The calendar has flipped to September.
Do you know what that means?
No, it's not time yet to crack out the singalongs to the Earth, Wind, and Fire song "September." That's for roughly 20 days from now. Or the associated meme of New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn recreating the dance on the sideline (and proceeding to lose that same game).
The fall Charlie Brown watchalongs can wait a little longer. Mariah Carey thawing? That's another question.
But even then, we play hockey this month!
And how better to celebrate the arrival of hockey season than to preview and predict how each division will shake out at season's end.
Let's start with the Pacific Division. Note that the teams are listed in order of projected finish.
San Jose Sharks
I know what some of you might be thinking.
Sure, the Sharks were in the playoff race for the vast majority of last season, but to go from being a borderline playoff team to division winners is a bit insane, no?
And you would make a good point. The Sharks might very well be a playoff team come April, but it is going to take a lot for them to overtake the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings in one fell swoop.
But let's remember: the Pacific Division was quite wide open last year and it could very well see some more change this season. At the same time, three of the last five Pacific Division winners didn't even make the playoffs during the previous campaign.
Oh, and Macklin Celebrini did just score 115 points during his sophomore season, becoming the second player in a decade to score at least 100 points in their second NHL campaign; the last player to do so was Connor McDavid in 2016-17. In doing so, Celebrini led the Sharks to their first winning record (39-35-8) since the 2018-19 season. He also just signed a massive contract extension, paying him $18.8 million per season for the next five years.
While Celebrini ended up scoring more than double the total points than the next-closest Shark (Will Smith scored 59 points during the 2025-26 season), the scoring depth issue is a simple one to solve. If Smith can get above 70 points and someone like Tyler Toffoli can step up and fill the hole left by William Eklund, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators, the Sharks will easily have one of the more dangerous offenses in the league. If everything goes right, the Sharks will be a top-ten offense at worst.
Defensively, Darnell Nurse should be a solid top-four defenseman even with the negative discourse surrounding his performance in Edmonton. Getting himself back to the 40+ point area will easily help the Sharks' blue-line scoring; a top-line pairing with Dmitry Orlov could easily be one of the more intriguing in the division.
The rest of the defense is a major question mark, though the Sharks have almost $3.5 million in cap space to trade for a middle-four defenseman. For now, Jacob Trouba could occupy a second-line pairing with another defenseman, while Sam Dickinson and Michael Kesselring could be a third-line pairing; putting the latter two together could push both to improve on their 2025-26 campaigns.
As I stated above, the Sharks should easily get into the playoffs and end their seven-year playoff drought. With Anaheim likely to fall out of the top-three, it seems the Sharks could also be poised to jump right up in their place.
Edmonton Oilers
The Mike Babcock Saga is back from its obligatory (two-and-a-half) summer break.
Don't worry fans. This time, instead of the mini-series/one-month run, you're in for a full eight-to-ten-month-long running of the hit soap opera!
Barring any midseason cancellations.
That said, the Oilers' free agent recruitment didn't seem to get too hampered by the scandalous and unpopular hiring. In comes Frederik Andersen for the veteran goaltending, Ryan Shea for the defensive depth and puck-moving (just look at those 29 assists and that +30 +/- rating last season!), and Mathieu Joseph for the quick down-ice attacks.
The problem? Injuries.
Yes, already.
Andersen is expected to be out until the end of October, while forward Matt Savoie is on the same timetable as the veteran netminder. Given that just six Oilers were healthy for all of last season, that's already a troubling setback.
While the Oilers are well prepared offensively to navigate Savoie's injury, Andersen is supported by Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi. One of those netminders hasn't had significant ice time in well over two years, while the other struggled mightily since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I'm sure you can guess who is who by now.
The good news for the Oilers is that they are being linked to Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck. They might not be the most likely destination (Buffalo was quite close to getting him in June), but Hellebuyck has indicated that he will waive his no-move clause for a wide variety of teams.
A trade package involving Levi and non-roster forward Viljami Marjala was recently pitched, though there are questions surrounding Winnipeg's willingness to use Levi as part of a tandem and how the Oilers address their own goalie depth issues beyond the end of Hellebuyck and Andersen's tenures in Edmonton.
We can talk more about the goaltending as the need arises.
But even with those issues in mind, the Oilers are still well-poised to outscore most of their issues in the goaltending department. That alone makes them a playoff team.
On top of that, the defense has improved slightly, and the team will have some cap space to improve the roster after moving Darnell Nurse.
I feel good about putting this Oilers team in second place in my projected Pacific Division, but there is room for the team to win the division outright.
Vegas Golden Knights
Here's a fun fact for you to consider.
The Golden Knights have made the Stanley Cup Final twice in their history.
The Golden Knights failed to get past the first round in the season after each of those Stanley Cup Final appearances. The first instance saw them blow a 3-1 series lead against the Sharks, while the second saw them blow a 2-0 series lead and lose in seven games to the Dallas Stars.
That in itself doesn't necessarily mean that the Golden Knights will make the playoffs and bow out as a first-round exit.
But if you look at the change that the organization has went through over the offseason, you have to wonder if it's at least possible.
After rescuing the Golden Knights from nearly falling out of the playoff picture and pushing them all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, John Tortorella stepped aside from the role of team head coach. In his place is Ryan Craig, who previously coached the team's AHL affiliate.
There was also the controversy surrounding their handling of former head coach Bruce Cassidy that looms over the club.
In terms of the roster, there's a good amount of turnover to discuss. Keegan Kolesar was traded to Detroit for a third and seventh-round draft pick, while Colton Sissons and Cole Smith left in free agency.
That said, the team was able to bring back defenseman Rasmus Andersson via contract extension and Victor Olofsson through free agency. On top of those moves, they added defenseman Ville Heinola from the Winnipeg Jets.
Another factor that could be instrumental in Vegas' success? Fatigue.
Though this might not be as big of a factor as it will be for this year's Carolina Hurricanes or last year's Oilers and Florida Panthers, Vegas has been to two of the last four Stanley Cup Finals. In between those two appearances is a trip to the second round of the postseason.
Expect a slight decline in Vegas' regular-season finish, but they should still be a top-three team in the Pacific.
Los Angeles Kings
The Peter Laviolette era is underway in Los Angeles.
And with that come a few big questions.
1. Can he get the best out of Quinton Byfield?
2. What's going on with Drew Doughty?
3. Can the offense come back to life?
The first and the third questions feel kind of intertwined. For one, Byfield is coming off of a 49-point season, down slightly from the 53 points he recorded during the 2024-25 campaign. In all fairness though, we can't get too mad at him for the decline; the entire Kings offense was either in a slump or injured last season, and Artemi Panarin's arrival only marginally stemmed that tide.
But this will be the first year of Panarin's new two-year deal, while Byfield still has three years left on his current contract. Panarin is now 34, and seven other members of the Kings' forward group are above the age of 30 and within three years of their current contract ending. That means Byfield is going to have to take that next step sooner rather than later or else risk his own spot in the franchise and the overall success of the team's roster revamp.
If Byfield gets above 50 points again, Panarin plays like his 120-point self once again (which came under Laviolette's leadership, and a few offensive contributors can step up, the Kings should be better than last year in terms of offense.
The second question isn't necessarily related to the team's success, but it could be a motivational factor. Defenseman Drew Doughty, the final player left from the 2014 Stanley Cup winning roster, is entering the final year of his contract. Given that his longtime teammate Anze Kopitar hung up the skates last spring, it's very possible that Doughty decides to do the same and let his contract expire as he heads into the sunset.
The Kings did well to make Kopitar's last year as positive as possible; even with the overtime results galore, that season still ended with a playoff appearance.
If the motivation of a longtime veteran retiring is to play a key role once again, it's very possible we see another effort from the Kings to get the most out of what could be Doughty's final season.
At worst, the Kings are a top-four team in the division. The quasi-familiarity on offense and any kind of improvement in that unit will easily help the Kings, and the goal of making Doughty's potential final season as strong as possible will motivate the entire roster to give that extra 10%.
Even though it remains to be seen if the Kings can make their way into the top-three, one should expect the Kings to extend their streak of playoff appearances to six seasons.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken might not be the ideal definition of a playoff team, but they are at least making an effort to be one.
Last offseason, they were in the race to sign Stars forward Jason Robertson, offering a package that included the seventh-overall pick to the Stars in exchange for the superstar. Both sides agreed to the terms of the trade, and the Kraken had a contract worth $15 million per season lined up for Robertson. However, Robertson ultimately declined the trade and ended up signing a one-year contract with Dallas to take him into the next offseason, when he hits unrestricted free agency.
Even though it didn't work out, you have to admire the effort from the Kraken.
And despite losing Jamie Oleksiak and Jaden Schwartz via free agency, they were able to acquire (and re-sign) forward Mackie Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers in what eventually led to the blockbuster trade that sent Brady Tkachuk south of the border. Samoskevich might be 22 years old, but he has been able to put two solid seasons together to start his NHL career, both of which saw him record more than 30 points.
Elsewhere, ex-Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann - who finished the 2025-26 campaign with 14 points in 18 games with the Kraken - will be entering his first full season in the Pacific Northwest. If he can continue his scoring pace from the end of last season, he will almost certainly find himself leading or atop the team in terms of scoring.
The rest of the forward group is quite solid; Matty Beniers is coming off his second-career 50-point season, and Kaapo Kahko had his best season since joining Seattle. Chandler Stephenson is also a big-name veteran, but it remains to be seen if he can reverse the gradual decline in point-scoring that has emerged since he won the Stanley Cup in 2023.
The team's defense is relatively intact from last season, though it feels like this is going to be more of a two-line defense than a deeper unit.
The same can be said for the goaltending. Phillip Grubauer is coming off of a solid 2025-26 campaign that saw him record a .909 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.65. That said, Joey Daccord needs to reverse a 2025-26 season that saw him concede just over three goals per game and post a mere .897 save percentage.
Even though they might not be the likeliest team to make the playoffs out of the Pacific, Kraken should once again find themselves in the middle of the divisional standings. They should easily be better than the Flames, Ducks, and Canucks, and there is always the chance that they pass Los Angeles should the Kings struggle under Laviolette. A winning record should also be on the books if everything clicks, but it remains to be seen if the Kraken are legitimate playoff contenders.
Calgary Flames
The last season of the Saddledome might not include playoff hockey, but the Flames will certainly do well to send it off with some competitive hockey.
At the very least, the Saddledome is getting sent off with a sellout.
Even then, the Flames could very well be a competitive hockey team this season. Despite shrugging off the Nazem Kadri contract and moving MacKenzie Weegar at the deadline last year, the Flames are set for the future. Zayne Parekh might have missed much of last season due to injuries and World Juniors involvement, but he is set to play a full NHL campaign for the first time in his career. Simon Nemec is also set to inherit a role on the team's defense, having signed a five-year deal that keeps him in Calgary following his involvement in an offseason trade from the New Jersey Devils.
The Flames defense will still consist of ex-Golden Knight Zach Whitecloud and others like Jacob Middleton, who was traded to the Flames by the Minnesota Wild. But it's not exactly a deep defense in terms of scoring, meaning that the offense will have to step up big time.
Said offense is, at best, patchwork. Morgan Frost is still a thing, having recorded 43 points in 82 games last year, and the young stars in Adam Klapka and Matvei Gridin will get playing time this year.
Alex Nylander could be a solid addition if he gets past his professional tryout. He's coming off a 53-point season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies while adding seven points as the Marlies went on to win the Calder Cup.
There is hope with the Jonathan Huberdeau deal ... uhhh never mind. He's still got six years left on his deal, $10.5 million owed annually, and a no-move clause that keeps him in control of his destiny.
And he's coming off a 25-point season? That's an anvil drop that not even Wile E. Coyote could see coming.
The one area of the game that the Flames should succeed at this year? The goaltending. No need to spend too much time discussing this, though it is worth noting that his numbers dipped from 2024-25 to 2025-26. Devin Cooley was solid in relief, going 10-10-6 in 26 starts while recording a 2.69 goals against average and a .909 save percentage.
The Flames won't necessarily be a playoff contender, but they won't be anywhere close to the NHL's basement as some people are projecting. I say they get above the 35-win threshold, but that will likely be their ceiling.
Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim, Anaheim, Anaheim.
Where do I even begin?
I will give you props for ending an eight-year playoff drought and upsetting the two-time Western Conference champions en route to a competitive series loss against the Golden Knights.
But that offseason? Oh boy.
Taking on what was once the most expensive contract in the league and losing half of the defensive corps really sounds like a team that wants to contend. And in all that, Cutter Gauthier is still a restricted free agent.
Let me extend on that. They lost Trouba to San Jose, John Carlson to Tampa Bay, Radko Gudas to Florida, and Olen Zellweger via trade to Buffalo.
They lost the equivalent of an entire group of top-four defensemen in one offseason.
Nick Jensen is a solid depth forward addition, and Nikita Klepov was a solid pick by the Ducks; Klepov was the top scorer during the 2025-26 OHL season, securing 97 points throughout the campaign. Add the two to an offense that still (luckily) has Leo Carlsson alongside others like Mikael Granlund and A.J. Greer; the latter is coming off of a 32-point season with the Florida Panthers.
The Ducks should still be somewhat competitive, especially given that the Pacific was just a complete disaster. But the only way I see the Ducks repeating what they did last season is if the offense constantly outscores the newfound defensive deficiencies and the team finds a way to either get Gauthier signed or use the $9 million in cap space appropriately.
Vancouver Canucks
I guess the only way to go for the Canucks is up?
The Canucks' offseason was one that made them look like a team that is rebuilding and one looking to get back to contention.
In came Brendan Gallagher and Jamie Oleksiak, all solid veterans still capable of being valuable depth pieces. But out went Nils Höglander, Marcus Petterson, and Teddy Blueger; the former two brought a third-round and conditional first-round pick back to the West Coast.
Vancouver also won big in the draft. They got Caleb Malhotra, the son of their new head coach Manny Malhotra, with the third pick, and they also got a solid forward in Adam Novotny with the ninth overall selection. I previously spoke quite highly of Novotny, specifically with regard to his skills on offense and his ability to play two-way hockey, and I stand by that praise.
Alongside Malhotra and Novotny, the 2026-27 season should see Braeden Cootes take that next step, while Linus Karlsson has a solid 35-point 2025-26 campaign to work with.
The Canucks might not be playoff-ready just yet, but they will be a fun team to watch. And they'll most certainly be far from the worst team in the league.
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