Five Pacific Division teams realistically have a chance to make the postseason.
The Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings are battling for the top spot in the Pacific Division, while the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks are battling for the final Wild Card spot.
Let’s take a look at what has happened since the latest Pacific Division Update on Jan. 7.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights won their Jan. 7 game but fell to the New York Islanders and Rangers over their next two games. They defeated a depleted Minnesota Wild team 4-1, but have lost their last four games, falling to the Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues (in a shootout). They now have a 29-14-4 record with 62 points.
Jack Eichel has been great for the 2023 Stanley Cup champions, scoring 12 goals and 58 points to lead the team in the latter category. Defenceman Shea Theodore is second in points with 43, while captain Mark Stone has 12 goals and 39 points. Leading the team in goals is Pavel Dorofeyev, who notched his 20th of the season late in the Blues game to force overtime.
In net, Adin Hill has a .901 save percentage and a 2.61 goals against average in 29 games played, with an 18-8-3 record. Their backup, Ilya Samsonov, has an .898 save percentage and a 2.83 goals against average in 18 games played with an 11-6-1 record.

Edmonton Oilers

Hot on the Vegas Golden Knights trail are the Edmonton Oilers, who now have a 29-15-3 record with 61 points. They defeated the Boston Bruins 4-0 on Jan. 7, before losing their first game of 2025 by a score of 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They won their next four games, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, and Colorado Avalanche, but have lost their last two games 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals.
Leon Draisaitl has a legitimate shot at winning a truckload of trophies, as he has a league-leading 34 goals and a team-leading 71 points. He’s my Hart Trophy leader and could even win the Art Ross, Maurice Richard trophy, and potentially the Selke. Connor McDavid (currently suspended) has 20 goals and 65 points, while Evan Bouchard has eight goals and 35 points. The other two double-digit goal-scorers are Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman.
In net, Stuart Skinner has been better as of late as he has an .899 save percentage and a 2.71 goals against average in 32 games played with an 18-11-3 record. Since Nov. 19, the 26-year-old has a .912 save percentage in 20 games. Calvin Pickard has an .897 save percentage and a 2.53 goals against average in 17 games played.

Los Angeles Kings

Sitting third in the Pacific Division are the Los Angeles Kings, who have a 26-14-5 record with 57 points. It’s been a “meh” past few weeks for the Kings, who have traded wins and losses. First was a 2-1 overtime victory against the Winnipeg Jets, before falling 2-1 to the Calgary Flames. They also lost 1-0 against the Edmonton Oilers, before defeating the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. They lost two more games to the Seattle Kraken and Pittsburgh Penguins, before defeating the Florida Panthers 2-1.
For the first time in a while, Anže Kopitar doesn’t lead the team in points as he has 12 goals and 43 points in 45 games. Instead, Adrian Kempe’s 24 goals and 44 points lead the team in both categories. Former Oiler Warren Foegele has 12 goals and 24 points, while Kevin Fiala has 15 goals and 26 points this season. Alex Laferriere appears to be stuck on 13 goals.
Darcy Kuemper has been terrific in net for the Kings, as he has a .924 save percentage and a 2.01 goals against average in 24 games played, with a 14-4-5 record. Backup David Rittich hasn’t been nearly as good, as he has an .886 save percentage and a 2.60 goals against average in 22 games played.

Calgary Flames

I’m not sure how, but the Calgary Flames have maintained a playoff position over the halfway mark of the season thanks to a 22-16-7 record with 51 points. Since Jan. 7, they’ve defeated the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Winnipeg Jets, with a pair of losses to the St. Louis Blues. They can’t score, but the young team has found ways to win.
After two “meh” seasons, Jonathan Huberdeau has found his footing with the Flames, scoring a team-leading 18 goals and 32 points in 45 games. Nazem Kadri isn’t far behind, as he has 15 goals and 29 points. Blake Coleman, Matt Coronato, and the injured Connor Zary are the three other double-digit goal-scorers. Both MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson have produced from their defence this season.
The biggest reason why the Flames are still in the fight for a postseason spot is because of rookie netminder Dustin Wolf, who has a .917 save percentage and a 2.50 goals against average in 25 games this season. The California native has a 16-7-2 record, while backup netminder Daniel Vladař has an .889 save percentage and a 3.03 goals against average.

Vancouver Canucks

Everyone laugh at the Vancouver Canucks! On top of reported locker room issues, the Canucks sit outside of a Wild Card spot with a 20-16-10 record. Since Jan. 7, they’ve fallen 2-1 in overtime to the Washington Capitals, followed by a 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and a 3-0 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They ended their road trip with a 6-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets and returned home with a 5-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings. The Canucks got back on track with a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, before falling 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres.
Someone needs to save top defenceman Quinn Hughes from the Canucks. The reigning Norris Trophy winner has 12 goals and 51 points, leading the team in the latter category. Jake DeBrusk leads the team with 17 goals, while J.T. Miller has eight goals and 32 points in 36 games. Conor Garland (boo!), Elias Pettersson, Kiefer Sherwood, and Pius Suter each have double-digit goals.
Thatcher Demko isn’t the same goalie he was last season, as he has an .873 save percentage and a 3.23 goals against average in 11 games played, with a 3-4-3 record. Kevin Lankinen has been a big reason why the Canucks are even sniffing a postseason spot, as he has a .903 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average in 30 games played.

Seattle Kraken

Is there a more mediocre team than the Seattle Kraken? The newest expansion team has a 21-24-3 record with 45 points and is 4-3-0 in their last seven games dating back to Jan. 7. Their wins came against the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, and Buffalo Sabres, while they’ve lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets.
Jared McCann has 14 goals and 36 points in 48 games, leading the team in the point department. Jaden Schwartz has 16 goals and 33 points to lead in the goal department, while Chandler Stephenson has eight goals and 33 points. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Matty Beniers each have double-digit goals, while defenceman Brandon Montour has eight goals and 23 points. Kaapo Kakko has been good since the Kraken acquired him, scoring four goals and 13 points in 15 games.
In net, Joey Daccord is having a good season as he has a .914 save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average in 30 games, with a 16-10-2 record. Backup Philipp Grubauer has an .870 save percentage and a 3.76 goals against average in 20 games played. It’s clear who should be starting the majority of the Kraken’s games down the stretch.

Anaheim Ducks

It’s clear the Anaheim Ducks need a culture change, as the team just can’t get over the hump despite plenty of young, talented players. This season, they have an 18-23-6 record with 23 points and since Jan. 7, they are 1-5-2 with their only win coming against the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime. The Ducks’ losses have come at the hands of the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and the Florida Panthers (twice), while losing to the Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime or shootout.
Troy Terry leads the Ducks with 15 goals and 35 points. Former Oiler Ryan Strome has seven goals and 26 points, while Frank Vatrano has 12 goals and 25 points. Defenceman Jackson LaCombe has eight goals and 20 points, while youngsters Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier each have seven goals and 20 points.
In net, John Gibson is having his best season since 2018-19, as he has a .911 save percentage and a 2.80 goals against average in 19 games, with a 7-8-2 record. Lukáš Dostál’s play has taken a hit in recent times, as he has a .907 save percentage and a 2.96 goals against average in 28 games played with an 11-13-4 record.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are a young, rebuilding team, so it makes sense that their 14-30-6 record has them near the bottom of the league. Since Jan. 7, they have lost six of their last seven games, falling to the Utah Hockey Club, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, and Nashville Predators. Their lone win was a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings to end the surging Red Wings’ seven-game winning streak.
Mikael Granlund is playing like someone who doesn’t want to be in San Jose anymore, scoring 14 goals and a team-leading 40 points. Tyler Toffoli leads the team with 17 goals and has 30 points to boot, while William Eklund has 10 goals and 36 points. Rookie Macklin Celebrini has 14 goals and 34 points in 38 games, while Fabian Zetterlund has 13 goals and 30 points. Luke Kunin also has double-digit goals with 11. Former Oiler Cody Ceci has three goals and 14 points in 50 games.
In net, Yaroslav Askarov has shown why he’s the team’s goalie of the future, as he has a .912 save percentage and a 2.58 goals against average in nine games this season, with a 3-4-2 record. Alexandar Georgiev has had a tough go of things since the trade, as he has an .884 save percentage and a 3.79 goals against average in 11 games played.
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