NHL: Western conference preview

As the 2025-26 NHL season rapidly approaches, it’s a great time to preview what the top teams in the Western Conference have in store.

Favorites:

Vegas was a winner this past offseason after a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs for Mitch Marner.

At season’s end, Marner signed an eight-year contract worth $96 million with an average annual value of $12 million. His signing was one of the only real fireworks of the offseason.

Vegas finished with another solid season, posting a 55-22-10 record and winning the Pacific division.

Obviously, the Knights will be in contention for another Stanley Cup by returning practically all of their core players, like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev, and the emergence of young Russian Pavel Dorofeyev, who found twine 35 times a year ago.

Look for Vegas to be at the top of the conference once again.

The Edmonton Oilers enter this season off of four consecutive 100+ point years, 12 playoff series wins and back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances.

This past offseason saw the departures of Evander Kane, Connor Brown and Corey Perry, being replaced by Issac Howard, Andrew Mangiapane and Matt Savoie.

The future of Connor McDavid, who is entering the final year of his deal, is still uncertain as he has yet to sign an extension.

Leon Draisaitl led the team with 52 goals and 106 points last year, and despite McDavid only playing in 62 of the team's games last year, he still tallied 100 points for the fifth consecutive season.

The blue line has its issues, but this group has gotten this squad to the finals two years in a row. Evan Bouchard struggles defensively, but he has become one of the most prolific offensive defencemen in the league.

Mattias Ekholm is one of the best shutdown defencemen in the game. Jake Wallman can play in any situation you put him in and was an absolute sponge in the playoffs last year.

The goaltending is still a hot topic, and it is probably the only thing that has kept the Oilers from hoisting Lord Stanley.

For now, it seems Stuart Skinner will man the blue paint to open the season, with Calvin Pickard being the backup.

Colorado’s season came to a halt after a round one game seven loss to the Dallas Stars.

All the talk about losing to a squad without their best forward and defenseman had Nathan MacKinnon fired up at season's end last May.

The last time MacKinnon spoke out in a big manner after a playoff exit in 2021, the Avs went on to win the cup the very next season.

MacKinnon finished second in the NHL scoring race and led the Avalanche with 32 goals and 84 assists for a total of 116 points.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog played his first game since the 2021-22 season in the playoffs last year. In five playoff games, he tallied a goal and four assists.

Last year’s trade deadline acquisition, Brock Nelson, returns as well after having a solid 17 points in 23 games with Colorado.

The Avs looked to bolster their bottom-six scoring by bringing in free agent Victor Olofsson, who scored 15 goals last season.

Cale Makar took home his second Norris Trophy last year, and his pairing with Devon Toews is absolutely top-3 in the league.

Playoff Locks:

The Dallas Stars could easily be put in the favorites category as they continue to be a powerhouse in the West.

After falling short of the Stanley Cup Final yet again, Dallas chose to move on from head coach Pete DeBoer and bring in a familiar face, Glen Gulutzan, who started his coaching career as the Stars' bench boss from 2011-13.

The Stars are loaded up and down the lineup and are poised for another long playoff run.

The Winnipeg Jets had a league-best 116 points and claimed the Presidents' Trophy. Despite the round one victory over the St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg has yet to advance past the second round in seven seasons.

Kyle Connor’s 41 goals and 97 points were team-highs. Mark Scheifele’s 39 goals fell just short of his career-high, but his 87 points were a career-best.

The Jets will need to replace the 24 goals scored by Nikolaj Ehlers, who left as a free agent and signed with Carolina.

Cole Perfetti is a guy who had some playoff heroics and scored 18 goals in the regular season and will likely take Ehlers’ spot on the second line. Watch for Perfetti to have a breakout type of year.

The Los Angeles Kings enter year three under head coach Jim Hiller and the final season of captain Anze Kopitar’s Hall of Fame career.

L.A. is always a good, reliable defensive squad, and they will be within the top three teams in the Pacific Division.

New general manager Ken Holland added veteran pieces in Corey Perry, Cody Ceci, Joel Armia and Brian Dumoulin in free agency.

The Kings will make the playoffs; it’s just a matter of if they can get over the first-round hump that is the Edmonton Oilers.

Obviously, it is very early, and the season hasn’t even started yet, but these teams are the clear frontrunners out west.

I wouldn’t be shocked if we get some surprises out of teams like the Utah Mammoth and the Minnesota Wild.

Even some of the younger teams, like the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. Not saying they’ll be in the playoff hunt come March, but it’ll be exciting to see the young guns shine.

Austin Moran is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acm6506@psu.edu.