4. Vegas Golden Knights
If there is almost a certainty of the three teams in the bottom, these next four teams are going to be competing for a playoff spot. It wouldn't be overly surprising if these teams were separated by only a few points for most of the season.
The Golden Knights would sneak into the playoffs last year after winning the Stanley Cup the year prior. However, would blow a 2-0 lead against the Stars and would exit the playoffs pretty early. They didn't make any big moves in the offseason but did lose their leading goal scorer in Jonathan Marchessault, who signed with Nashville in free agency.
How they replace that production will be one of the determining factors in how successful they are this season.
3. Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are the defending division champions after finishing first in the Pacific Division with 109 points. This would also be their first trip to the playoffs since the 2019-20 season before they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.
The eventual return of Thatcher Demko from his knee injury will be big for this group and how they navigate those games prior could play a major role in where they finish in the standings. However, with players like J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes, they are going to be very competitive.