The Edmonton Oilers need a rebound season. Their 2025-26 campaign was far from stellar, ending with a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks. That same Ducks team, along with several other strong Pacific Division rosters, will once again stand in Edmonton’s way as Connor McDavid and the Oilers look to rediscover the spark that appeared to be missing last season.

A strong record against the Pacific is often a good indicator of how well the Oilers will fare, even if McDavid called that particular division a "pillow fight" last season. Success in 2026-27 will come with a winning record against teams they're competing for points with. Every win means a swing in the standings. Every loss a step back. 

Can the Oilers really win the division this season? Where do they rank?

Seen as a strong roster with a promising outlook, the Ducks are not the same team they were last season. There's a solid chance they take a step backward, even if their star players improve. 

The team lost veterans Radko Gudas, John Carlson, and Jacob Trouba. They added Olen Zellweger in an attempt to fill holes. The team made an interesting signing when they inked forward A.J. Greer to a four-year deal worth $4.25 million per season. They also matched Leo Carlsson's massive offer sheet and are going to have to pay top dollar to keep Cutter Gauthier, meaning they'll have to trade one of Chris Kreider, Alex Killorn, or Frank Vatrano. They'll be without Troy Terry to start the season. 

Needless to say, there was significant roster turnover, budding cap issues, and they'll be relying on Jackson Lacombe, Beckett Sennecke, and their young studs to take massive steps. 

The Ducks will be solid, but as good as last season? That's questionable. 

Don't expect much from the Calgary Flames, even though the team appears to be slowly moving in the right direction. They offloaded a bunch of pieces in their rebuild efforts and their biggest addition this summer was Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils. 

The Flames aren't making the playoffs without some kind of miracle and while the Oilers should take any team lightly, matchups against the Flames should be seen as opportunities to pick up points. 

The Los Angeles Kings continue to get older and slower. They have a few offensive weapons in Artemi Panarin, Kevin Fiala, and Adrian Kempe. That said, Quinton Byfield still hasn't taken the next step, and outside of Brandt Clarke, their blue line has depth but is aging quickly. 

Again, the Oilers should pick up points against the Kings. The pieces they added in Mats Zuccarello, Corey Perry, Erik Haula, and Scott Laughton shouldn't be game-changers. 

The San Jose Sharks are a team to watch this season. They've got the league's best young star in Macklin Celebrini, some offensive depth around him, and a revamped blue line that could be pretty good. 

The pieces they added should make them stronger: Mason Marchment, Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, Michael Kesselring... each is more than serviceable and most are willing to play rough. 

This team is young and talented, with a mix of speed, grit, and skill. They'll be a handful for teams this season, including their Pacific Division opponents. 

It's difficult to assess where the Seattle Kraken will be this season. They could be decent and they could be terrible. They picked up Bobby McMann this past season, which was a nice get, but the rest of the roster is questionable and their top-end talent doesn't match up to the other elite stars in the division. 

They've got some offense from their blue and some guys who can score, but little in the way of game-breakers that will get you a point per game. This team just isn't on the same level as some of the better teams in the division. 

Like the Flames, the Vancouver Canucks are retooling/rebuilding. They've dumped many of their big name pieces, and this could be a long season for them. There's still some solid top-end talent who can produce offense when they're on: Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser are capable of big seasons. The rest of the roster is middle-tier depth that will struggle to keep the Canucks in games.

There just isn't enough on this Canucks roster to call them a contender. They're going to some serious organizational changes. 

The Vegas Golden Knights are always in the mix. They made a run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, and they'll be a playoff team again. Like the Oilers, they have high-end elite talent. They've got depth. Also like the Oilers, there are questions in goal, a new coach, and some changes that could impact their season. 

Any team that has Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Tomas Hertl, Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Rasmus Andersson, Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and more will be good. Are they going to be better than Edmonton? Perhaps, but I wouldn't say by much. 

Saving the Oilers for last, they'll be right in the mix again this season. Their elite talent is still the best in the NHL, and they got some supporting players who can play. There are goaltending questions and issues on the blue line, but not enough that they'll be concerned about making the playoffs. 

The coaching situation will either solidify this group or tear it apart. Their most notable roster changes include losing Darnell Nurse, Jack Roslovic, and Connor Ingram. Their additions include Ryan Shea, Frederik Andersen, Devon Levi, Shakir Mukamadullin, and Mathieu Joseph.  

The good news is that no team really stands out as a clear favorite over Edmonton. The Sharks, Ducks, and Golden Knights are the closest. None are heavy favorites. Some might be slightly worse.

The Oilers need to stay motivated and stay healthy. If they can do so, there's a legitimate chance they could win the division in 2026-27. 

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