The Pacific Division looks to be one of the most enigmatic in the 2025-26 NHL season. The group features powerhouse teams in the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights. It also features a rising club in the Anaheim Ducks.
Amid the number of top-tier competitors, one club could remain in limbo. The San Jose Sharks could surprise some, but may still be a couple of seasons away from seriously competing for a playoff spot.
So, we’re going to do our best to predict where each team could end up in the Pacific Division once the 2025-26 season is over and done.
2025-26 Pacific Division Preview
#8 San Jose Sharks
This Pacific Division Preview begins with the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have an embarrassingly deep pool of prospects. 2025 second-overall pick Michael Misa could be the next high-end prospect to suit up for the Sharks.
However, the club is purely based on potential at this point. Veterans like Tyler Toffoli and Mario Ferraro will be solid, but they won’t be enough to get out of the cellar in the Pacific Division.
Of course, there’s always the chance that the Sharks play above their pay grade. It could be that the team pulls everything together and the young stars seriously turn heads. Much of the club’s success will come down to goaltending.
Goalie of the future Yaroslav Askarov will get his first shot at truly taking over a full-time starting role. If he can take the job and run with it, the Sharks could escape the cellar.
#7 Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are, unfortunately, trending in the wrong direction. Their sole playoff appearance a couple of seasons ago looks like a faint memory. The Kraken, while boasting some talent on paper, might not have enough firepower to have a winning record this season.
The club will be counting on Matty Beniers to have the sort of season that would establish him as a bona fide number-one center. Also, Chandler Stephenson, Jared McCann, Kaapo Kakko, and Mason Marchment lead a solid forward group.
But it will be the Kraken’s depth that will need to pick up the slack. If the bottom six cannot, at least keep the team in games, the Kraken may struggle to keep up with their division rivals.
Their blue line shows decent potential. Brandon Montour will be looking to bounce back, with Vince Dunn keeping up his strong play from last season. Adam Larsson should be up to his usual shutdown play, with newcomer Ryan Lindgren potentially becoming the top-four defenseman the Kraken need.
However, much of the club’s success will come down to goaltender Joey Daccord. Another strong season from Daccord could put the Kraken on the fringe of the playoff race. It might be wishful thinking at this point. But like the Sharks, if everything comes together in Seattle, things could drastically change. Coach Lane Lambert could be the missing ingredient that could bring the Kraken back to the postseason.
#6 Vancouver Canucks
There are far too many question marks surrounding the Vancouver Canucks. On the one hand, this team has plenty of talent. Elias Pettersson is a former 100-point center. Quinn Hughes is a perennial Norris Trophy candidate, while Thatcher Demko is Vezina Trophy caliber when he’s on the ice.
But that’s the situation. Demko is often injured, while Pettersson’s inconsistency could rear its ugly head. A full season of Demko, a strong showing by the Quinn Hughes-Filip Hronek pairing, and a return to his 40-goal form by Brock Boeser could push the Canucks back to the postseason.
However, one has to wonder if new coach Adam Foote will be able to rally the troops and turn the ship around. The negative locker room atmosphere last season took its toll on the club. It led to Rick Tocchet’s departure. Moreover, the loss of key depth players like Pius Suter could leave the Canucks sorely lacking depth.
It’s tough to write the Canucks off at this point in the season. But optimism isn’t exactly overflowing in Vancouver heading into this season.
#5 Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks will be one of the 2025-26 season’s biggest surprises. For the purpose of this Pacific Division preview, the Ducks jump out to the fifth spot in the division, and will challenge for a playoff spot.
They will be in tough to land one with teams like the Utah Mammoth, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, and Minnesota Wild all poised to contend.
But the Ducks have an enviable core of young stars. Even with the shadow of Mason McTavish’s contract situation overshadowing the club, the Ducks have enough talent to compete this season.
Goalie Lukas Dostal looks like the real deal. His emergence motivated GM Pat Verbeek to move John Gibson. Additionally, Leo Carlsson could be poised to cement himself as a true number-one center.
Plus, the addition of goalscorer Chris Kreider could give incumbents Ryan Strome, Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano plenty of support. The biggest wildcard could be Mikael Granlund. The Ducks spent a few bucks to land him this offseason.
All told, the Ducks’ offense could be among the Western Conference’s most dangerous to defend against. It will ultimately come down to the Ducks’ blue line. The team appears to have committed to Jackson LaCombe as their number-one guy.
Vets Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas will bring their physical play to the table. That could make Anaheim a grinding team to play against.
The theme in this Pacific Division preview has been things coming together. But once again, if the Ducks can put everything together, coach Joel Quenneville’s tutelage could be the glue that keeps everything together.
Lastly, the Ducks have over $20 million in cap space. So, they could be major players come trade deadline time.
#4 Calgary Flames
This is the season the Calgary Flames finally get a break. They came painfully close to a playoff spot last season. They missed the postseason by inches, fueling the optimism that surrounds the club this season.
The team’s veteran stars like Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Mikael Backlund will strive to set the way for rising studs like Matt Coronato, Martin Pospisil, and Connor Zary. The supporting cast featuring players like Blake Coleman, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, and Yegor Sharangovich could prove instrumental throughout the season.
The blue line looks solid with MacKenzie Weegar leading the way. Rasmus Andersson, trade rumors notwithstanding, will be looking to show he’s a top-flight NHL defenseman. The bottom four might use an upgrade. So, one has to think that the Flames could be in the market for multiple bottom-four blue liners to bolster their depth.
The biggest bright spot for the Flames will be Dustin Wolf. Wolf emerged last season as the team’s undisputed starting goalie. He inserted himself into the Calder Trophy conversation. Another strong season could put Wolf on the fringes of the Vezina discussion.
If Wolf can carry the club like he did last season, the Flames will be a strong contender to lock down their first playoff appearance since 2022.
#3 Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers, like other contending clubs such as the Tampa Bay Lighting and Florida Panthers, won’t be as concerned about excelling during the regular season. Their goal will be to lick down a playoff spot and then do their thing in the postseason.
The biggest issue, at least at the time of this writing, is Connor McDavid’s extension. The lack of one will cast a sizable shadow over the team. While McDavid has insisted that it won't, it’s hard to imagine the issue not bubbling to the surface at some point.
Moreover, the Oilers did not make meaningful upgrades this season. To make matters worse, Zach Hyman’s injury puts one of the team’s best goalscorers in doubt.
The new Core Four is elite, but may not be enough to propel the Oilers to a division crown. Edmonton won’t be bad, but they won’t take over the NHL. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are too good to ignore. They’ll lead the Oilers to the playoffs.
But there’s always the possibility of the team’s goaltending tandem holding it back. If Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have a decent season, the issue won’t take precedence. But as always, the issue will come up in the postseason.
The Oilers will be in the market for another goaltender. So, those rumors will continue to dominate the discussion throughout the season. But it remains unclear whether they’ll land the goalie they need to get over the hump in the postseason.
#2 Vegas Golden Knights
Last season’s Pacific Division champions may take a slight step back this season. Despite adding Mitch Marner, the Golden Knights may not run away with the division. It won’t matter. Vegas’ goal is to make it to the postseason. Once in, they’ll be looking to inflict as much damage as possible.
The biggest concern this season will be the loss of top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. The Knights are deep enough to where they can overcome the loss. But Pietrangelo’s absence could represent a slight regression.
The Golden Knights could well end up winning the division again. But in this Pacific Division preview, the Golden Knights take a step back due to the loss of overall depth. Furthermore, the club may struggle in the postseason given the new playoff salary cap. That situation will determine how much they can add at the deadline.
#1 Los Angeles Kings
The team most motivated to win the Pacific Division will be the Los Angeles Kings. Winning the division ensures the Kings won’t run into the Edmonton Oilers in the first round again. Unless the Oilers plunge to a wild card spot, the Kings would have a different first-round opponent.
Another key motivator will be sending off captain Anze Kopitar on a high note in his final season. While winning a third Stanley Cup would be a storybook ending for Kopitar, a lengthy playoff run would suffice.
The Kings have talent across the board. Plus, another Vezina-caliber season from Darcy Kuemper would put the Kings in a good spot to win their division.
The loss of defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and an aging Drew Doughty could raise some questions about the club’s blue line. But the additions of Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin promise a solid, if unspectacular D-core.
The Kings could finally get over their first-round hump in 2025-26. With contenders like the Oilers potentially taking a slight step back, that might be enough for the Kings to delight fans with a strong playoff run.