Speculation: Hot Takes on where each team will rank in the Pacific Division this season...

[TopShelfGloveSide]

If we get a goalie and I think we take the division.

 

[Soundwave]

I think we pass Vegas this year and Vancouver is the surprise team that takes 3rd.

Edmonton
Vegas
Vancouver
LA
Calgary
Seattle
San Jose
Anaheim

I wonder if Larsson would have signed with Seattle if he knew they were going to pick a bad roster. Dredger probably regrets it as well since he probably was led to believe that he’ll be the starter.

I think Dreigder probably regrets that big time now, had he signed in Edmonton he'd have Smith to be a 1B for a year at best then it's his show.

 

[HumanCheatCode]

Here's my take; the Oilers will roll through the regular season again. Vegas takes a step back slightly and L.A. surprises for the last playoff spot. I can't see Seattle being that good with the team they selected, and San Jose will just be terrible.

1. Edmonton
2. Vegas
3. Vancouver
4. Los Angeles
5. Calgary
6. Anaheim
7. Seattle
8. San Jose​

 

[Oilhawks]

I think Dreigder probably regrets that big time now, had he signed in Edmonton he'd have Smith to be a 1B for a year at best then it's his show.

Driedger got sold a bill of goods by Francis. “Come sign here to be our 1A and grow with the team”

*signs Grubaeur to be the starter for 6 years*

“Suck it up, Princess”

I imagine he’ll get traded in a season or two at most

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Vegas finished much higher than the Oilers last year, it baffles me to see people pick the Oilers finishing above them.

 

[Drivesaitl]

"Mike Smith won't have another Vezina-nominated season."

Ken Holland:

Yeah, I'm a Mike Smith fan and the chances of him having this long a good run is remote. He's been good for us now for 1.5 seasons. We're at the table and we keep making the same bet, the house will notice...

Its asking a lot of Smith at this age to be carrying the load for his 3rd season. Thats a bad plan at a critical position in hockey.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Driedger got sold a bill of goods by Francis. “Come sign here to be our 1A and grow with the team”

*signs Grubaeur to be the starter for 6 years*

“Suck it up, Princess”

I imagine he’ll get traded in a season or two at most

Well I'm hoping the Oilers have something cooking with Seattle but whats the likelihood they will help a divisional club?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Anyone have a link to the same thread of this as last year (rank the Canadian teams)? I'm guessing a lot of people got that very wrong.

I had Toronto first and Winnipeg or Edmonton 2nd. Vancouver, Montreal battling for last playoff spot. Then Calgary Ottawa. Not far off what happened. Van got hit hard with Covid and had other problems. But other than Vancouver I got a lot right.

 

[Aerchon]

Division is a hot mess. Anything is possible. Oilers are in tough to repeat of a non covid regular season. 82 games sounds brutal for Keith/Smith.

I expect Van to do much better. Injuries, Covid, and Chemistry derailed them badly last year.

Top 4 "should" be some combination of Vegas, Van, Edmonton, and LA. Very weak division.

JSJ is a wild card with a chance to make it.

Calgary, Anaheim, and Seattle seem like they should be bottom feeders. I don't want to count out Seattle tho because they absolutely could pull a Vegas. Not as good a team on paper but let's face it nobody had Vegas doing well either.

 

[WaitingForUser]

Vegas finished much higher than the Oilers last year, it baffles me to see people pick the Oilers finishing above them.

Yeah but overall the record against the Knights is pretty even in the NHL series. I think we play the Knights very well every time we meet them. They also didn’t have to play MCDrai last year.

Oilers are 6-5 all time against Vegas

 

[WaitingForUser]

Yeah but overall the record against the Knights is pretty even in the NHL series. I think we play the Knights very well every time we meet them. They also didn’t have to play MCDrai last year.[/QUOTE
Delete quoted my post in error

 

[OilerTyler]

Vegas finished much higher than the Oilers last year, it baffles me to see people pick the Oilers finishing above them.

Vegas played in a very, very easy division last year.

Ottawa would’ve been fighting for a playoff spot in that division.

 

[nuck]

Vegas finished much higher than the Oilers last year, it baffles me to see people pick the Oilers finishing above them.

Vegas success has always been a little bit of a mystery to me in that so many known quantities from other organizations found new levels of performance. The only player I expect to be better next season is Pietrangelo. Stone may maintain it as he is close to his career best in Ottawa. MaxPac has never been a ppg guy and at 34 I doubt Martinez will repeat last season. Plus they lost their #1 goalie who was way better than Lehner in both the regular season and the playoffs.

If they don't add a big piece they aren't as strong a team going into this season and the Habs and Stars both proved that the Knights don't have the talent to roll over a club that works as hard as they do. I am still not convinced they won't win the division, especially because I expect Lehner to outperform Smith, but it isn't a stretch for Oil fans to say it will happen. I expect these teams to be 1-2 in the Pacific but Holland probably needs to a bit more to separate next years lineup from last.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Keep in mind these hot takes are just for the regular season... and as we've seen what happens in the playoffs is MUCH different that what goes down in the regular season. Basically 2 different environments completely.

Of course you have to make it to the big show in May to be able to get into that playoff environment... so you still have to be a decent regular season team as well.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yeah but overall the record against the Knights is pretty even in the NHL series. I think we play the Knights very well every time we meet them. They also didn’t have to play MCDrai last year.

Oilers are 6-5 all time against Vegas

They still finished above us in 2020 with a better record and goal differential. They are simply the better team. The Oilers have the better high-end talent, but Vegas' depth laps ours.

Vegas played in a very, very easy division last year.

Ottawa would’ve been fighting for a playoff spot in that division.

By finishing 12 points back of the 4th place Blues? No doubt that division was soft, but the North was softer.

 

[OilerTyler]

By finishing 12 points back of the 4th place Blues? No doubt that division was soft, but the North was softer.

St Louis having 12 more points than Ottawa doesn’t mean much when you look at the teams they played last year. The California teams and Arizona are all terrible, worse than any team that was in the North.

Ottawa makes the playoffs in the West.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

St Louis having 12 more points than Ottawa doesn’t mean much when you look at the teams they played last year. The California teams and Arizona are all terrible, worse than any team that was in the North.

Ottawa makes the playoffs in the West.

As opposed to Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Montreal.

Also those same California teams are still there for Vegas to beat up on.

 

[The Panther]

Even though the Oilers' defensive play is bound to be a bit spotty this season (as it was already was much of the last... 15 seasons), IF Mike Smith can carry the load on his shoulders again and have at least a good season (doesn't have to be as great as last year), then the Oilers should finish in 1st. And they should finish in 1st quite easily.

Outside of Vegas, the Pacific just kind of blows. I don't think Vegas is trending upward right now, and though they'll be good, I don't think they'll be as good as last season. (By the way, the Oilers had more regulation wins than Vegas did last season.)

Beyond them, I just don't see ANY Pacific team challenging Edmonton. I think Vancouver will surge back and have a pretty good year (can't be worse than last season), but all of Calgary, L.A., Seattle, San Jose, and Anaheim (11 PP goals on the season!) strike me as piss-poor teams.

Let's put it this way: If Smith craps the bed or gets injured, and Koskinen (or whoever the back-up ends up being) plays 65 games, I STILL think the Oilers quite easily make the playoffs.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

IMO the only 2 locks in this division are Vegas and Edmonton. Both teams will Duke it out for first.

Complain about this off-season all you want, but the concerns we have relate to our ability to win a series, not make the playoffs.

This is a better team than the one that finished 2nd in their division two years running. The powerplay, combined with our high end players, are just too good now to miss the playoffs, especially in a division like this.

I see Seattle and Vancouver in the 3/4 positions.

Anaheim and San Jose are likely still in the basement.

The two wild cards are Calgary and LA.

LA certainly has the dark horse potential. Calgary IMO needs a Vezina finalist performance from Markstrom to have a shot.

 

[Mr Positive]

Vegas finished much higher than the Oilers last year, it baffles me to see people pick the Oilers finishing above them.

It's not a stretch to say Vegas was in a much worse division. It was basically Vegas, Colorado, and then not much else.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Who is Calgary's backup? If Markstrom plays 70+ games they may be "ok"... but I don't think as much of their goaltending as many seem to.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Vegas

Nucks
Kings
Oilers
Flames
Kraken

Sharks
Ducks

I don’t think the oilers are in the same level as the knights. Likely drop off in goal and downgrade at D can bring them way down.

Vegas.......and then everyone else.

Vegas finished much higher than the Oilers last year, it baffles me to see people pick the Oilers finishing above them.

The Knights were one of the best teams out of the gate because of unmatched depth, and now their bottom 6 looks AHL-quality this year.
They lost their heart-and soul guy who just won them a Vezina.


They're still a good team, but I dunno, they sorta resemble the Winnipeg Jets now. Better defense with worse goalie.

 

[PKSpecialist]

Here's my take; the Oilers will roll through the regular season again. Vegas takes a step back slightly and L.A. surprises for the last playoff spot. I can't see Seattle being that good with the team they selected, and San Jose will just be terrible.

1. Edmonton
2. Vegas
3. Vancouver
4. Los Angeles
5. Calgary
6. Anaheim
7. Seattle
8. San Jose​

This would be my rankings also.

 

[RandomGuy79]

Oilers #1 in all categories

- Gene

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Who is Calgary's backup? If Markstrom plays 70+ games they may be "ok"... but I don't think as much of their goaltending as many seem to.

They traded a 3rd round pick to Boston for Dan Vlader. I'm not sure if any of their prospects are ready to make the jump.