Last season, there was a significant disparity in the quality of teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences, especially among playoff teams. But there was an even more exaggerated difference between the Pacific Division and the rest of the league, with three Pacific teams (Anaheim, San Jose, Seattle) finishing under the 80-point mark.
However, nearly every Pacific Division team made significant roster changes this offseason, leading to what will likely be a shuffling of the deck in the Pacific’s hierarchy and overall strength.
With any major moves among Pacific teams likely settled at this stage, it’s now a safe exercise to cautiously issue some predictions about how the division will evolve in 2022-23. How will the Calgary Flames fare after their Jonathan Huberdeau/Matthew Tkachuk swap and adding Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar? Do the Vegas Golden Knights rebound from horrific injury luck last season that isn’t showing signs of stopping? Is Jack Campbell the goalie solution the Edmonton Oilers have been looking for?
Those aren’t the only major storylines, although they are arguably the top three teams in the division based on past years.
The Los Angeles Kings are looking to continue upward after a surprise playoff appearance last year, bringing in Kevin Fiala to help bolster their offense and push the team further toward another contending period. But Jonathan Quick’s consistency as he ages remains a question, and Calvin Petersen is coming off a rough season in which he lost the starting job back to Quick.
The Vancouver Canucks still need to shore up some things on defense, but they should still be in the playoff conversation with the additions of Ilya Mikheyev and Andrei Kuzmenko to add speed and skill to their middle-six forward group.
The Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken both made notable additions this offseason too, and they’ll be bolstered by young centers bound to have breakout seasons next year in Trevor Zegras and Matthew Beniers, respectively. The San Jose Sharks may be the only team at this point squarely out of the playoff conversation, a marked change from last season at this time.
Now we ask you, PHR readers, to make your pick for who will emerge from the pack and win next year’s Pacific Division title. Make sure to vote in the poll below and explain in the comments!
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Way too much turnover in Calgary.
Not often a team is successful after a lot of turnover in one offseason regardless quality of talent brought in. Takes some time to build some coercion. See the eagles the year they signed every top free agent or the Heat the year they brought in thr big 3. took a year before things paid off.
I love how you didn’t even brother to use any hockey examples.
Ok see the Avalanche when they hired Selanne and Kariya.
Way to much turnover?
1- Huberdeau replaces Gaudreau
2- Kadri replaces Tkachuk
3- Weeger replaces Gundbranson
4- Monaghan out he pleaded 3-4th line all yr.
Where is there way too much turnover?
Are they worse off now???
There are some decent regular season teams here but I don’t think the Stanley Cup champions won’t come from the Pacific Division.
So someone from the Pacific is going to win the cup, according to you.
I went with the Oilers, but don’t discount how good a healthy Kings roster could be either.
Kings took Edmonton to 7 without doughty, or arvidsson and they just added fiala. The biggest issue is quicks health. I like our chances in the west!
Battle of Alberta for one and two, Kings finish in third…Canucks, Ducks, Knights fight for the last spot…in that order.
I was going to say that only three might make it but the Central is weak, too.
I think only six West teams would have a prayer of making the playoffs in the East this year, and that includes the Kings and Preds, who I’d bet against doing so.
Vancouver will take it, with Vegas a close second.