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How could a Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup affect NHL expansion?
The Vegas Golden Knights are just one win away from its first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. And that history is a short one.
Vegas entered the NHL as an expansion team ahead of the 2017-18 season. Being the first expansion team in 17 years, the expectations were understandably low for the Golden Knights. Owners and executives displayed confidence that the team would be competitive in just four or five seasons. Instead, they made an inaugural run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
So, the Vegas Golden Knights had already changed expectations for expansion teams. But was the first season just a fluke?
Since 2017-18, Vegas has only missed the postseason once, coming in a season when it experienced a brutal number of significant injuries. In six seasons, the Knights have advanced to the Conference finals four times. And now with their 2023 success, they have gone on to the Stanley Cup Finals twice.
But, this is still the NHL. Team success is harshly judged by championships, and expansion teams have had little to no success in that area for a long time.
Of the eight expansion teams since 1993 (the Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken) none of them have won a Stanley Cup. Some have come close.
The success of Vegas in its first season was the source of loads of pressure on the 32nd NHL club, the Seattle Kraken. Coming into the league in 2021-22, Seattle had a horrific inaugural season, made even worse by the fact that everyone expected them to perform.
But in its second season, the Kraken made the playoffs. They also went on to knock off the defending Stanley Cup champs before falling to the Dallas Stars in seven games of the second round. That is still rapid success when compared to some of the expansion names listed above.
If the Vegas Golden Knights can complete their run this season, things will change even more. Not only will expectations skyrocket, but so will the worth of each new NHL club. The value of teams is already increasing, with the sale of the Ottawa Senators at the forefront.
Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup championship will increase value of expansion teams
But now, the push will be even harder to bring NHL hockey to cities across North America. Not only because of the monetary value but also because there is a much higher chance of early success.
Instant playoff success and a Stanley Cup in your first six seasons? Not a bad way to sell to buyers.
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