If everything continues to go according to plan, Seattle will be the next city to house an NHL franchise.
The heavy lifting is being sorted out with KeyArena in the process of getting a major facelift, and a formal bid likely to be pitched, but one thing has yet to be considered - the team's roster.
It's hard to gauge exactly how the expansion draft will work and what players will be made available. However, what can be determined is which players will become free agents during the summer ahead of the 2020-21 season - the year Seattle is projected to join the NHL.
With that, here are five players who will hit the open market and could garner Seattle's attention:
Corey Crawford
Age entering 2020-21 season: 35
Crawford has been a staple on the Chicago Blackhawks for nearly a decade. He has backstopped the club to two Stanley Cup wins and has earned the William M. Jennings Trophy twice (given to the goalie or goalies of the team who allow the fewest goals against in a season).
In the 2020 offseason, Crawford will be coming off a six-year, $36-million contract. It's unlikely he will be able to ink a deal anywhere near that term or dollar amount at his age, especially with the Blackhawks.
As for Seattle, Crawford could be a solid option and provide leadership to a group that one would project to be young, much like the way Marc-Andre Fleury has done with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Nicklas Backstrom
Age entering 2020-21 season: 32
If Crawford is to Seattle what Fleury is to Vegas, then maybe Backstrom can play James Neal in this situation.
The Washington Capitals center is among the elite setup men in the league and will head into the 2020 offseason as a free agent barring a contract extension.
He's an offensive catalyst, the perfect linemate for young, talented wingers, and could even serve as team captain. Of course, he will have to be pried away from Alex Ovechkin.
Brayden Schenn
Age entering 2020-21 season: 29
Schenn finally looks to be molding into the player many expected he could become when he was drafted fifth overall in 2009 by the Los Angeles Kings.
He's tearing it up with the St. Louis Blues and is on his way to a top-10 finish in league scoring. Unlike Backstrom, Schenn will be younger when he enters the 2020-21 season - 29 - and will likely be just exiting his prime.
The Blues could have their hands full financially as captain Alex Pietrangelo will be up for a new contract the year prior, and Schenn could be in line for a raise from his $5.125-million cap hit if his current play persists. St. Louis might have to let him go, which is good news for Seattle.
Tyson Barrie
Age entering 2020-21 season: 29
Barrie may very well top the list of available high-end defensemen.
Despite enduring some rather painful years with the Colorado Avalanche, the 26-year-old has remained one of the most consistent producers in the league from the back end with 160 points in 258 games over the last three-plus seasons.
Given that he grew up just a stone's throw away from Seattle, in Victoria, British Columbia, the opportunity to be closer to home could also be attractive.
Braden Holtby
Age entering 2020-21 season: 31
If Seattle could ever find a way to nab Holtby, it would be the steal of a lifetime.
The Capitals netminder has been arguably the best goalie in the league over the last handful of seasons, but as fate would have it, he will become an unrestricted free-agent following the 2019-20 campaign.
The Capitals could ink him to a long-term extension before he gets to free agency, but given that Holtby is sure to command top dollar, and with budding goaltending prospect Ilya Samsonov in the fold, the team could decide to save money on Holtby and use it elsewhere.
It would cost Seattle a pretty penny, but as the Golden Knights have proven in the two-plus months of their inaugural season, goaltending is key to success.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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