Seth Jones.

NRD was on the TheInstigators latest show this morning around 11 am and according to him, the asking price for D Rasmus Ristolainen is a solid NHL prospect and a 2nd round pick. The Flyers would probably like to add another right-handed shot, who can play that defensive style game and allow a guy like Cam York or Travis Sanheim to jump up in the play more. A lot of Flyers and even Sabres fans have been hammering home the point they DO NOT want Rasmus on the Flyers. Some think while he indeed posses a huge frame, standing at 6’4, 221lbs, he’s an absolute mess in his own zone.

I haven’t watched a ton of Sabres games (thankfully), so I can’t really sit here and make a fair assessment on Rasmus. With that being said, I can’t lie and say that I haven’t seen some of those mind-boggling plays over the years after stumbling upon a Sabres game. Do I think he’s as bad as the people who seem to dislike him a ton says he is, no. Do I think he’s the #1 guy to be looking at to play with Sanheim, nope.

• Adam Larsson is apparently hitting the open market as talks with the Oilers have hit a wall

• Alec Martinez is a FA
• Find out what Ryan Suter wants, can’t be a ton (I don’t think Suter plays RD, I could be wrong)
• Dougie Hamilton is still out there (could you imagine?)
• Jamie Oleksiak is another name I’ve seen thrown out there, he’d be a decent defensive guy to go let the young guys show off their skating abilities

If all this doesn’t go down, we still have the 13th pick and they’re some nice prospects for the Flyers to look at.

**UPDATE**

You can scratch both of those guys off the list.

Cole Sillinger, C, WHL

I think there’s certainly a chance Cole falls to the Flyers at #13 and if he does, I’d be excited if the Flyers called his name.

• One of best shots in draft
• Terrific offensive mind
• Has a bit of snarl in game
• Terrific hands and has the ability to maintain the puck in tight areas
• Extremely deceptive release, can/will shoot from ANYWHERE
• Does have some skating concerns

Flyers drafted a pure sniper with a bit of skating concerns last season in Tyson Foerster and I’d say he had a pretty good D+1 year. Played in the AHL with grown men as a teenager and finished 4th on the Phantoms with 10G-7A-17P in 24 games. Foerster did unfortunately have his year cut short, breaking his collarbone during a scary fall in the corner during a game vs Binghamton on May 12th.

Fabian Lysell, RW, SHL

• Lacks size and strength
• Plays with extremely high motor
• Fantastic agility and speed
• Excellent vision
• Shot needs improvement
• Playmaking forward

Lysell would be a fun pick, a highly-offensively skilled forward that has tremendous speed and playmaking ability. The Flyers would be adding to an impressive crop of forward prospects:

• Morgan Frost, C, 22 years old (22 NHL games)
• Wade Allison, RW, 23 years old (14 NHL games)
• Tyson Foerster, RW, 19 years old (10G-7A-17P in 24 games in AHL as teenager)
• Zayde Wisdom, C, 19 years old (7G-11A-18P in 28 games in AHL as teenager)
• Elliot Desnoyers, LW, 19 years old (Finished 1st on Halifax Mooseheads with 21G-28A in D+1 year)
• Olle Lycksell, RW, 21 years old (9G-12A in 46 games in SHL)

Corson Ceulemans, D, AJHL

• Excellent skater
• Love the way he can walk the blue-line and open up lanes with his eyes and feet
• Loves to jump up on rush
• Has concerns about play off of puck
• Effort concerns at times

A right handed shot, the Flyers wouldn’t mind adding to their defensive prospect group that consists of names like Cam York, Egor Zamula, Emil Andrae, Wyatt Wylie and Mason Millman. Out of all those guys Wylie is the only right-handed shot, we just traded Phil Myers who was a right-handed shot so I’m sure the Flyers would like to add another one.

• There will be a ton of options for the Flyers.
• Trade the pick along with a package and bring another good player here
• Keep the pick and select a good player that’s bound to fall to you during this weird draft year (I’m sure every scout has a different list)
• Use that pick as leverage in a trade during expansion to get a contract off the books
• Trade back and collect more assets and let a good player fall to you between #20-25

Chuck isn’t done yet and I’m shaking with anticipation. Tomorrow should be a fun one, get your rest Philadelphia.

P.S. Ryan Ellis is a Philadelphia Flyer

Mandatory Credit: Heather Barry Images