So, you took a little break from hockey after the Kraken season ended? Totally fair. There was sunshine and vacations, and maybe you jumped on the roller coaster called Mariners baseball this summer. Hey, it happens to all of us… just not me.

I’ve been waiting for hockey, and hockey is finally back on the horizon.

A lot has gone down around the Pacific Division while you were away, and if you missed any headlines, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered in the Lapsed Fan’s Guide to the 2025 Pacific Division Offseason. We won’t cover Seattle’s moves here, since we covered those last week, but we’ll run through everything else you need to know about team’s divisional rivals heading into 2025–26. And of course, we’ll talk about how it all impacts the Kraken, because that’s what you really care about.

Anaheim Ducks

80 points in 2024-25 (12th Western Conference, 6th Pacific Division)

Additions: Chris Kreider (22 G), Mikael Granlund (22 G), Ryan Poehling (12 G)
Subtractions: Trevor Zegras (12 G), Isac Lundestrom (4 G), Brian Dumoulin (2 G), John Gibson (11 W)

The Ducks were very active this offseason, and one of their biggest moves came off the ice. They fired head coach Greg Cronin after a 21-point improvement over the previous season and replaced him with Joel Quenneville. Whether you think Quenneville should be back in the league is a debate for another time, but the bottom line is he’s here, and expectations are that he’ll make an impact.

This is a young, up-and-coming team. Assuming the Ducks sign RFA Mason MacTavish, they’ll have three players age 22 or younger who scored at least 20 goals last season. After finishing 30th in goals last year, they addressed that weakness by adding Kreider and Granlund without losing much.

Kraken impact: The Ducks finished ahead of Seattle last year and got better both on the bench and on the ice this summer. If the Kraken are playing meaningful games in March, I would expect Anaheim to also be in the conversation and a team Seattle will need to overcome in the standings.

Calgary Flames

96 points (9th Western Conference, 4th Pacific Division)

Additions: Ivan Prosvetov (20 W in KHL)
Subtractions: Dan Vladar (12 W)

The Flames tied St. Louis in the standings last year but lost the playoff tiebreaker, making them the final team out. For a team that close, you might expect a splashy offseason, but that didn’t happen. Their biggest roster changes came way back in January, when they acquired Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from Philadelphia. Both struggled to produce in Calgary, but it’s too soon to assume they won’t be impactful as Flames.

Calling Calgary’s offseason “quiet” is a little misleading, though. The Flames did lock up several RFAs, including Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, Morgan Frost, and Kevin Bahl. The big question is whether ninth overall pick Zayne Parekh sticks around this year. After a monster OHL season (33 goals, 107 points), he’s either playing in the NHL or heading back to junior, since there is no AHL option because of transfer rules.

Kraken impact: Calgary is still a team Seattle has to jump over to sniff a playoff spot. The surprising 96-point total last year was largely Dustin Wolf dragging the Flames into contention, though. Scoring remains their biggest challenge where they finished 29th in goals per game (2.68).

Edmonton Oilers

101 points (6th Western Conference, 3rd Pacific Division, Stanley Cup Final)

Additions: Andrew Mangiapane (14 G), Isaac Howard (prospect)
Subtractions: Connor Brown (13 G), Corey Perry (19 G), Jeff Skinner (16 G), Viktor Arvidsson (15 G), Evander Kane (DNP regular season)

Edmonton lost a lot of firepower this summer, and the biggest storyline remains whether Connor McDavid will sign an extension. So far, no rush from his camp. Meanwhile, the Oilers again ignored their shaky goaltending, which still looks like their Achilles heel despite back-to-back Stanley Cup Final trips.

Kraken impact: Believe it or not, Edmonton only scored 14 more goals than Seattle last year. Factor in the Oilers’ offseason losses, and it’s not crazy to think the Kraken could outscore them this season. That said, as long as McDavid and Leon Draisaitl wear Oilers sweaters, they’re a dangerous team. Expect a slight step back, but not enough to put them in Seattle’s neighborhood.

Los Angeles Kings

105 points (4th Western Conference, 2nd Pacific Division)

Additions: Andrei Kuzmenko (6 G), Brian Dumoulin (3 G), Corey Perry (19 G), Joel Armia (11 G), Cody Ceci (4 G), Anton Forsberg (11 W)
Subtractions: Jordan Spence (4 G), Tanner Jeannot (7 G), Vladislav Gavrikov (16 G), David Rittich (16 W)

The Kings got older this offseason, adding several 30-plus veterans, including 40-year-old Corey Perry (who just got injured in training and had knee surgery that will keep him out for six-to-eight weeks). But they still have talent spread across the age curve. Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, and Warren Foegele (all 29) combined for 94 goals last year, and a younger core of Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere, and Brandt Clarke continues to grow.

In goal, Darcy Kuemper returns for his second season. He was solid last year, but at 35, the risk of injury and declining play looms.

Kraken impact: The Kings added useful veterans without losing much. Unless their goaltending falls apart, expect another strong season. They’ll be tough to leapfrog in the standings.

San Jose Sharks

52 points (16th Western Conference, 8th Pacific Division)

Additions: Adam Gaudette (19 G), Philipp Kurashev (7 G), Jeff Skinner (16 G), Dmitry Orlov (6 G), John Klingberg (1 G)
Subtractions: Fabian Zetterlund (17 G), Mikael Granlund (15 G), Luke Kunin (11 G), Nico Sturm (7 G), Jake Walman (6 G), Cody Ceci (4 G)

The Sharks were bad last year, but at least they were fun. They’re building around Macklin Celebrini, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, and 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa. They lost some vets but replaced them smartly while leaving space for prospects to earn NHL spots.

Kraken impact: San Jose should improve but still finish behind Seattle. What matters is they’ll likely steal more points from division foes, keeping the playoff race tighter.

Vancouver Canucks

90 points (10th Western Conference, 5th Pacific Division)

Additions: Evander Kane (DNP)
Subtractions: Dakota Joshua (7 G), Pius Suter (25 G)

The Canucks’ biggest change came behind the bench. Rick Tocchet left for Philadelphia, and assistant coach Adam Foote steps in as a first-time NHL head coach. On the roster side, Evander Kane replaces some of Pius Suter’s goals, while Thatcher Demko enters the year healthy… for now. Additionally, I am sure this season won’t be filled with the same drama they had last season, right?

Kraken impact: With Tocchet gone, many expect regression. That’s good news for Seattle, who finished 14 points behind them last year. Still, Vancouver should be in the playoff mix late in the season.

Vegas Golden Knights

110 points (2nd Western Conference, 1st Pacific Division)

Additions: Mitch Marner (27 G), Colton Sissons (7 G)
Subtractions: Tanner Pearson (12 G), Nicolas Roy (15 G), Nicolas Hague (5 G), Alex Pietrangelo (injury, 4 G)

Vegas pulled off the move of the offseason, landing Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade deal with Toronto, and just like that, one of the league’s best offensive teams just got scarier. On defense, early in the offseason, Alex Pietrangelo announced that he will be stepping away due to health issues. He logged more ice time than any other Knight last season, and his absence should be substantial.

Kraken impact: Vegas will still be Vegas, annoyingly good. Seattle will face them four times this year (up from three last season), so buckle up.

How the Pacific Division stacks up

So, there you have it. The Ducks got more dangerous, the Flames stayed quiet, the Oilers are dealing with big question marks, the Kings doubled down on vets, the Sharks are slowly climbing, the Canucks could slip, and Vegas just keeps flexing. For the Kraken, it means the path to the playoffs won’t be easy; too many rivals either held steady or improved.

But hockey’s funny that way. Seasons don’t play out on paper, and if Seattle can clean up its own micro-issues (yes, trailing first and back-to-backs, I’m looking at you), they can hang around in the mix. At the very least, it should make for a wild Pacific Division ride.