Once the expansion draft is over and the Vegas Golden Knights have an active roster, the other 30 teams will be able to fully assess their strengths and weaknesses heading into the entry draft, which takes place June 23 and 24.
With each club's GM on hand and everybody in the mood to improve, the draft often acts as a pseudo trade deadline. The biggest deal in recent memory was back in 2009, when future Hall of Famer Chris Pronger was dealt from the Anaheim Ducks to the Philadelphia Flyers minutes before the first pick.