The 2025 NHL Draft has come and gone, and the league now turns its attention to free agency, which opens on July 1. For the Edmonton Oilers and their Pacific Division rivals, this is where the real off-season action begins.

Edmonton entered the draft without a first or second-round pick, so expectations were understandably low. With several key contracts to navigate and a pressing need to retool a team that’s fallen just short in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, general manager Stan Bowman and the Oilers have work to do.

Let’s take a look at where each of the eight teams in the Pacific Division stands, including how much cap space they have, what moves they’ve made, and how aggressive we can expect them to be when the market opens.

The Oilers are staring down a pivotal off-season. Connor McDavid’s contract expires after the 2025-26 season, and management must prove the team can win it all, sooner rather than later.

As of now, Edmonton has about $11 million in cap space. If they were to assign David Tomášek, Max Jones, and Matthew Savoie to the AHL, that number would rise to just under $15 million. Trading Viktor Arvidsson or Adam Henrique could increase flexibility even more. In a highly unlikely best-case scenario where those players get shipped out, the Oilers could open up close to $22 million.

But that space will go quickly. Re-signing Evan Bouchard is the top priority. He’s due for a substantial raise, likely to $9.5 million annually. After that, the team still has to fill at least five forward spots. Improving the goaltending remains a need, but without many top-end options in free agency, the more likely play is to land a top-six winger. Names like Brock Boeser or Andrew Mangiapane have come up as possible fits.

Corey Perry and Connor Brown are both pending UFAs who could return in depth roles. Other free agents include Jeff Skinner, Kasperi Kapanen, and John Klingberg. Olivier Rodrigue is the other RFA beyond Bouchard.

The Flames just missed the playoffs thanks to a tiebreaker, but they’re one of the most fascinating teams in the division. With Dustin Wolf locked in as their goalie of the future, Calgary is now trying to find its identity, especially up front.

They’ve got nearly $20 million in cap space, even after signing Kevin Bahl to a deal on Saturday. Their only restricted free agents of note are Connor Zary and Morgan Frost. That leaves them plenty of room to make a splash.

Rasmus Andersson is expected to be on the move. The 27-year-old right-shot defenseman has one year remaining on a $4.55 million deal and is reportedly drawing interest across the league. If moved, he could bring in picks or young talent to help accelerate Calgary’s transformation.

According to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, the Flames may look to make a big splash in free agency. Expect them to pursue a top-line forward and potentially more defensive depth if Andersson is dealt.

The Canucks are in a strange spot, caught between trying to win now and preparing for a future reset. After winning the Pacific in 2023-24, they dropped back down to earth this past season, missing the playoffs by six points.

This off-season has already been active. They acquired Evander Kane from Edmonton and reportedly signed Conor Garland to a six-year extension. These moves leave them with roughly $7 million in cap space, and Brock Boeser, one of their most consistent scorers, is likely headed elsewhere.

It’s hard to envision Vancouver recapturing the magic of 2023-24, especially with Elias Pettersson (the forward) struggling to lead the offence. Even with Quinn Hughes anchoring the blueline, the depth just isn’t there.

One storyline to monitor is Thatcher Demko. The 2023–24 Vezina finalist has one year remaining on his contract, and the Canucks already have Kevin Lankinen signed long-term. Meanwhile, Artūrs Šilovs was dominant in the AHL postseason, winning Calder Cup MVP honours with a .931 save percentage and 2.01 GAA.

No team in the Pacific has been more active than the Ducks this summer. They’ve acquired Chris Kreider from the Rangers, sent Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia, and traded long-time netminder John Gibson to Detroit for Petr Mrázek and picks.

The Gibson trade signals the official start of Lukáš Dostál’s era. Despite struggling for several seasons, Gibson had a bounce-back .912 save percentage last year, but the Ducks decided it was time to move on.

Anaheim now holds nearly $36 million in cap space (the second-most in the division), and they’ve already brought in veterans like Jacob Trouba. Restricted free agents include Dostál, Mason McTavish, and Brett Leason. UFAs include Oliver Kylington, Robby Fabbri, and Brock McGinn.

The rebuild is over. Anaheim is ready to compete, and they’ve been linked to Mitch Marner, the top free agent available. If they pull that off, their transformation from basement dweller to contender will be nearly complete.

The Kings’ 2025 playoff collapse marked the fourth straight season they’ve lost to Edmonton in the first round. In all four series, they failed to win a single game beyond Game 2.

In response, they brought in former Oilers GM Ken Holland. He inherits a team with $23.12 million in cap space and a few critical decisions ahead.

They moved defenseman Jordan Spence to Ottawa over the weekend, creating more flexibility. But RFA Alex Laferriere, along with UFAs Vladislav Gavrikov and Andrei Kuzmenko, will eat up much of that room. Gavrikov, in particular, is due for a large payday if the Kings want to keep one of the league’s best shutdown defenders.

Kuzmenko impressed after arriving mid-season, scoring five goals and 17 points in 22 games, plus six points in six playoff games. Signing him could be a priority.

Once those contracts are sorted, L.A. may only have around $4.5 million left. That won’t be enough to drastically improve the team, especially with extensions looming for Adrian Kempe and Anže Kopitar, both UFAs after 2025-26.

The Golden Knights are reportedly targeting Mitch Marner and could be the team to pull off a blockbuster sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs. To do that, they’ll need to clear more space.

As of now, Vegas is just $750,000 under the cap. Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8 million cap hit is expected to go on LTIR to start the year. Trading Nicolas Roy ($3 million cap hit) would open further space. The team just dealt RFA Nicolas Hague to Nashville, acquiring Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons in the process.

With those moves and some LTIR relief, Vegas could free up nearly $12 million, but it still might not be enough to land Marner without additional cuts. Tomáš Hertl and William Karlsson are potential cap casualties.

The Knights’ RFAs are Alexander Holtz, Cole Schwindt, and Jonas Rondbjerg. UFAs include Victor Olofsson, Tanner Pearson, and goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

Seattle made headlines last year by signing Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, but those moves didn’t pan out. The Kraken finished 20 points out of a playoff spot and once again drafted in the top 10.

This off-season, they’ve retooled again, acquiring Mason Marchment and Frederick Gaudreau, both 18-goal scorers last season. It’s a step in the right direction. They still have $18 million in cap space, giving them options.

RFAs include Kaapo Kakko, Tye Kartye, and Ryker Evans. Michael Eyssimont, picked up in the Yanni Gourde trade, is their only UFA.

A right-shot defenseman or a scoring winger would be logical targets. More than anything, they need growth from young stars like Matty Beniers and Shane Wright. If Joey Daccord continues to hold up in goal, the Kraken could re-enter the Wild Card race.

No team in the NHL has more cap space than the Sharks, just over $44 million. They’re still a rebuilding team, but there’s reason for optimism.

San Jose finished dead last again but selected Michael Misa with the second overall pick to join an exciting young core that already includes Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund. If those players all hit, the Sharks could be scary in three years.

Their RFA list includes Noah Gregor, Klim Kostin, Nikolai Kovalenko, Thomas Bordeleau, Jack Thompson, and Georgii Romanov. UFAs Alexandar Georgiev and Jan Rutta are unlikely to command big salaries.

Tyler Toffoli is already in the fold on a four-year, $6 million AAV deal signed last off-season. Look for the Sharks to add more veterans, both to guide the kids and to flip at the trade deadline for future assets.