u/ConstructionSuch6608

With under 24 hours left until the draft and two post-Phase 4 trades going through, this is a final summary of all the players existing teams have lost in this expansion process:

Seattle:

1. Cayla Barnes (contracted) -> Detroit
2. Hannah Bilka (contracted) -> Detroit
3. Corinne Schroeder (contracted) -> San Jose
4. Hilary Knight (expiring contract) -> Detroit
5. Megan Carter (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
6. Mariah Keopple (expiring contract) -> San Jose
   • Total players lost in expansion: 6

New York:

1. Kayle Osborn (contracted) -> Hamilton
2. Anne Cherkowski (contracted) -> San Jose
3. Kristin O'Neill (expiring contract) -> San Jose
4. Maddi Wheeler (expiring contract with rights held) -> San Jose
5. Taylor Girard (expiring contract) -> Detroit
6. Allyson Simpson (contracted) -> Hamilton
   • Total players lost in expansion: 6

Montreal:

1. Nicole Gosling (contracted) -> Hamilton
2. Hayley Scamurra (contracted) -> Las Vegas
3. Erin Ambrose (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
4. Maureen Murphy (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
5. Shiann Darkangelo (contracted) -> Detroit
6. Natálie Mlýnková (expiring contract with rights held) -> San Jose
   • Total players lost in expansion: 6

Minnesota:

1. Britta Curl-Salemme (contracted) -> Detroit
2. Kendall Cooper (contracted) -> Las Vegas
3. Mae Batherson (contracted) -> Las Vegas
4. Nicole Hensley (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
5. Abby Hustler (contracted) -> Hamilton
6. Katy Knoll (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
   • Total players lost in expansion: 6

Boston:

1. Alina Muller (contracted) -> Hamilton
2. Zoe Boyd (expiring contract) -> Hamilton
3. Hadley Hartmetz (expiring contract) -> San Jose
4. Riley Brengman (expiring contract with rights held) -> Hamilton
5. Daniela Pejsová (contracted) -> San Jose
   • Total players lost in expansion: 5

Ottawa:

1. Brienne Jenner (expiring contract) -> Hamilton
2. Rory Guilday (contracted) -> San Jose
3. Emily Clark (contracted) -> Hamilton
4. Peyton Hemp (expiring contract with rights held) -> Hamilton
   • Total players lost in expansion: 4

Toronto:

1. Daryl Watts (expiring contract) -> Detroit
2. Jesse Compher (contracted) -> Detroit
3. Maggie Connors (expiring contract) -> San Jose
   • Total players lost in expansion: 3

Vancouver:

1. Sydney Bard (expiring contract) -> Detroit
2. Nina Jobst-Smith (contracted) -> Detroit
3. Abigail Boreen (contracted) -> Las Vegas
   • Total players lost in expansion: 3

Final summary:

• Four teams, Seattle, New York, Minnesota and Montreal, all lost 6 players each, followed by Boston that lost 5, Ottawa that lost 4 and finally Toronto and Vancouver that both lost 3.
• In total 39 players where lost in expansion rather than 40 (due to Ella Huber being traded back to Boston for draft picks)
• Just over half of the total players lost to expansion teams where ones under contract (20/39), with those on expiring contracts being divided up between unrestricted free agents (15/39) and restricted free agents/expiring contracts with rights held (4/39).

It's interesting to me that the teams to lose the most players in this expansion are both the two teams that have finished at the bottom of the standings in the last two seasons and the Walter Cup Champions from the last two seasons - so both the teams with the worst and best records. Not sure what that says or if it even means anything, but definitely interesting to note!

It's still possible there will be more trades that change this number and after Phase 5 and the draft we'll enter free agency so this is not the end of roster changes for this offseason, but this is the final summary for the `Expansion Player Distribution Process´ proper.

Please let me know if I got anything wrong.

With Phase 3 over expansion continues to hit some teams harder than others, here is a summary of the players each existing team has lost to expansion teams and how many players under contract they can lose in Phase 4.

Seattle:

• Cayla Barnes (contracted) -> Detroit
• Hannah Bilka (contracted) -> Detroit
• Corinne Schroeder (contracted) -> San Jose
• Hilary Knight (expiring contract) -> Detroit (via Las Vegas)
• Megan Carter (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
• Mariah Keopple (expiring contract) -> San Jose
  • total players lost: 6 (of which 3 where under contract), can lose 1 more player under contract in Phase 4

New York:

• Kayle Osborn (contracted) -> Hamilton
• Anne Cherkowski (contracted) -> San Jose
• Kristin O'Neill (expiring contract) -> San Jose
• Maddi Wheeler (expiring contract with rights held) -> San Jose
• Taylor Girard (expiring contract) -> Detroit
  • total players lost: 5 (of which 3 where under contract or had rights held), can lose 1 more player under contract in Phase 4

Minnesota:

• Britta Curl-Salemme (contracted) -> Detroit
• Kendall Cooper (contracted) -> Las Vegas
• Mae Batherson (contracted) -> Las Vegas
• Nicole Hensley (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
  • total players lost: 4 (of which 3 where under contract), can lose 1 more player under contract in Phase 4

Montreal:

• Nicole Gosling (contracted) -> Hamilton
• Hayley Scamurra (contracted) -> Las Vegas
• Erin Ambrose (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
• Maureen Murphy (expiring contract) -> Las Vegas
  • total players lost: 4 (of which 2 where under contract), can lose up to 2 more players under contract in Phase 4

Ottawa:

• Brienne Jenner (expiring contract) -> Hamilton
• Rory Guilday (contracted) -> San Jose
• Emily Clark (contracted) -> Hamilton
  • total players lost: 3 (of which 2 where under contract), can lose up to 2 more players under contract in Phase 4

Boston:

• Alina Muller (contracted) -> Hamilton
• Zoe Boyd (expiring contract) -> Hamilton
• Hadley Hartmetz (expiring contract) -> San Jose
  • total players lost: 3 (of which 1 was under contract), can lose up to 3 more players under contract in Phase 4

Toronto:

• Daryl Watts (expiring contract) -> Detroit
• Jesse Compher (contracted) -> Detroit
• Maggie Connors (expiring contract) -> San Jose
  • total players lost: 3 (of which 1 was under contract), can lose up to 3 more players under contract in Phase 4

Vancouver:

• Sydney Bard (expiring contract) -> Detroit
  • total players lost: 1 (who was not under contract), can lose up to 4 players under contract in Phase 4

In Phase 4:

• Each expansion team must have 10 players by the end of Phase 4, which means Hamilton need to sign 4 more players, Detroit 3 more, and Las Vegas and San Jose both need 2 more
• In total that means 11 more players will be lost to expansion by the end of Phase 4

(Edit: Clarifying Maddi Wheelers status as having been on an expiring contract with rights held (RFA), which counts as 'under contract' for the purpose of existing teams not being allowed to lose more than 4 players under contract)

With only 5 signings left in Phase 2 (1 for Detroit, 1 for San Jose, 3 for Vegas) this expansion has hit existing teams quite differently so far as 4 teams (Seattle, Minnesota, New York, Ottawa) have lost 3 players, 3 teams (Montreal, Boston, Toronto) have lost only 1, and 1 team (Vancouver) is yet to lose any. As of posting these are the players each team have lost and how many players under contract they can still lose in Phase 2:

• Seattle:
  • Cayla Barnes (contracted) -> Detroit
  • Hannah Bilka (contracted) -> Detroit
  • Corinne Schroeder (contracted) -> San Jose
    • cannot lose additional contracted players during Phase 2
• Minnesota:
  • Britta Curl-Salemme (contracted) -> Detroit
  • Kendall Cooper (contracted) -> Las Vegas
  • Mae Batherson (contracted) -> Las Vegas
    • cannot lose additional contracted players during Phase 2
• New York:
  • Kayle Osborn (contracted) -> Hamilton
  • Anne Cherkowski (contracted) -> San Jose
  • Kristin O'Neill (expiring contract) -> San Jose
    • can lose up to 1 more contracted player during Phase 2
• Ottawa:
  • Brienne Jenner (expiring contract) -> Hamilton
  • Rory Guilday (contracted) -> San Jose
  • Emily Clark (contracted) -> Hamilton
    • can lose up to 1 more contracted player during Phase 2
• Montreal:
  • Nicole Gosling (contracted) -> Hamilton
    • can lose up to 2 more contracted player during Phase 2
• Boston:
  • Alina Muller (contracted) -> Hamilton
    • can lose up to 2 more contracted player during Phase 2
• Toronto:
  • Daryl Watts (expiring contract) -> Detroit
    • can still lose up to 3 contracted player during Phase 2
• Vancouver:
  • None so far
    • can still lose up to 3 contracted player during Phase 2

Now that we know who's protected, are there any specific players you think will be targeted by San Jose? Either free agents we'd offer our EFO to or contracted players we could look to poach?