The Pacific division is going to be the most fun division in the NHL this season as there are three legitimate Stanley Cup contenders and a fourth who would like to reenter the conversation. Last season, Calgary won the division with 111 points and Edmonton was close behind with 104 points. The Kings were the only other playoff team from the division as they finished third with 99 points. A Pacific division team has not been in the Stanley Cup Finals since the Vegas Golden Knights loss to the Washington Capitals in 2018. The Pacific division has not had a Stanley Cup winner since the Kings won in 2014.
Pacific Division Betting Odds
Golden Knights Claim Pacific Crown
In the 2022-23 NHL season, it was the Vegas Golden Knights that won the Pacific Division, in a thrilling division race over the Edmonton Oilers. The Golden Knights finished with the highest point total in the Western Conference, putting them in as the one-seed in the West. That division race was won by just two points over the Edmonton Oilers.
Finishing slightly ahead of the Oilers was huge for the Golden Knights, as that allowed Vegas to have home ice advantage in their second round playoff series. While home ice advantage by no means decides a playoff series, that was a nice reward for the performance of the Golden Knights in the regular season.
2023-24 Pacific Division Outlook
There are a few other teams that could join Vegas and Edmonton in the race to win the NHL Pacific Division. The LA Kings, Seattle Kraken, and Calgary Flames all had strong 2022-23 seasons, and could be in the mix to win this division in the not so distant future. But the favorites to win it will still be the Golden Knights and the Oilers.
The scary thing is that the Oilers could continue to get better as Connor McDavid continues to each the peak of his powers in the NHL. One man can’t win a division for a team, but McDavid is certainly as close as a man can get to doing so in today’s league.
