This offseason has brought a steady stream of roster movement across the Pacific Division. Between an unusually high number of trades, a wave of early‑July free‑agent signings and a signed offer sheet that shook a franchise in Southern California, it’s been a little tricky to keep track of who’s coming, who’s going, and how each team’s depth chart is shaping up. So consider this a check‑in on where things stand to date: a snapshot of the roster changes across the division and how they shape the outlook for 2026‑27.
One quick note before we dive in. I’m not covering the Seattle Kraken here. Darren Brown already broke down the Kraken offseason in detail last week, and he covered all the important details and then some.
The player‑movement tables I’ve compiled are based strictly on end‑of‑season rosters and who is currently listed on each team’s NHL roster page from the media site. That means no projected rookies or expected call‑ups—so someone like Ivar Stenberg, who is almost certainly starting the season in San Jose, won’t appear in the Sharks’ table because he’s not officially listed yet.
For skaters, I included 2025‑26 games played, goals, and goals per game. For goalies, I listed games started, wins, and save percentage. As a reminder, teams generally ice a 20‑player roster: 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies. They can also carry up to three extras for a 23-man roster. Over last season’s 82 games, that translates to roughly 984 forward man‑games, 410 defense man‑games, and 82 goalie starts. It’s a useful barometer for understanding how “full” a roster is at the moment, and how much space remains. And yes, next season jumps to 84 games, but I’m not normalizing the numbers for simplicity’s sake.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks were one of the best stories in the league last season, making the playoffs and knocking off Edmonton in Round 1. With a young core finally materializing, the future looked bright. Then came the offseason.
First, Anaheim traded Olen Zellweger to Buffalo. Then, in a move that surprised a good chunk of the hockey world, they shipped out Mason McTavish, once considered a franchise pillar, to the St. Louis Blues for two first‑round picks. Whether that was cap‑driven or a shift in organizational philosophy, it’s a significant subtraction.
Then came the offer sheet saga. Philadelphia signed Leo Carlsson to an $18 million offer sheet. Feeling vulnerable to another offer sheet, the Ducks were forced to sign restricted free agent, Pavel Mintyukov, to a five-year $36 million contract that carries a $7.2M AAV.
They of course matched the Carlsson offer sheet, but the ripple effects are significant: the Ducks now have only $9 million in cap space to sign their remaining RFAs, including Cutter Gauthier, who scored 41 goals last season and will command north of $10 million. Someone will need to be moved.
On defense, Anaheim let Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Radko Gudas walk. None of those departures are catastrophic individually, but combined with the Zellweger trade, the blue line suddenly looks thin, and this was already a team that allowed the fourth‑most goals in the league.
I still like their forward group, and Beckett Sennecke feels poised for another step forward, but losing McTavish’s production and facing a looming cap crunch is tough.
Verdict: A step back feels likely. Without meaningful defensive improvement, they could miss the playoffs entirely.
Calgary Flames
We don’t need to spend much time here. Calgary’s notable moves were acquiring Simon Nemec from New Jersey and trading Blake Coleman (20 goals) to Minnesota. They were bad last season and probably got worse this offseason, but that’s intentional. The Flames are still waiting for their prospect pool to ripen.
Verdict: A bottom‑of‑the‑Pacific battle with Vancouver seems inevitable.
Edmonton Oilers
As long as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are on the roster, Edmonton will always be a fringe contender at worst. That’s just the reality.
This summer, they finally addressed their biggest weakness: goaltending. The Oilers signed 36‑year‑old Frederik Andersen, whose consistency has been… let’s call it “variable.” They also acquired Devon Levi and Connor Ingram, giving them a three‑deep safety net.
If Andersen plays anywhere close to “Playoff Freddy,” or if Levi or Ingram can deliver league‑average goaltending, Edmonton could be the team to beat in the Pacific.
Verdict: Still dangerous. Still flawed. Still a playoff team.
LA Kings
I didn’t think the Kings were very good last season, and I still don’t understand how they made the playoffs. With a full season of Artemi Panarin and a healthy Kevin Fiala, you can squint and see marginal improvement, but I’m not buying it.
Their current roster age is 30.3 years—oldest in the Pacific, fourth‑oldest in the league. They made no significant offseason changes.
Verdict: Regression feels inevitable. I will be a bit surprised if they return to the playoffs.
San Jose Sharks
A lot of people hated the Sharks’ offseason, especially the acquisitions of Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba. But here’s the thing: San Jose was electric last season because they didn’t play defense. They needed veteran stability, and Nurse plus Trouba gives them some of that.
The forward group will continue to evolve. Michael Misa should take another step, and Ivar Stenberg, this year’s No. 2 pick, is expected to play a full NHL season.
Verdict: Better next season, and potentially much better. A playoff spot feels likely.
Vancouver Canucks
The worst team in the league last season made no meaningful roster changes. Vancouver is still in full teardown mode, stockpiling prospects and waiting for the next wave.
Off the ice, they’re rebooting the front office and coaching staff. On the ice, they’ll have Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium via the Quinn Hughes trade, but neither is ready to move the needle.
Verdict: Still rebuilding. Still bottom‑tier.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas continues to Houdini their way through cap problems with ruthless roster management. They traded Pavel Dorofeyev (37 goals) and as of now, haven’t re‑signed Reilly Smith. Yes, they won the Pacific and reached the Stanley Cup Final, but they struggled through long stretches of last season.
I’m not writing them off (and never will again) but losing that much scoring is significant. Add in an aging core and recent injury history, the warning lights are blinking. But they’ve been blinking for years now.
Verdict: Still competitive, but the margin for error is shrinking.
Summary
At this point in the offseason, two Pacific Division teams feel meaningfully better: Edmonton and San Jose. The Oilers finally addressed their goaltending volatility with a trio of netminders, and the Sharks added the defensive stability they desperately needed while continuing to build out a young, dynamic forward core. Both clubs look like playoff teams on paper.
After that, things get murky. Anaheim’s cap crunch and blue‑line departures introduce real volatility. Vegas lost a pile of goals and hasn’t replaced them. LA is older, stagnant, and trending the wrong direction. Calgary and Vancouver are still in the “collect prospects, endure pain” phase of their rebuilds. Seattle is likely in the middle of this group somewhere.
So the race for the final one or two Pacific playoff spots is wide open. No team has clearly separated itself through its offseason moves, and several have taken small steps backward. That creates a division where injuries, chemistry, and who might step up may matter more than any remaining transaction.
The door is open for a surprise. The question is who might grab that opportunity?