With the immediate success of the Vegas Golden Knights, both on the ice and financially for the NHL as a whole, the next stage of expansion was not a matter of if, but when and where. The NHL has allowed a group from Seattle to start the expansion process and it’s expected that they will be going through their expansion draft following the conclusion of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That said, it is possible that the Seattle process may be later than 2020, at least from what The Athletic’s James Mirtle is hearing.