The NHL’s Pacific Division as of the current moment is wide open with the Vegas Golden Knights having the advantage at the Olympic Break with 68 points and a record of 27-16-14. But just because the Golden Knights are leading the Pacific Division at the break, does not mean they should be the only team in their division looking to make their team better.
They have some competition with the Edmonton Oilers, the Seattle Kraken, and the Anaheim Ducks. All four of these teams should be looking to make their teams better at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline that is coming up soon in March.
With that being said, each team has a different area that they are looking to improve on with their roster before the deadline passes. All four teams have strengths and weaknesses that set each of them apart from the rest.
Vegas Golden Knights: Goaltender
Vegas’s big strength when they are fully healthy is their forward lines and their top 4 defensemen. So the big thing that they should look at upgrading is goaltender.
They have Akira Schmid and Adin Hill as the current goalies, and both have not been that good so far this season. They both could be performing way better than they have and goaltender is the most important position when it comes to the playoffs.
Vegas is going to want to try to figure this out and try to make a move for a more proven goaltender before the deadline so they are set for the playoffs. Hill was good the last few times Vegas made the postseason, but has fallen off a bit as of late.
Edmonton Oilers: Top 6 Forward
It should come to nobody’s surprise that the Oilers like to lean on superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid a lot, especially in the playoffs. And that is not a recipe for success as they cannot play all 60 minutes every single game.