On Tuesday, the 2024-25 season begins for every team not named the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, as they played Friday and Saturday in Europe.



There was a ton of movement in free agency, and in this article, we’ll rank the 16 teams in the Western Conference thanks to those moves and their current roster.

Let’s dig in!
<h2>16. San Jose Sharks</h2>
Was it ever going to be another team?

The San Jose Sharks’ big acquisition this off-season was selecting Macklin Celebrini first overall in the 2024 draft. However, the 18-year-old centre is listed as day-to-day after crashing into the boards a few days ago.

Moreover, the Sharks acquired one of the best goaltending prospects, Yaroslav Askarov, from the Nashville Predators and signed Tyler Toffoli to a four-year deal. Defensively, the Sharks added Jake Walman and Cody Ceci. 

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1807805200515862720

Still, don’t expect much from the Sharks this season.
<h2>15. Anaheim Ducks</h2>
Another California team doesn’t look too good heading into the 2024-25 season, as the Anaheim Ducks didn’t do much this past off-season.

Their biggest move was acquiring Robby Fabbri and Brian Dumoulin early in free agency, but they are further along in their rebuild than the Sharks. A big question mark for the Ducks is whether or not Trevor Zegras stays healthy and returns to the form he had before the 2023-24 season.

The Ducks will probably also get progression from players like Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Mason McTavish, and Olen Zellweger, but they’ll miss the playoffs.
<h2>14. Chicago Blackhawks</h2>
The Chicago Blackhawks are being rather aggressive in their rebuild, signing veterans like Craig Smith, Patrick Maroon, and Tyler Bertuzzi to play alongside potential (but more than likely) generation talent, Connor Bedard.

Much like the Ducks’ young stars, barring injury, Bedard is going to improve in year two after scoring 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games last season.

Moreover, former Edmonton Oiler Taylor Hall is healthy and the team acquired Teuvo Teravainen and Ilya Mikheyev through trades this off-season. 

They won’t make the postseason, but they’ll be competitive.

13. Calgary Flames

This is the first season of the true rebuild for the Oilers’ provincial rival, the Calgary Flames. At last season’s trade deadline, they move their entire second pair (Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev) while also trading Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks.

In the off-season, the Flames traded goaltender Jacob Markström to the New Jersey Devils while moving Andrew Mangiapane to the Washington Capitals. Their big signing of the off-season was Anthony Mantha, who signed a one-year deal and will likely be dealt before the trade deadline.

https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1803458289285333212

Another player who could potentially be moved at the deadline is right-shot defenceman Rasmus Andersson, who’d fit the Oilers like a glove.

Either way, the Flames won’t be pushing for a playoff spot for a few seasons, but their 2024 draft was a good first step.
<h2>12. Minnesota Wild</h2>
Moving away from the “definitely not making the postseason” teams to the “they may make it”, we have the Midesota Wild. Their biggest move of the off-season was signing Yakov Trenin to a four-year deal and extending Brock Faber.

https://twitter.com/NHLNetwork/status/1807826755912118764

Last season, the Wild finished 11 points out of a playoff spot, and even if they do make the postseason are they getting out of the first round for the first time since 2014-15? Probably not.

Unlike the other teams we’ve looked at so far who have a clear direction for the future, I’m not sure the same can be said about the Wild. Maybe the return of Jared Spurgeon and the emergence of Jesper Wallstedt will help them actually do something in the postseason.
<h2>11. Seattle Kraken</h2>
The signings the Seattle Kraken made this past off-season may bite them in the butt in the future, but those moves made the team better.

Early in the off-season, the Kraken signed two-time Stanley Cup winner Chandler Stephenson to a long-term deal, as well as 2024 Stanley Cup winner Brandon Montour to a long-term deal. It doesn’t make them genuine contenders, but they did improve over the off-season.

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1807797671710617791

If Matty Beniers rebounds after the sophomore slump and Shane Wright develops into a useful NHL player, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Kraken sneak into a Wild Card spot. Heck, the Pacific is wide open, so perhaps they could even finish third in the division.
<h2>10. Utah Hockey Club</h2>
The Utah Hockey Club inherits a strong farm system from the former Arizona Coyotes, but also a new owner who wants to win some games in his first season in charge.

At the draft, Utah acquired top pairing defenceman Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning and John Marino from the New Jersey Devils. When free agency opened, the Hockey Club signed veteran Ian Cole to help with the team’s defensive depth. 

https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1807078166696976831

They also have young offensive core that features Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther who are paired with veterans like Nick Schmaltz, Lawson Crouse, and Alex Kerfoot.

Similar to the Kraken, Utah has a chance to push for a postseason spot, which would be the first non-COVID-impacted postseason appearance since 2012.
<h2>9. Los Angeles Kings</h2>
The Los Angeles Kings aren’t great, especially as it looks like their best defenceman, Drew Doughty, will be out long-term.

https://twitter.com/LAKingsPR/status/1839752885468328202

In the past three postseasons, the Kings have fallen to the Edmonton Oilers three times. They lost in seven games in 2022, six in 2023, and five in 2024, and they didn’t get much better this off-season.

The Kings two biggest signings were Warren Foegele and Joel Edmundson while losing Viktor Arvidsson. Moreover, they traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals for netminder Darcy Kuemper, with David Rittich backing him up. They also traded for Tanner Jeannot who could end up being a nice find for the team.

https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/1807875585924125025

Their offence isn’t bad, Anže Kopitar is still great, Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala are going to put up points, while Trevor Moore led the team in goals in 2023-24. Phillip Danualt is a great third-line centre, while they locked up their young star Quinton Byfield long-term.

Still, if the Kings make the playoffs, they’ll probably finish around a Wild Card spot.
<h2>8. St. Louis Blues</h2>
The St. Louis Blues were busy this off-season, trading Kevin Hayes to the Penguins for cap room, and adding Radek Faska and Mathieu Joseph through trade. As you know, they also offer sheeted Edmonton’s Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, adding two young players that need playing time.

https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/1823353989934551435

The Blues lost Torey Krug to injury but added veteran defenceman Ryan Sutter to replace him, as well as Mathieu’s brother Pierre-Olivier Joseph. There won’t be any trade speculation about Pavel Buchnevich, as he signed a long-term extension as well.

Last season, the Blues only missed the Wild Card spot by six points and no doubt they’ll push for a spot again in a deep Central Division.
<h2>7. Winnipeg Jets</h2>
We are now entering the teams that will probably make the postseason, but if everything goes wrong, their spot is in jeopardy.

The Winnipeg Jets finished with the second-highest point total in the Western Conference last season with 110, three shy of the Dallas Stars. However, the question is if it’s a fluke season where everything went right, similar to the Seattle Kraken in the 2022-23 season.

At the 2024 trade deadline, the Jets acquired Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan, with both players departing in the off-season. The only notable players the team acquired through free agency were netminders Kaapo Kähkönen and Eric Comrie. They also re-signed Cole Perfetti, Logan Stanley, David Gustafsson, and Colin Miller.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1838383993021960478

The team has a lot of depth and arguably the best netminder in the league in Connor Hellebuyck, but there are better Central Division teams.
<h2>6. Vancouver Canucks</h2>
The Vancouver Canucks are either going to be as good as they were last season or pull a Calgary Flames after winning the Pacific Division in 2021-22.

A big cause of concern for the British Columbian team is the netminder situation. Vezina-nominated Thatcher Demko was terrific when healthy in 2023-24, posting a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average in 51 games. However, he hasn’t played since the first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs and has dealt with two different knee injuries. As of yet, there’s still no timetable for him to return.

https://twitter.com/DailyFaceoff/status/1836838458750595212

That doesn’t leave the situation in between the pipes a good one for the Canucks, as they are relying on youngster Artūrs Šilovs to keep them afloat to begin the season until Demko is back. Now, Šilovs was solid in the postseason, but he’s no Demko.

Still, the Canucks have a solid group of players, led by J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner, Quinn Hughes. They also added Jake DeBrusk, Daniel Sprong, and Vincent Desharnais in the off-season.
<h2>5. Nashville Predators</h2>
All five of the remaining teams are the teams I’d called a lock to make the postseason. Out of any of the 32 teams in the league, the Nashville Predators were certainly the busiest when it comes to signing good free agents.

On the first day of free agency, the signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, drastically improving the offence while also adding a top pairing left-shot defenceman to play with Roman Josi. Adding two 40+ goal scorers to an offence that includes Filip Forsberg makes it look like the best offensive core the Predators have ever had.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1807822741980012764

Moreover, the Predators were able to re-sign Alexandre Carrier and netminder Juuse Saros, making this look like a dangerous team in the Central Division. Don’t forget, this team went on an incredible 18-game run where they only lost twice (in overtime) to make the postseason.
<h2>4. Vegas Golden Knights</h2>
When you’re Gary Bettman’s favourite team, you’re going to be good.

The 31st team in the NHL added Victor Oloffson, a good low-risk, high-reward type of player as he scored 28 goals in 2022-23 while reaching the 40-point plateau three times in his career. Does he replace Jonathan Marchessault’s 44-goal season in 2023-24? Probably not. Another good low-risk, high-reward player the team acquired was Alexander Holtz, who scored 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games last season. He was the seventh overall pick in 2020.

https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1807118855199735938

However, the Knights have never been a team that goes big in free agency, usually doing their big moves around the trade deadline. Last season, they acquired Noah Hanifin, Anthony Mantha, and Tomáš Hertl before the deadline, only to fall in seven games to the Dallas Stars in the first round.

The Knights received a big break on Thursday, as the National Hockey League ruled that<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/sources-vegas-golden-knights-get-salary-cap-relief-from-robin-lehners-contract"> Robin Lehner’s $4.5 million cap hit won’t count towards the cap at all</a>. On top of Mark Stone’s annual visit to long-term injured reserve before the trade deadline, it’s not hard to predict that the Knights will be active at the 2025 trade deadline.
<h2>3. Colorado Avalanche</h2>
The Colorado Avalanche may get some reinforcements midway through the season. Gabriel Landeskog hasn’t played since the 2022 postseason and Valeri Nichushkin is eligible to return to the Avalanche in November after serving a six month suspension.

If/when both players return, the Avalanche will add two top-six forwards to an already deep forward core that features star players Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, as well as good complimentary pieces such as Jonathan Drouin, Casey Mittelstadt, Logan O’Connor and Artturi Lehkonen.

Of course, the Avalanche have one of the best defenceman in the league as well in Cale Makar, pairing him with the every steady Devon Toews. Samuel Girard and Josh Manson make up a solid second pairing, but their third pairing could be upgraded at the trade deadline. 

The Avalanche’s biggest question mark is in the net. More specifically, what version of Alexandar Georgiev they’ll get. In 2022-23, the first Bulgarian-born player had a .919 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average in 62 games. However, he regressed in 2023-24 as he had an .897 save percentage and a 3.02 goals-against average in 63 games played.
<h2>2. Dallas Stars</h2>
The Dallas Stars were the best regular season team in the Western Conference last season, finishing with a 52-21-9 record for 113 points. After defeating the defending Stanley Cup champions (the Vegas Golden Knights) in the first round, and the 2022 Stanley Cup champions (the Colorado Avalanche) in the second round, they lost in six games to the Edmonton Oilers.

With that being said, the Dallas Stars are one of, if not the deepest, teams in the league. Offensively, they featured grizzled vets such as Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn, while also having young studs like Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Logan Stankoven. Roope Hintz and Mason Marchment are no slouches either.

Defensively, it’s a solid core for the Stars. Miro Heiskanen remains as one of the most underrated defenceman in the league, while Thomas Harley is only going to get better. When you have Esa Lindell as your third pairing left-shot defenceman, you’re doing something right.

Their right side of their defence is a little more suspect though, agreeing to a deal with Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin in the off-season, it looks like that’ll be a need come the trade deadline. Jake Oettinger will be backed up by Casey DeSmith this season, a solid tandem.
<h2>1. Edmonton Oilers</h2>
Call me a homer, but the Edmonton Oilers are the best team in the Western Conference. Is their defence in question? Absolutely. As of now, Ty Emberson is unproven and their third pair right-shot defenceman is either going to be Josh Brown or Troy Stecher. It’ll be a clear need when the trade deadline rolls around.

However, my oh my the offence is incredible. The Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid, and Zach Hyman line was arguably the best in all of hockey last season, and you should expect much of the same. 

More importantly, Leon Draisaitl actually has two top-six wingers by his side for the first time in his career, as the Oilers went out and got Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. If the latter can stay healthy, that line will be scoring a whole lot.

https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/1807826973139378298

On paper, their third line doesn’t look great, but the Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique, and Connor Brown line were dominant in the Stanley Cups, and Henrique is a proven scorer. Vasily Podkolzin needs an opportunity and will get one in Edmonton, while Derek Ryan and Corey Perry will fill in on the fourth line.

It also feels for the first time in a long time, the Oilers will have a ton of depth in the organization. Raphaël Lavoie could see time with the Oilers this season and Phil Kemp has looked great in the postseason. Moreover, Roby Järventie could receive an opportunity at some point this season.

This doesn’t even mention Evander Kane, who’ll be out for a long time due to surgery. However, the Oilers will accrue cap space and will be able to use it at the trade deadline to acquire a defenceman to play alongside Darnell Nurse.

The Oilers are in a good position to go on a deep postseason run once again, especially if Stuart Skinner has a better start to his season.

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