Yes, I get all of that. There are entrance fees. It just seems that, if workable, promoting an existing franchise may be a better option than expanding the AHL.
Of course, the best option (most affordable) would be to affiliate with an existing AHL franchise out west whose affiliation agreement has expired.
It doesn't really work that way. A new team with a new affiliate brings almost 100% turnover even if there was a team in another league the year before. An AHL team is going to use completely different players and coaches and has a far different strategy from an ECHL team. The AHL has priorities handed down from the parent club that are centered around keeping certain players prepared and ready to plug into the NHL team. ECHL is focused on developing players to some degree, but also being an effective business operation.
I knew a few in the Wranglers organization who openly talked about how different it would be if they were AHL. Many of the quirks and players they had were only because of the ECHL. They would never have signed the Ferraro brothers for example. Winning is important at the ECHL because the parent club is putting little investment in. At the AHL the parent pays the bills for the most part and expects you to just be a complementary part of the organization. Also note the playoffs in the AHL are nothing like the ECHL. NHL clubs going to the playoffs will pick off a handful of key players just in case. ECHL teams may lose a player or two late in the season, but the playoffs squad is largely in tact.
Just different operations and mindsets and that's why everything will turn over beyond just the players if switching between leagues.