NHL Pacific Division Preview

The Pacific Division has delivered tons of talent to the NHL’s Western Conference. Once known to be one of the weaker divisions in the league, the Pacific has done a complete 180-degree turn and developed into one of the more exciting divisions. What are things looking like on the West Coast?

Vegas Golden Knights

Let’s kick things off with the defending champs. The Knights are now in title defense mode with the league’s biggest target on their back. The core looks pretty similar to the one that went all the way, even though they traded away original golden misfit Reilly Smith to Pittsburgh.

There are questions in the crease with Logan Thompson healthy. Who will be the “guy” for opening night? Adin Hill was the player who won them the cup, but Thompson was responsible for getting them there. Either way, these two make up one of the best tandems in the league.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers are running out of time. They need to win a championship before things get sour. They have one of the strongest cores of high-end offensive players. The depth was good in the regular season, but when the playoffs got serious, that depth disappeared.

Stuart Skinner had a rough playoffs, but now in his sophomore campaign, the trial and error will allow him to learn and get better, so it’ll be up to him and the other talent to finally make the run the franchise has waited for.

Seattle Kraken

The team from the Pacific Northwest had a huge turnaround where they had a 40-point jump from their inaugural season. The team had depth throughout the roster, and that was what made them so successful. No matter who was on the ice, they always found ways to compete and get points.

Matty Beniers won the Calder Trophy for best rookie in the league and wants to find ways to further perfect his craft. Vince Dunn has a chance to put together his third straight 50+ point season. The Kraken are still young, but that won’t stop them from wanting to win titles.

Calgary Flames

The Flames just couldn’t get done last year and missed out on the playoffs by two points. The team saw a core shakeup with the loss of Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Bringing in Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar looked to patch up the holes that the Flames started witnessing, but it just didn’t work as intended.

There was an injection of youth with the additions of forward Matt Coronato and goaltender Dustin Wolf. The Flames won’t allow themselves to miss out again, but if they do, there could be some major changes coming soon.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings put together a season that had them finish with 104 points. The roster certainly had talent, but just couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. Over the offseason, they took a splash and went after Pierre-Luc Dubois. They got their guy, but it cost them a big chunk of their core.

The offense knew how to put the puck in the net very well, but it seemed like the answer was unclear in goal. They went out and got Vladislav Gavrikov to help out the goaltending, and the addition of Cam Talbot gives them a veteran presence.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks finished the season with a bad taste in their mouth. A team that displays the likes of Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Andrei Kuzmenko, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser couldn’t get it done. The Canucks were driving over a bumpy road for almost the whole season, going through a coaching change and a trade involving their captain, Bo Horvat.

They have an emphasis on bouncing back and competing for a playoff spot, but it won’t be easy in the West.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are in the middle of a rebuild. Erik Karlsson was moved to Pittsburgh and the team will take chances on a young group of players to steer them into a clear direction. They added Anthony Duclair, who is known to be a strong offensive option when healthy. Philip Zadina will try to get his career back on track after a rough stint in Detroit.

The Sharks might not be the best this season, but the talent the team has collected through drafting will put the team back on the map soon.

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim is waiting for better days, but there has been positive news for the fans. Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale have been extended with bridge deals that will keep the young talent together for the next couple of years. The Ducks are trying to figure out how they can piece together a roster that will create a positive outlook in future years.

They made signings with Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas to help the kids out, but Killorn will be out long-term with a fractured finger. It’s about stepping stones in Anaheim and the Ducks will have to show patience as things continue.

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.