June 21, 2017
UPDATE [9:25 p.m.] – It's official. The Golden Knights have selected Flyers forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the NHL Expansion Draft.
More new Golden Knights to welcome to Vegas!
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 22, 2017
Connor Brickley (CAR)
Chris Thorburn (WPG)
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (PHI)
Jason Garrison (TBL) pic.twitter.com/fiA0XyyBGi
In his three seasons since signing with the Flyers as a free agent in the summer of 2014, the 32-year-old Frenchman recorded 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 237 games.
Thanks for everything, @bellsy78. You will be missed in Philadelphia. Best of luck in Vegas! pic.twitter.com/TEYLnXMFLR
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 22, 2017
The roster of the NHL's newest expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, will be announced on Wednesday night as part of the league awards show. And as reports roll in about which unprotected players the Golden Knights have selected in the expansion draft, the Flyers player heading to Vegas appears to be forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.
Sounds like it's Pierre-Edouard Bellemare headed to Vegas from Philly.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) June 21, 2017
The selection of Bellemare would be a surprising one, assuming he's indeed the pick. Here's more from Ryan Gilbert over at SonsOfPenn.com:
This comes completely out of left field for Vegas, who had a handful of seemingly better options to choose from. Michael Raffl, Jordan Weal, Matt Read and Michal Neuvirth all would have hurt the Flyers more.
Losing Bellemare doesn’t really do much to the Flyers roster. He was a fourth-liner at best and makes some room for a younger player, perhaps Scott Laughton. [sonsofpenn.com]
Making this even more intriguing is the fact that the Flyers have reportedly been talking to Vegas about a trade involving the No. 2 pick in Friday night's NHL Draft.
Could the selection of Bellemare, who was clearly not the best player left unprotected by the Flyers, be part of a bigger deal that would see VGK land the second pick?
We'll have to wait and see...
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