{"id":673528,"date":"2026-09-28T13:30:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/673528\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T13:30:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:30:20","slug":"previews-and-bold-predictions-for-the-nhl-2026-2027-season-pacific-division","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/673528\/","title":{"rendered":"Previews And Bold Predictions For The NHL 2026-2027 Season: Pacific Division"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 2026-27 Pacific Division could be one of the NHL\u2019s most competitive divisions. After a \u201cpillow fight\u201d last season, the Pacific enters this season with several major storylines, including Anaheim\u2019s big offer sheet, Macklin Celebrini\u2019s rise in San Jose, Anze Kopitar\u2019s retirement in Los Angeles, new coaches in Vancouver and Vegas, Connor McDavid\u2019s future in Edmonton, Seattle\u2019s young core, and Calgary\u2019s emerging defense.<\/p>\n

Vegas Golden Knights \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 1st Place (95 Points) \"PacificJun 14, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) looks on during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

The Golden Knights will be looking to get back to the Finals this year after coming up short of the ultimate goal last season, the Stanley Cup, losing in 6-games to the Hurricanes. They have a new Head Coach in Ryan Craig, and traded<\/a> their top goal scorer from the last two seasons, Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers. Additionally, Keegan Kolesar and Colton Sissons are gone, changing the bottom-six personnel, a consistent strength of Vegas since their inaugural season. There could be a few young forwards in the lineup on Opening Night, but the team opted to go with a more experienced defense core entering this season after trading<\/a> Kaeden Korczak to Pittsburgh for Parker Wotherspoon.<\/p>\n

They added some veteran depth, re-signing forward Victor Olofsson after spending last season between Colorado and Calgary, and added Marc Gatcomb in Free Agency. The team expects to have Braeden Bowman in the NHL<\/a> for the full season after splitting time between Vegas and Henderson of the AHL last year. Also look for Trevor Connelly to get a long look in preseason and early on into the season if there are any injuries. The Golden Knights still have some high-end star power, but with a slight change to the depth pieces and defense, will be looking to pick up where they left off and avoid a slow start in the much improved Pacific Division.<\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: William Karlsson, Forward. After missing 68 games last season to injury, they will rely on his veteran leadership and hope to get him back to the 50-point player he has been throughout his career with Vegas. His two-way presence allows the rest of the team to play a little more freely when he is in the lineup and at his best.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: The goaltending becomes their biggest weakness, and they make major changes before the trade deadline. They make the playoffs, but as a Wild Card.<\/p>\n

Edmonton Oilers \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 2nd Place (93 Points) \"PacificApr 8, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) follows the action against the San Jose Sharks during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

The pressure to get over that final step for the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid is as high as it ever has been. Losing in the first round of the playoffs, and facing more questions about goaltending is fueling the fire on McDavid\u2019s future in town. When you arguably have two of the top 5 players in the world on your team, you expect to be able to find a way to win. We are still waiting to see that in Edmonton. The team signed<\/a> goaltender Fredrik Andersen in Free Agency, giving them an experienced Cup-winning goalie; who is not starting camp with the team as he recovers from an injury.<\/p>\n

The team will have a new Head Coach, Mike Babcock, and signed defenseman Ryan Shea in Free Agency. They also acquired goaltender Devon Levi from Buffalo, then traded<\/a> Darnell Nurse to San Jose for a young NHL defenseman in Shakir Mukhamadullin. This group added more drama and headlines, but the leadership is confident the team can ignore the noise. For a group that has yet to prove they have what it takes on the ice to win, will have to prove any off-ice issues don\u2019t create more distractions.<\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: Zach Hyman, Forward. The calm presence, nose for the net, and steady production make him the perfect player to complement McDavid\u2019s dynamic skill set. His teammates know where to find him in the offensive zone, and if he can stay healthy, he is as reliable a winger in the league when it comes to goal-scoring.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: Edmonton wins the division relatively untested, but once again goaltending is their ultimate undoing as they lose in the first round.<\/p>\n

Anaheim Ducks \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 3rd Place (92 Points) \"PacificApr 28, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (61) carries the puck up-ice against the Edmonton Oilers in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

In this up-and-coming Pacific Division that has some interesting young teams, the Ducks were the first to get a taste of the Playoffs. They didn\u2019t just get their feet wet, beating the Oilers in round one, before losing to Vegas in 6. They were the envy of the majority of the league: young stars just scratching their potential and future Hall of Fame coaching. It seemed like the perfect situation for years to come, until July 3 came around and the franchise\u2019s future star signed a massive offer sheet. A 5-year, $90 million offer sheet, to be exact. The decision forced the team to match or retool on the fly; they matched.<\/p>\n

The Ducks terminated<\/a> the remainder of Chris Kreider\u2019s contract to free up the necessary cap space to also re-sign young goal-scorer Cutter Gauthier. This offseason, the team lost veterans like Kreider, Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, and John Carlson. They hope that the young core absorbed as much as possible from those veterans; otherwise, they might take a step back. The team feels it can get back into the playoffs and keep growing, but it can\u2019t afford to lose any momentum. They have another young team in the Pacific Division catching up quickly.<\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: Leo Carlsson, Forward. After signing that big deal and potentially handcuffing your organization for the future, you better carry the load every single night and prove you were worth matching. Especially if the lack of depth is apparent early on, it could create some internal tension.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn are both traded before the deadline, but they still make the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Kings \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 4th Place \/ Wild Card (90 Points) \"PacificApr 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

The Kings will be looking to remain in the mix for the playoffs in the Pacific Division, but after the retirement of team captain Anze Kopitar, they are a very different team. Newly named Captain Drew Doughty is the only remaining player from their Cup-winning teams, and LA will be looking for some growth from a few young players. Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and Alex Laferriere will be relied on more as Artemi Panarin and Doughty get older. LA will be looking to build around Adrian Kempe and these young players for the future, but will have to silence a lot of doubters this year.<\/p>\n

The team is hopeful for a healthy Kevin Fiala after missing the remainder of last season following a broken leg during the Olympics, but he will still miss the start of the season. They signed veteran forward Mats Zuccarello and brought back Corey Perry on one-year deals to add some depth in the middle-six forward group. Another team in the Pacific Division has a new Head Coach, as Peter Laviolette takes over this year behind the bench. The next few years in LA might be tough, but they still have some players that will compete every night and not make things easy.<\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: Quinton Byfield, Forward. Following the retirement of franchise center Anze Kopitar, his expectations to be the team\u2019s number one center are very evident. With limited center depth, he needs to fulfill some of the potential that got him selected second overall in 2020.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: They finish towards the bottom of the Pacific Division and begin a full rebuild.<\/p>\n

San Jose Sharks \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 5th Place (86 Points) \"PacificApr 8, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) controls the puck against the Edmonton Oilers in the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

The Sharks just came up short of the playoffs last year, and took the offseason to add some veteran presence to their youthful core. They acquired Nurse from Edmonton, signed Trouba and Mason Marchment in Free Agency, and traded for Michael Kesselring from Buffalo. After the Olympics, Macklin Celebrini has continued to put his name in conversations with the league\u2019s top players, and he\u2019s poised to solidify that notion this year. After being named captain, Celebrini is even more motivated to lead this group into the playoffs and have the Shark Tank packed again.<\/p>\n

The Sharks also moved up from the 9th spot in the draft to 2nd following the Draft lottery, then selected Ivar Stenberg with that pick. The team traded William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the 9th pick in this year\u2019s draft, where they selected Keaton Verhoeff, adding to a short list of defense prospects. This San Jose team is poised to be deep for years to come, and only seems to be getting deeper. Goaltending and defense are still question marks going into the season, but expect to be much improved overall from last year. The Sharks are looking to have the Pacific Division go through San Jose for the next few years.<\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: Ivar Stenberg, Forward. The second overall pick from this past summer will be joining a talented young core led by Celebrini and will look to be on his wing for the next decade. His mature play style put him in the conversation to go first overall, so transitioning to the NHL may be easier for him than for other potential first-year players.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: They make the playoffs, and Celebrini wins the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsey Award.<\/p>\n

Seattle Kraken \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 6th Place (79 Points) \"PacificApr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken forward Bobby\u00a0McMann (74) skates with the puck against the Los Angeles Kings at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

The Kraken came into the league with pretty high expectations as an expansion team after seeing what Vegas did and has continued to do. The story has been a little more traditional for an expansion team, and it has yet to find its footing. They hope to see some of their young core take steps and make an impact to help the team return to the playoffs. Adding Mackie Samoskevich in the offseason and getting a full season with Bobby McMann, they hope Matty Beniers and Chandler Stephenson can produce more with a deeper group of wingers.<\/p>\n

With the other young teams in the Pacific Division, the Kraken are going to need young players like Shane Wright and Berkly Catton to continue to grow into consistent NHL players. The hope is for Jani Nyman, Jagger Firkus, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, and other prospects to make an impact sooner rather than later. They have a formidable defense group highlighted by Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn. Joey Daccord and Phillip Grubauer have also shown moments of a solid goaltending tandem. They are still a year or two from returning to the playoffs, but they are confident in the future of the group they are building.<\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: Matty Beniers, Forward. Since his rookie season, we have yet to see the growth expected following a 57-point first year. He has yet to score as many goals, assists, or total points since that year, but is projected to be the team\u2019s number one center.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: Shane Wright rescinds his trade request and breaks out for a 70-point season.<\/p>\n

Calgary Flames \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 7th Place (77 Points) \"PacificApr 16, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh (19) skates with the puck against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

The hope in Calgary is that by the time the new arena is complete and ready to host Flames games, the team will be a bit closer to pushing for the playoffs in the Pacific Division. Based on reports that it will be ready for next season, they might be a bit behind schedule as a competitive team on-ice. They acquired<\/a> Simon Nemec from New Jersey and signed him to a 5-year, $36.25 million contract, adding him to a youthful defensive group. They have a solid prospect pool, and if they get off to a hot start, they might use some as trade bait and push up the timeline of their rebuild.<\/p>\n

The Flames are going to need some of the veteran forward group to carry the load if they hope to do much this season. They also have a great young goaltender in Dustin Wolf, and Devin Cooley showed the ability to be an adequate backup. The expectations might not be high outside the room, but they are confident in the group. Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich, Matt Coronato, and Connor Zary are in that age range where it sometimes starts to click to be a consistent top-6 NHL player fully.<\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: Jonathan Huberdeau, Forward. It\u2019s unfair to keep comparing Matthew Tkachuk\u2019s and Huberdeau\u2019s career arcs since being traded for one another. Huberdeau still needs to perform better, but doesn\u2019t have as much support. As a former 100-point player, he does have higher expectations to carry the load.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: Morgan Frost breaks out and is a 70-point player and finishes in the top-10 in Selke Trophy Voting for best defensive forward.<\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks \u2013 2025-2026 Finish: 8th Place (58 Points) \"PacificApr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) skates against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

The Canucks have been trying to find a team identity since the blockbuster trade last season that sent Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. With a new Head Coach in Manny Malhotra, a full season with Zeev Buium and Marco Rossi, and a hopefully healthy Thatcher Demko, the team is looking to find that identity. The team is also been looking for forward Elias Pettersson to regain his 100-point form and Brock Boeser to return to being the 40-goal scorer he was not that long ago. Other teams in the Pacific Division were in this position recently and are now pushing for the playoffs.<\/p>\n

The Canucks are hoping a few of their prospects like Tom Willander, Victor Mancini, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki can start contributing at the NHL level consistently. The team is in no rush and is being patient with its top prospects, Caleb Malhotra and Braeden Cootes. The team wants to let them develop and not force them into the league when they don\u2019t have the depth to protect them as they make the step into the NHL. They expect to be at the bottom of the Pacific Division and the league, but that should add another high draft pick and more hope for the future. <\/p>\n

X-Factor Player: Marco Rossi, Forward. As one of the primary pieces in the Quinn Hughes trade, the team expects Rossi to provide top-6 production. He\u2019s yet to put it together in the NHL, but has loads of talent and skill. Getting some guidance from another undersized forward after the team signed veteran Brendan Gallagher may help.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: They finally get rid of (F) Elias Pettersson\u2019s contract and trade him before the trade deadline. Maybe within the Pacific Division also.<\/p>\n

End Rant On 2026-2027 Pacific Division Predictions <\/p>\n

Edmonton squanders another season due to goaltending problems, and McDavid voices his frustration with the continued disappointment. It may be the last chance for the Oilers to keep him committed to staying. The Pacific Division isn\u2019t afraid of the Oilers anymore; they are looking to prove they should be.<\/p>\n

San Jose made a big step as a team and found their way back into the playoffs. Celebrini further solidifies himself as a top player in the league and is finally named Captain. They put the Pacific Division on notice that they are here for the top spot for years to come.<\/p>\n

Anaheim and Vegas take steps back, but still do well enough to make the playoffs; one as a Wild Card team. Anaheim feels the lack of depth after matching the Carlsson offer sheet. Vegas will have the worst statistical goaltending and look to make big moves, as usual.<\/p>\n

Seattle and Calgary compete hard all season, but don\u2019t have enough to make the playoffs in the much improved Pacific Division. The Kraken have a few players take big steps in their development and start playing a more exciting brand of hockey. The Flames will get strong production from their young defensemen, but they don\u2019t have much depth or scoring up front to support.<\/p>\n

The Kings will really feel the absence of Kopitar in the lineup and locker room. They remain a strong defensive team, but can\u2019t score enough to win regularly. Without much cap space, they don\u2019t have much flexibility to change until next year. Could battle for the basement with Vancouver.<\/p>\n

Vancouver has a bittersweet season as they finally close the Pettersson chapter and have less noise surrounding them, but they are still in their rebuilding process and are far from the playoffs again. They might be at the bottom of the Pacific Division again unless the Kings really fall off.<\/p>\n

Predicted Final Season Standings:<\/p>\n

Edmonton Oilers San Jose Sharks Anaheim Ducks Vegas Golden Knights Seattle Kraken Calgary Flames LA Kings Vancouver Canucks <\/p>\n

See the rest of the Divisional previews on my page\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026-27 Pacific Division could be one of the NHL\u2019s most competitive divisions. After a \u201cpillow fight\u201d last…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":673529,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[2210,233,5292,1739,5,4],"class_list":["post-673528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim-ducks","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-ducks","tag-anaheimducks","tag-ducks","tag-hockey","tag-nhl"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/117348914282087012","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=673528"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673528\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/673529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=673528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=673528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=673528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}