The Pacific Division has produced the Western Conference champion in each of the last two seasons. While it is one of the weaker divisions in the NHL, they have a couple of perennial Stanley Cup contenders at the top. How will the Pacific play out after a summer of offseason moves? Let’s take a look.
San Jose Sharks
Additions: Jeff Skinner, Dmitry Orlov, Adam Gaudette, John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, Alex Nedeljkovic, Philipp Kurashev, Ryan Reaves
Subtractions: Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, Henry Thrun
Net of 2.9 wins added
The San Jose Sharks finished with a league-worst 52 points last season, so it’s not too surprising there was significant turnover with their roster this summer. Their most notable additions came on defense, with Nick Leddy, Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg all adding much-needed NHL experience on their back end. Up front, Jeff Skinner should give them some scoring pop, especially if the plan is to glue him to Macklin Celebrini or Will Smith’s wing. Alex Nedeljkovic should also be a significant upgrade in net over Alexandar Georgiev.
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So does this all mean the Sharks can make some noise in the Pacific? That would be a surprise, but improving on the 52 points they totaled a season ago seems like a good bet. They’ll still be a lottery team in the 2026 draft, but that’s fine. That seems to be the plan anyway, but they should be an entertaining team and harder out this coming season.
Seattle Kraken
Additions: Mason Marchment, Ryan Lindgren, Matt Murray, Frederick Gaudreau
Subtractions: Andre Burakovsky, Michael Eyssimont
Net of 1.2 wins lost
If there’s a team stuck in NHL purgatory, it’s the Seattle Kraken, and their offseason didn’t do anything to help them move out of purgatory. Mason Marchment was a solid addition for a team that needs offense, but Ryan Lindgren was one of the worst free-agent signings of the summer. Frederick Gaudreau has produced as a bottom-six forward, but his underlying metrics suggest that may be a mirage.
The Kraken finished with just 76 points last season, placing them seventh in the Pacific. Shane Wright and Matty Beniers taking steps forward in their development would give the Kraken and their fans something to be excited about, but on paper, this team doesn’t look like it’s significantly better than the 76 points they totaled in 2024-25.
Anaheim Ducks
Additions: Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling, Petr Mrazek
Subtractions: John Gibson, Isac Lundestrom, Trevor Zegras
Net of 2 wins lost
I believe the Anaheim Ducks will take a step forward this season, but it wasn’t because general manager Pat Verbeek did anything to help the cause this offseason. Lukáš Dostál is one of the best young goalies in the NHL, but Petr Mrazek is a significant downgrade from John Gibson, whose play was worth two wins last season. Mikael Granlund was a solid addition, but I’m not sure how much Chris Kreider has left in the tank.
Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
If the Ducks take a step forward, it’ll be because of all the young talent they’ve amassed in the draft over the last couple of years. Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, etc., should take steps forward in their development, and that could be enough to get them in the 85-90 point range, especially since new head coach Joel Quenneville should have the Ducks playing much more structured hockey than they did under Greg Cronin.
Vancouver Canucks
Additions: Evander Kane, Pierre-Olivier Joseph
Subtractions: Pius Suter
Net of 3.1 wins lost
The Canucks were surprisingly quiet this offseason, considering the tumultuous 2024-25 season they just completed. Evander Kane was their most significant addition, but he’s an unknown at this point in his career. He missed the entire 2024-25 regular season due to injury and has had trouble staying healthy. They also haven’t done much to replace Pius Suter, who totaled 25 goals and had a career season in 2024-25.
The net of 3.1 wins lost is probably a bit much, but how far the Canucks go this season will depend on whether Elias Pettersson looks like an $11.5 million player again. If he does, they could push for a playoff spot because they have enough talent around him to compete for the postseason in the Pacific.
Calgary Flames
Additions: Ivan Prosvetov
Subtractions: Dan Vladar
Net of 1.1 wins lost
I don’t have much to say about the Calgary Flames’ offseason. Their lone NHL transaction was letting Dan Vladar walk in free agency and signing Ivan Prosvetov, a former Arizona Coyotes prospect who had a productive 2024-25 season for CSKA Moscow in the KHL, totaling a .920 save percentage. Vladar is about a league-average netminder, but even if Prosvetov can replicate that, the Flames were a team that overachieved last season. They might be due to regress from the 96 points they totaled, but time will tell.
Edmonton Oilers
Additions: Andrew Mangiapane, Ike Howard, Curtis Lazar
Subtractions: Corey Perry, Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Connor Brown, John Klingberg
Net of 2.1 wins lost
Edmonton Oilers fans may have been expecting more additions this offseason, but GM Stan Bowman did not add much while moving on from quite a few players. The most notable losses were Connor Brown and Corey Perry, who were worth about 2.3 wins combined. Andrew Mangiapane can likely make up for some of that, depending on how coach Kris Knoblauch deploys him. If he ends up in a top-six role, he could thrive off Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid. Â
Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) controls the puck against Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) during the third period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
If not, Ike Howard, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning, may be the missing piece for the Oilers’ top nine. He’s an unknown since he’ll be making the transition from NCAA hockey to the NHL, but he is the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner. Ultimately, the Oilers’ star power will lead them to a top spot in the Pacific. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard remain question marks heading into the new season, but it hasn’t yet cost them in the regular season.
Los Angeles Kings
Additions: Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin, Corey Perry, Joel Armia, Anton Forsberg
Subtractions: Vladislav Gavrikov, Tanner Jeannot, Jordan Spence, David Rittich
Net of 2.6 wins lost
If there’s a candidate for worst offseason in the NHL, it’s the Los Angeles Kings. Ken Holland’s first summer as the Kings’ GM could not have gone worse. A net of 2.6 wins lost may not seem significant, but it’s possible they could be worse than the numbers suggest. Vladislav Gavrikov was one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL last season, and his replacement is Brian Dumoulin, who’s not the player he used to be. Meanwhile, Jordan Spence, a budding top-four defenseman, will be replaced by Cody Ceci.
Not only did the Kings get slower this offseason, but they also got much older. The only plus is Anton Forsberg, who should be an upgrade over David Rittich in net. Perhaps it’s all about the system in LA, and there won’t be much of a dropoff despite the poor offseason. But they certainly did not improve this summer, and I’d expect them to regress from the 105 points they totaled a season ago.
Vegas Golden Knights
Additions: Mitch Marner, Jeremy Lauzon, Colton Sissons
Subtractions: Nicolas Roy, Victor Olofsson, Alex Pietrangelo, Nicolas Hague, Ilya Samsonov
Net of 1.9 wins added
The Vegas Golden Knights made the splash of the summer, as they usually do, agreeing to a sign-and-trade to acquire Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite the narrative around Marner’s playoff performances, he’s a game-breaking talent most teams would love to have. He’s averaged 30 goals and 102 points per 82 games over the last three seasons, and he’s generally worth an extra 2-3 wins per year.
Though the Golden Knights had to give up Nicolas Roy to acquire Marner, it’s a relatively insignificant loss, given how good Marner is. Time will tell how the Golden Knights plan to replace Alex Pietrangelo, whose playing days may be over due to injury. But they are still one of the top teams in the West, and they should be the favorites to win the Pacific, along with the Oilers.
How Will the Pacific Shake Out?
The Pacific only got three teams into the playoffs last season, and that’s probably how it will play out again, given the strength of the Central. The Golden Knights and Oilers are essentially shoo-ins, but who will be the third team?
Golden Knights – 108 points
Oilers – 105 points
Kings – 95 points
Canucks –  91 points *
Ducks – 87 points *
Flames – 85 points *
Kraken – 79 points *
Sharks – 69 points *
eliminated from playoff contention*
The Sharks should be the most improved team in the Pacific, but they’re coming from such a low floor that they won’t be close to a playoff spot. I hate to do this, but it feels like we’re heading for round five of Oilers and Kings in the first round of the postseason. If there’s a team that can push the Kings out of the playoffs, it’ll be the Canucks, but it’s entirely dependent on Elias Pettersson playing like a superstar again. If so, that could make the race for a top-three spot more interesting, but the bottom of the division doesn’t yet look ready to unseat the perennial contenders.
Advanced stats from Evolving Hockey
