The Los Angeles Kings this past season had their best finish in the Pacific Division in nearly a decade as they would finish in second and tie a franchise record for points with 105. However, they couldn't avoid the Edmonton Oilers in the first round and even with the home ice advantage, they would come up short.
With most of the big moves this offseason, either trades or in free agency, the rosters for the teams within the Pacific Division is pretty much set at this point. The question now is whether or not the Kings did enough to at the very least hold onto that second spot in the division.
These are the early predictions for where the LA Kings and the rest of the division will finish for the 2025-26 season.
8. San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks didn't necessarily do anything bad this offseason, and players like Dmitry Orlov will help. However, the gap between the Sharks and the rest of the division is too much to overcome in one offseason with the moves they made.
The future for the Sharks is centered around their young stars like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. They are probably at least a year away from thinking about competing for a playoff spot.
7. Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken have a new head coach in Lane Lambert but appear to be destined for another season finishing in the bottom of the Pacific Division. In the four years in the league, they have finished sixth or worst in three of those seasons.
The Kraken made some good moves and Mason Marchment might have been one of the more lopsided trades this offseason, in favor of Seattle. However, they need more than Marchment to compete this season.
6. Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are in a weird spot where they were competing for a playoff spot almost right up until the end. However, they probably overachieved with the roster they had and didn't really make any notable moves to add to the roster.
It wouldn't be surprising if the Flames were to become sellers if they get off to a slow start this season with players like Rasmus Andersson entering the final year of his contract.
5. Anaheim Ducks
The team that is probably going to move the most in the Pacific Division is the Anaheim Ducks as they finished with 80 points this past season and only got better. They were able to add players like Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund to support their young core of Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish.
The veteran presence should help the Ducks finish the highest in the Pacific Division standings since the 2017-18 season when they ended the season in second.
4. Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks were a mess last season with the drama surrounding J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. They shouldn't have the same issues, and with Brock Boeser back, they have a chance to get back to competing for a playoff spot.
The big question is how much Evander Kane will be able to contribute since coming over from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade. If he can finish the season as a 20+ goal scorer, it will be a big boost for their offense and their chances to finish just outside the Top 3 of the Pacific Division.
3. Los Angeles Kings
It is very tough to make a case that the Kings have a better team at this point than they did last season. The departure of Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence for their defense is going to be tough to replace and Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin don't feel like the answer.
With that said, the Kings are still a talented roster that has players like Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Anze Kopitar, Darcy Kuemper and a full season of Andrei Kuzmenko. The gap is much wider between this spot and the Top 2 of the division but the Kings should still be a playoff team.
2. Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have come up short in two straight Stanley Cup Final but still have arguably the best player in the NHL in Connor McDavid along with Leon Draisaitl who is a Top 10 player. The biggest concern for the Oilers at this point is health and goaltender.
Over the second half of the season, the Oilers dealt with more than their fair share of injuries with McDavid and Draisaitl missing extended time, as well as Trent Frederic (who they traded for at the deadline) and played in only one regular season game. If they can stay healthy and see Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard step up, they will be right behind the Vegas Golden Knights for most of the season.
1. Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights have only one Stanley Cup and haven't been very successful in the playoffs, but when it comes to the regular season they are the best in the Pacific Division. Since joining the league for the 2017-18 season they have won the division four times and have never finished worst than fourth in a season.
The Golden Knights didn't need much but that didn't stop them from adding Mitch Marner and now him and Jack Eichel rival the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Until another team beats the Golden Knights, they need to remain the favorite to win the division.