With under a month until the NHL trade deadline, what are the worries facing fans of the Canucks, Oilers, Flames, Kings and the rest of the Pacific Division? Stuart Skinner and Trevor Lewis [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA0MzIwMzk3MzQzMDczMzg2/usatsi_22496707_168400847_lowres.jpg] Stuart Skinner and Trevor Lewis If an alien came down to earth and turned on its TV for the first time on Super Bowl Sunday, it would have been quickly indoctrinated into the highs and lows of being a sports fan just from the 54 seconds that Kansas City Chiefs supporter Taylor Swift was on camera. For those of us who follow the NHL and other sports on a daily basis, Swift's wide range of emotions was both recognizable and relatable. And just like I covered in past stories on the Atlantic [https://thehockeynews.com/news/one-big-worry-for-fans-of-each-atlantic-division-nhl-team], Metropolitan [https://thehockeynews.com/news/one-big-worry-for-fans-of-each-metropolitan-division-nhl-team] and Central [https://thehockeynews.com/news/one-big-worry-for-fans-of-each-central-division-nhl-team] Divisions, fans of teams in the Pacific can still find causes for concern — even though some of these teams are among the league's top playoff contenders as we head into the trade deadline. Here's one big worry on the minds of every fan base out west: VANCOUVER CANUCKS Canucks fans aren’t accustomed to having so little to fret about, so the worry meter pinned after last week’s 4-0 loss to Boston — a score that mirrored the devastating Game 7 defeat in the 2011 Stanley Cup final. As is standard procedure this year, Vancouver bounced back and still has yet to lose three straight games all season. But one irksome trend is ongoing: surrendering early goals. The Canucks have given up the first goal in their last six games, twice while on the power play. The last three have all come within 1:08 of the opening puck drop. That's got to change. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS The stars aligned for Vegas last spring, thanks to good health throughout their lineup and Adin Hill riding in to save the day after Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit went down with injuries. This season, Vegas is once again reading from its usual injury-filled script. But things are trending in the right direction as playoff time approaches. Hill is back and has barely missed a beat, Shea Theodore is skating, and even Jack Eichel looks like he’s tracking for a return in March. Still, the fans worry. Can their team get healthy — and stay that way — as they aim to go back-to-back? EDMONTON OILERS The Oilers’ resurgence under coach Kris Knoblauch has been so dramatic that fans’ concerns about goaltending have been muted. Nobody seems too worried about the blueline these days, either. But after Edmonton’s 16-game winning streak ended with a 2-1 loss in Vegas and a 4-0 shutout defeat in Los Angeles, there is a question about whether the team has enough forward depth. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have continued to produce, but players like Connor Brown and Dylan Holloway have failed to move the offensive needle. If the Oilers do buy at the deadline, this could be the hole Ken Holland tries to fill. LOS ANGELES KINGS Will the new coach bump right the ship? The Los Angeles Kings were seen as serious contenders early in the season and certainly responded well in their first game after the all-star break. A shutout by David Rittich and star turns from Quinton Byfield and Pierre-Luc Dubois earned one-time Kings winger Jim Hiller his first career win as an NHL coach. Rittich now seems to be the main man in net despite Cam Talbot's All-Star Game appearance. Even after their rough patch, the Kings remain one of the league's best 5-on-5 possession teams. With games in hand on Nashville and Calgary, a playoff berth remains theirs to lose. CALGARY FLAMES The three trades new GM Craig Conroy has made since taking over can be considered sell-offs: Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm. But return pieces Yegor Sharangovich and now Andrei Kuzmenko have been effective, and Calgary's kids are also stepping up. As names such as Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin light up the trade-deadline rumor boards, the Flames were riding a four-game winning streak before Igor Shesterkin outduelled first star of the week Markstrom in a heated goaltending battle at MSG on Monday. Should the Flames consider hanging onto Markstrom and setting their sites on a possible Cinderella run? SEATTLE KRAKEN Was last season a mirage? After a 3-1 loss in New Jersey on Monday, the Kraken are six points shy of a playoff berth with 30 games to go. The biggest difference is their road record: Seattle stole wins last year, going 26-11-4 away from home. This season, they've already lost more road games, at 10-12-6. Joey Daccord has done his bit to stabilize Seattle's crease, but the balanced scoring that led to wins last season has sputtered. Ron Francis may need to cut his losses, try to recoup assets for his impending UFAs and rework his lineup again for next season. ANAHEIM DUCKS After a coaching change and investment in some quality veterans, are the Anaheim Ducks any better? Last season was their worst in franchise history: last place overall with 58 points and a points percentage of .354. This year’s .373 is second-worst and puts them on pace for 61 points. The prospect pool is deep, but the question now is which players will pan out and whether or not they’ll do it in Anaheim. Under Greg Cronin, Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry have taken steps backward and the organization has already cut bait with Jamie Drysdale. Do more departures lie ahead? SAN JOSE SHARKS The Sharks are battling it out with the Chicago Blackhawks for last place in the league. But is that enough for the hockey gods to bless them with a draft-lottery win and the chance to select Macklin Celebrini, who came up through the San Jose Jr. Sharks program? San Jose has never had a draft-lottery win and, in fact, has never picked first overall since joining the NHL in 1991. As they hurtle toward a fifth-straight year without playoffs, attendance has plummeted at the once-raucous Shark Tank. A lottery win and a Celebrini selection would provide much-needed hope to a group of once-passionate fans whose faith is wavering.
