Playoff MVP Connor McDavid can’t shake the memory of what now-former Edmonton GM Ken Holland told the team after falling one win short of winning the Stanley Cup.
The Game 7 loss to Florida in June caused Holland to reflect on the disappointment he still felt from his time in Detroit in 2009, when the Red Wings failed to defend their title in losing Game 7 to Pittsburgh.
“I’m not sure it’s something that you ever get over, really, and time just kind of moves on,” McDavid recalled.
However much the Oilers’ playoff run was regarded as a breakthrough for McDavid in finally leading them to their first Cup final in his nine seasons in Edmonton, it’s back to square one as the season arrives. The Pacific Division features a mix of contenders and teams in various stages of rebuilding.
Joining the Oilers at the top are the Vancouver Canucks, who surged during coach Rick Tocchet’s first full season in making a 26-point jump to win their first division title since 2013.
“The challenge will be greater, certainly,” Canucks president Jim Rutherford said. “But I believe the team that we started with last year, we have just as good a team to start the season this year, and probably better.”
Then there are the Vegas Golden Knights, who have missed the playoffs just once — in 2022 — in their seven-year history, and are two years removed from winning the Cup. The Golden Knights lost Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and goalie Logan Thompson, but they return a strong core, and got better with last season’s late addition of forward Tomas Hertl.
The question marks are where the division’s other five teams fit in the equation.
The Los Angeles Kings have finished third in the division in each of the past three seasons, and feature a mix of veterans — captain Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault and Drew Doughty — and youth, led by Quinton Byfield. The Kings have already been dealt a blow with Doughty out indefinitely after breaking his ankle.
The Seattle Kraken underwent a shakeup with Dan Bylsma replacing Dave Hakstol as coach after the team regressed in winning just 34 games a year after making the playoffs. Seattle also upgraded its lineup with the additions of Stephenson and defenseman Brandon Montour.
Calgary, Anaheim and San Jose round out the bottom.
In Edmonton, the Oilers have their star duo of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in place, while retooling on the fly under new GM Stan Bowman. Though Edmonton added Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in free agency, the team traded Ryan McLeod to Buffalo and Cody Ceci to San Jose, while choosing not to match St. Louis’ offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.
The Oilers will be without forward Evander Kane, who is out indefinitely with various injuries.
“Good teams have good players, and it’s tough to keep them all together, and ultimately you lose guys,” McDavid said. “We improved in some areas, and maybe we took a step back in different areas.”
On the rise
Tocchet has the Canucks finally playing up to their potential, and GM Patrik Allvin has a talented prospect pool to draw from, and added power forward Jake DeBrusk, defenseman Vincent Desharnais and two way forward Kiefer Sherwood this offseason.
The big question is net, with Vancouver counting on goalie Arturs Silovs to carry over his playoff performance in filling in for Thatcher Demko, who’s out with knee injury.
On the decline
In Calgary, the Flames appear to be starting over in shedding established talent after trading goalie Jacob Markström to New Jersey and Andrew Mangiapane to Washington.
The Flames have been shedding talent since losing the late Johnny Gaudreau in free agency and trading Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in the summer of 2022. They also parted ways with Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm.
“From the outside, media and even friends and family, the expectations are probably a little bit lower,” defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. “But there’s no reason to think that we can’t make the playoffs and can’t be a good team (with) that underdog mentality. You never know.”
The Sharks are starting from scratch with a youth movement headed by Will Smith, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, and this year’s No. 1 draft selection, Macklin Celebrini.
“So is it a fresh start? For sure,” new Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We don’t talk about the last two years, but we’re going to learn from it, and we’re going to keep moving forward.”
There are higher expectations in Anaheim, where the Ducks are in the midst of a franchise-worst six-year playoff drought.
“I want to see us making the next step. I thought we were looking for our game throughout the season,” new captain Radko Gudas said. “I think the hunger in the group is here.”
On the hot seat
The Kings have been treading water under GM Rob Blake, and haven’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Cup in 2014.
Predicted order of finish
Edmonton, Vegas, Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Calgary.
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno and AP Sports Writers Greg Beacham, Josh Dubow and Mark Anderson, AP freelance writer W.G. Ramirez, and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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