The 2022-2023 NHL season has reached the postseason, and the Western Conference playoffs are in the books. After a thrilling series of conference playoff games, a conference champion has been crowned. Here, we look at the past year of Western Conference action and look ahead to the teams that will be competing for the West next season.
Western Conference Futures Betting Odds
| Team |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
COL
|
+500 | +400 | +375 | +500 | +400 |
|
EDM
|
+500 | +375 | +420 | +500 | +500 |
|
VEG
|
+600 | +600 | +430 | +600 | +600 |
|
DAL
|
+700 | +700 | +650 | +700 | +700 |
|
MIN
|
+1000 | +1000 | +2000 | +1500 | +1000 |
|
LA
|
+1100 | +900 | +1000 | +1100 | +950 |
|
CGY
|
+1600 | +1600 | +2000 | +1500 | +1600 |
|
SEA
|
+2000 | +1800 | +2000 | +1700 | +2000 |
|
WPG
|
+2000 | +2200 | +2200 | +2000 | +2000 |
|
VAN
|
+2500 | +2000 | +3500 | +2500 | +2000 |
|
NAS
|
+3500 | +2500 | +5000 | +3500 | +2500 |
|
STL
|
+3500 | +2500 | +3500 | +4000 | +2500 |
|
CHI
|
+10000 | +6600 | +6000 | +10000 | +7000 |
|
SJ
|
+10000 | +10000 | +11000 | +13000 | +10000 |
|
ANA
|
+13000 | +10000 | +7500 | +13000 | +8500 |
|
ARI
|
+13000 | +6600 | +7500 | +6000 | +7000 |
Western Conference Championship Winner
In the 2022-23 NHL season, the Vegas Golden Knights won the Western Conference championship to represent the West in the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas was the top seed in the Western Conference going into the playoffs, and they lived up to that billing by running through their competition to get to the Final. Vegas enjoyed brilliant goaltending from Adin Hill down the stretch of the postseason, which paired with their explosive offense was enough to win their conference crown.
While Vegas is one of the newer franchises in the NHL, they have now made multiple Stanley Cup Finals in their brief existence. The question for Vegas is whether they can continue to be among the best teams in the Western Conference for the foreseeable future. But for now, they can enjoy hanging another Western Conference championship banner at T-Mobile Arena.
Looking Ahead to Next Season
Looking ahead to the 2023-24 NHL season, there will be several teams that could take down the Golden Knights in the race for the Western Conference championship. The Colorado Avalanche will be the pre-season favorite to win the West. But there are a number of other teams that have a great chance to upend both the Knights and Avs out West.
Included in that list of teams that could realistically win the Western Conference are teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and Calgary Flames. Edmonton is going to be especially interesting next season, as their duo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid can lead the Oilers to victory over virtually any team in the league on their day.
