2022-2023 NHL Season Preview: The Pacific Division

Last place in the Pacific Division this year is reserved for a team that, for years, has been about as far from last place as a team can be.

The San Jose Sharks have been contenders in the Western Conference for over a decade, but all good things must come to an end. Brent Burns is no longer with the team, there are new faces behind the bench and in management, and the team began its decline last year.

Of all of the last-place teams in the NHL, the Sharks seem to be the most promising, but that’s not saying a lot. When it comes to the Pacific, I see San Jose as the most obvious candidate for eighth place.

The Sharks may have slick new uniforms for the 2022-2023 season, but that may prove to be the best thing that we can say about San Jose this season.

One notch above the Sharks is the Vancouver Canucks. Now, seventh may be low for a team that finished only a handful of points out of the postseason last year. However, I don’t see this team as being a playoff team, so they get relegated to seventh place.

With that said, Vancouver is the ultimate wild card coming into the new season, because, for years, this team has had an odd mix of playoff-caliber talent and regular season letdowns. Could the Canucks return to their 2020 form and get back to the playoffs in 2023?

I’m going to say no, but I would not be surprised if Bo Horvat, J.T. Miller, and company are able to finally hit their stride and earn a postseason berth. Vancouver is just one of those teams that, for as much talent as it has, has shown us very little over the years to give us confidence.

I’ll play it safe with the Canucks and put them in seventh.