How much did the Oilers tank in the latest Pacific Division Power Ranking?

Wow, who would have thought the Edmonton Oilers would embark on two slow starts to the season in as many years? But let’s not worry so much about how this team is starting because we also know what they’re capable of finishing with. 

Still, I’ll give you some foreshadowing and say that the rocky start to 2024-25 has kept them out of the top half of the Pacific Division Power Ranking. But how far did they fall before they hit a landing spot? 

8 - San Jose Sharks

Right now, it’s all about awaiting Macklin Celebrini’s return; then we can talk about putting them somewhere that isn’t in the basement of the Pacific Division, both in the standings and in these rankings. Worse yet, since that fun season-opener vs. the St. Louis Blues, it’s all been downhill for the Sharks. Maybe things will change later?

7 - Anaheim Ducks

Grit is one adjective I can use to describe the Anaheim Ducks early, but I also remember them enjoying a fine start to the season (7-4-0) last year before reality caught up with them. This season, they’ve been fun, but they also haven’t played enough yet for me to get too optimistic. 

6 - Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have just been flat to kick off the year, and right now, a pair of loser points plus a game in hand are keeping them ahead of the Oilers for now in the standings. But you can’t say the same for these rankings as the latter is overall the more complete team, they just need to find their rhythm. 

5 - Edmonton Oilers

I’m not losing faith in the Oilers after they won a pair of contests following an 0-3-0 start to the season with just 11 goals to show in their first five games. Give them another two weeks, and everything will start to even out. 

4 - Los Angeles Kings

I had half the mind to put the Oilers in fourth, as this is not a great LA Kings team. Going into the year, I knew their goaltending and defense were going to be weak, and so far, they haven’t disappointed me. But if they can figure things out without the puck, then we can start taking LA more seriously. 

3 - Vegas Golden Knights

This one was a toss-up between Vegas and the team I ranked second on the list, and the tiebreaker, for now, has been how each group fared recently. But after losing their last two games heading into Friday, the honor goes to the other team. 

2 - Seattle Kraken

This Seattle Kraken was either another year away from contention or closer than we thought. It’s still early, but following an iffy start to the season, a recent two-game winning streak has put the Kraken in second place in these rankings. 

1 - Calgary Flames

Well, I never would have thought this would happen a couple of weeks back, but here we are, talking about the Calgary Flames as the top team in the Pacific Division. Now, it’s still valid to ask whether they are legitimate or if reality will catch up to them. I’m thinking the latter, but for now, I’m going to have fun and rank them at No. 1.