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Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Blueliner Kesselring Has Great Opportunity To Prove Himself In First Year As A Sabre

Michael Kesselring (Steven Bisig, USA TODAY Images)

The NHL’s 2025-26 season is nearly here, and here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re making our way through a player-by-player series that breaks down the expectations for every Sabres player this coming season. 

Each Sabres has a singular goal of getting Buffalo into the Stanley Cup playoffs, but as individuals, every Sabres player has their own distinct expectations. 

That said, we’ve been through Buffalo’s goaltenders and their top defensemen. And in this file, we’re turning the spotlight on a blueliner the Sabres acquired this summer in the trade that sent winger J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth – defenseman Michael Kesselring.

Player Name: Michael Kesselring

Position: Defenseman

Age: 25

2024-25 Key Statistics: 82 games, 22 assists, 29 points, 17:41 average time-on-ice

2025-26 Salary: $1.4-million

2025-26 Expectations: Given Buffalo’s depth on its back end, Kesselring isn’t coming to start his season expecting to be a top-four D-man – at least, not one right away.

Kesselring’s big body – he’s 6-foot-4 – and promise of growing his game (he’s got only one full NHL season under his belt) are what appealed to Sabres GM Kevyn Adams when he acquired Kesselring for Peterka. 

However, judging Kesselring against what Peterka will do for the Mammoth is unfair to Kesselring. He needs to be judged on his own merits, and that means giving him some patience to develop on his own timeline.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: D-Man Byram Has New Contract, Heightened Bar To ClearSabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: D-Man Byram Has New Contract, Heightened Bar To ClearThe expectations on every one of the Buffalo Sabres' players are all about getting this team into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But other than that, the expectations change from player-to-player. And to that end, THN.com's Sabres site is breaking down the expectations on each and every Buffalo player this coming season.

At some point in the season, Kesselring will almost assuredly get a long look on Buffalo’s second pairing. You can only stress-test someone in stressful situations, and given that the Sabres will need to give Kesselring a raise when he becomes an RFA at the end of next season, Buffalo management will have to see exactly the type of talent they’ve got in Kesselring.

Kesselring’s physical stature and ability to chip in with an assist here or there will endear him to Sabres coach Lindy Ruff – but from there, Kesselring has to show he’s got more in his bag of tricks than that. 

Because for the short-term, at least, he’s going to be a member of Buffalo’s top-six defenders, and Sabres management should be bringing him along slowly.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Blueliner Power Needs To Elevate His GameSabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Blueliner Power Needs To Elevate His GameThe NHL’s 2025-26 season is only a handful of weeks away, and here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve started a player-by-player series that analyzes each Sabre this past season and their probable contributions next year. 

There’s still some ceiling to Kesselring’s game, but the Sabres need him to produce more than what he’s shown thus far. He’s not going to be an all-star at the NHL level, but Buffalo brass saw something in him, and now he needs to reward their interest in him by thriving as a Sabre.

The Mammoth clearly were prepared to part ways with Kesselring, but he’s got a clean slate – and the way he responds to his new environment will dictate the opportunities (and the money) he’s going to get.

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Venus Williams claims first US Open doubles win since 2014 with Leylah Fernandez

  • Williams wins first women’s doubles in decade

  • Partners with Fernandez to stun No 6 seeds

  • Raucous crowd backs 45-year-old on Armstrong

Venus Williams insists she is not a good doubles player. The 14 major championships she and Serena won together tell a different story.

Without her younger sister by her side, Williams showed Thursday she’s still got it. Williams won a women’s doubles match at the US Open for the first time in more than a decade, teaming with Leylah Fernandez to defeat the sixth-seeded pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez 7-6 (4), 6-3.

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Ryan Helsley working to fix pitch tipping, help Mets solidify bullpen

Earlier this week, the Mets were hinting at Ryan Helsley potentially tipping his pitches, but the veteran right-hander fully believes that's the cause of his issues since arriving in Queens.

“I’m not trying to sound arrogant or anything, but I feel like my stuff’s too good to get hit around as consistently as it has since I’ve been here,” Helsley told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. “We’ve played mostly teams in the hunt, and a lot of teams nowadays will have guys who look specifically for those things. It’s pretty glaring and obvious when I’m doing it.” 

After a few good outings since being traded to the Mets at the trade deadline, the 31-year-old has struggled mightily. In just his last five outings, he's allowed seven runs across 3.2 innings. His last appearance, Tuesday against the Phillies, saw Helsley allow the tying runs in the eighth inning, and he could only get one out.

That outing prompted manager Carlos Mendoza to intimate that teams have a tell on Helsley. 

"Too good of a stuff for them to be taking some really good swings on fastballs, get really good takes on sliders. We got to look back and see what we’re missing," Mendoza said at the time. "For teams to have comfortable at-bats like that, something is going on here. We have to figure it out."

“A hundred’s not going to play the same when guys know it’s coming,” Helsley said.

Helsley told Will Sammon of The Athletic that this isn't the first time he's battled tipping issues. When he was with the Cardinals last season, he ran into some trouble with it, especially against the Cubs. And he actually knows what the problem is, but fixing it won't be easy. 

He said the tip is a subconscious habit and he can correct it in bullpen sessions, but it hasn't yet translated to the mound consistently, especially with the pitch clock and being unable to step off.

“I think I know how to fix it," Helsley told The Athletic. "So it’s just being able to enforce that and that being my mental norm versus what I was doing to get my body to accept that and reinforce that.”

Entering Thursday's series opener against the Marlins, Helsley has pitched to a 10.38 ERA. He allowed only 12 runs in 36 appearances (36 innings) with the Cardinals this season, but has allowed 14 runs (10 earned) in 11 games (8.2 innings) with the Mets. The apparent pitch tipping issues and his own command problems have compounded what has been a tough stint with the Mets, but he hopes it's only a matter of time before he can be effective again.

“My stuff is as good as it’s ever been on paper,” Helsley said. “It’s kind of an anomaly and weird in itself because as a pitcher, when you feel locked in and you feel great, you expect to put up good numbers. Obviously, I came here to try to help the team win but I haven’t done that yet. So that part stinks. But I’m trying to get this locked in and be someone who can help.”

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Former Angels slugger Mark Teixeira announces congressional campaign in Texas

BOSTON - JULY 30: Mark Teixeira #25 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim singles.
Mark Teixeira, who batted .358 with the Angels in 2008, is running for Congress in Texas. (Jim Rogash / Getty Images)

Slide over, Steve Garvey. It appears another former Major League Baseball slugger with Southland ties will run for political office.

Mark Teixeira, who batted a robust .358 in a two-month stint with the Angels in 2008 before signing a longterm lucrative contract with the New York Yankees, announced his campaign for Texas' 21st Congressional District in the U.S. House on Wednesday.

Teixeira, an avowed conservative who has lived in or near Dallas much of his adult life, said he is "ready to help defend President Trump’s America First agenda, Texas families, and individual liberty."

Garvey is also a Republican, and he lost in a landslide to Democrat Adam Schiff for California's open seat in the U.S. Senate last November. Despite being a beloved former Dodgers great, Garvey, 75, held few public events and struggled to gain traction with voters in a state that has not elected a Republican to statewide office in nearly two decades.

Read more:Shaikin: How Shohei Ohtani turned the Dodgers into a global entertainment gateway

Unlike Garvey, Teixeira, 45, is running in a heavily Republican district that Chip Roy won by 26% of the vote in November. Teixeira's announcement follows Roy’s decision not to seek re-election because he is running for the office of the Texas Attorney General.

Teixeira, a former first baseman, played 14 seasons for four MLB teams — the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Angels and Yankees. He retired after the 2016 season with 409 career home runs.

The Angels acquired him from the Braves in a trade late in the 2008 season, and he helped them to the only 100-win season in franchise history by hitting 13 home runs and driving in 43 runs while batting .358 in 54 games.

Teixeira also performed well in the American League Division Series, batting .467 with a .550 on-base percentage, although the Angels fell in four games to the Boston Red Sox. He was a free agent after the season and Angels owner Arte Moreno offered him $160 million over eight years before retracting the offer two weeks later.

Several other teams made similar if not more lucrative offers, and Teixeira signed with the Yankees for $180 million over eight years. The slugging switch-hitter helped New York to the 2009 World Series championship, leading the AL with 39 homers and 122 runs batted in.

Read more:Lakers brass shows up at EuroBasket 2025 in Poland, watch Luka Doncic's Slovenia team lose

The Yankees defeated the Angels in the AL Championship Series before beating the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. The following season, Teixeira spoke highly of the Angels despite leaving Anaheim for the greener pastures of New York.

“I hope there are no hard feelings between Arte and myself,” Teixeira told The Times' Mike DiGiovanna. “I loved that organization. Arte, [Manager Mike] Scioscia, it’s first class, top to bottom. But your wife and kids being happy is more important than your personal desires.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Yankees Notes: Jonathan Loáisiga to miss rest of season, Ryan Yarbrough to work out of bullpen

Yankees reliever Jonathan Loáisiga will not pitch for the rest of the season due to right flexor strain, manager Aaron Boone announced ahead of Thursday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox.

The right-handed veteran underwent tests last week after reporting soreness in his right elbow/triceps area, and the injury will end his season. However, as of now, the team is hopeful he will not need any surgery or procedure. The Yanks hold a club option for the 2026 season for the 30-year-old.

Loáisiga's arm issue came two days after he began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while dealing with back stiffness that sent him to the IL on Aug. 3. 

Injuries have been a big issue for the righty of late, as the same injury limited him to just three games during the 2024 season. An elbow procedure this past March kept him out of action this year until May, and the back issue landed him on the IL earlier this month.

In all, he made 30 appearances out of the Yanks' bullpen this season and pitched to a 4.25 ERA and 1.483 WHIP, surrendering 15 runs (14 earned) on 34 hits and 10 walks with 25 strikeouts. 

Ryan Yarbrough out of the bullpen

Yarbrough, who has been out since mid-June with a right oblique issue, is set to return to the active roster, and the plan is to use the left-hander out of the bullpen, Boone said Thursday.

In his last outing at Triple-A, he pitched 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk with six strikeouts. In three appearances with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Yarbrough has pitched to a 4.09 ERA and 0.909 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 11 innings.

The 33-year-old made 16 appearances (eight starts), pitching to a 3.90 ERA and 1.175 WHIP in 55.1 innings with 49 strikeouts to 17 walks at the big-league level this season. Opponent batters have had slightly better luck against him when he came on in relief, as Yarbrough's allowed a .720 OPS in 65 plate appearances out of the bullpen, compared to a .691 OPS in 161 times up as the starter.

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Sabres Notes: Thompson, Tuch Attend USA Camp, EA Sports Ratings

With the month of September beginning next Monday, Buffalo Sabres training camp is fast approaching. The club will host their Prospect Challenge with youngsters from the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets starting on Thursday, September 11. The NHL is holding media events in Italy to promote the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, and Team Canada and Team USA are holding their orientation camps in preparation for next February.

While no current Sabres are at Canada’s camp in Calgary, AB, Buffalo forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch are in attendance at USA’s camp in Plymouth, Michigan. Tuch in spite of his two-way ability is a long shot, but Thompson, who was a late injury replacement for the Americans at the NHL Four Nations Face-Off last February, finished with last season with 44 goals, and scored the tournament-winning overtime goal at the World Championships. His versatility of being able to play both center and wing may give him the inside track on a roster spot. 

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In news more focused towards gamers, the ratings for EA Sports NHL 26 were revealed in advance of the game’s release next week, and Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin received the highest team rating of 92, good for 22nd overall in the NHL. 

Thompson and Tuch were the only other Buffalo players ranked in the top 100, with Thompson 51st overall at a rating of 89, and Tuch 99th with a rating of 87. Defenseman Owen Power (86), Bowen Byram (85), and center Josh Norris (85) were in the top 200, while new Sabre defenseman Michael Kesselring (84), center Ryan McLeod (84), goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (84), and winger Jason Zucker (83) completed the club’s top 10.  

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Axel Sandin-Pellikka Can’t Contain Excitement For Red Wings Training Camp

The Detroit Red Wings are hoping for big things from defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, whom GM Steve Yzerman named the club's Round 1 draft selection in 2023. 

Sandin-Pellikka has already gotten some valuable experience of playing professional hockey in North America, as he joined Detroit's American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins for the tail-end of their regular season schedule and three postseason games. 

While he's likely to begin the 2025-26 NHL season with the Griffins, he's still going to be with the Red Wings at Training Camp in Traverse City, Mich. next month beginning Sept. 18. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

To say that Sandin-Pellikka is looking forward to it would be an understatement. 

"I’m f****** excited for the chance to experience the dream I’ve had since I was fourteen years old," he explained to Gunnar Nordstrom of Swedish website Expressen.

That about says it all, doesn't it? 

Could Axel Sandin-Pellikka Make Red Wings Main Roster?Could Axel Sandin-Pellikka Make Red Wings Main Roster?Red Wings fans anxiously await the arrival of high-end prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka on the main roster

The offensive-minded Swedish defenseman, who has drawn comparisons to Colorado Avalanche defenseman and former Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Cale Makar, will have every opportunity to make the club out of Training Camp in the words of Yzerman. 

“I guess we'll wait and see," Yzerman explained in early July following Red Wings Development Camp. "I’m not going to rule out any player coming in and being so good in camp that we’re going to keep him and see how he does in the NHL. The preseason games are tricky in that like a lot of the veterans are playing (the games) because they know they need to play them, but it’s not the intensity and the pace of a regular-season game." 

"And sometimes depending on who’s in the lineup, you’re not necessarily playing against NHL players. So, it can be misleading, both good and bad. I can answer that question better at the end of training camp.”

Sandin-Pellikka tallied 12 goals with 17 assists in Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League prior to traveling to North America to join the Griffins. 

If he can impress the Red Wings’ brass during Training Camp and preseason play, he could follow in the footsteps of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, both of whom earned roster spots after their first camp with the club in 2021. 

Training Camp begins on Sept. 18, followed by the annual Red & White Game on Sept. 22. The Red Wings then open their pre-season schedule against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena on Sept. 23. 

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Kyle Schwarber's historic night powers Phillies to 19-4 drubbing of Braves

Kyle Schwarber's historic night powers Phillies to 19-4 drubbing of Braves originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

As Kyle Schwarber goes, the Phillies go.

That’s been the case all season, as Schwarber’s historic production has lifted the Phillies to the top of the NL East standings.

It was certainly the case on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Schwarber became just the 21st player in baseball history to hit four home runs in one game as the Phillies clobbered the visiting Braves 19-4 to begin this four-game series.

Let’s run through the superlatives for Schwarber.

It was just the fourth four-home run game in the Phillies’ 143-year history. Schwarber joins Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt, Chuck Klein and Ed Delahanty.

He now has 49 home runs this season, a new career-high. Those 49 homers are the second most in a single-season in franchise history. Only Ryan Howard has more (58 home runs in 2006). Schwarber is on pace for 59 home runs this season.

Schwarber’s nine RBI on Thursday are the most ever by a Phillie in a single game. He raised his season total to 119, the most in baseball. He trails only the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh (50) in home runs.

The MVP chants aren’t going away any time soon.

“It was pretty cool,” Schwarber said in the understatement of the evening. “To go out there and do that… it was a fun night, great atmosphere. Wouldn’t want to do it with a better group of guys than we have here.”

Schwarber rode a 0-for-20 skid into this series opener against Atlanta. He was front and center in the Phillies’ offensive frustrations at Citi Field earlier this week.

Schwarber struggles, the Phillies struggle.  

Schwarber erupts, the Phillies erupt.

He got the home team on the board in the first inning with a 450-foot solo shot to the second deck in right field. Schwarber’s second homer of the night came during the Phillies’ six-run fourth inning, a towering 2-run blast tucked inside the right field foul pole. He secured the hat trick with a three-run home run to left center field in the 6th inning. Then with 41,000 plus on their feet in the seventh inning, Schwarber delivered a line drive to the rightfield seats.

“It just happened to cooperate,” Schwarber said. “I got some pitches, put some good swings on it and that was the result. It’s fun, it’s exciting. You can’t expect that you’re going to go up there and hit a home run every time, right? That’s not the game. You just got to be able to go back and you got another game tomorrow and stay with your same approach.”

The only real disappointment on this night was the fact that Schwarber didn’t get number five in the eighth inning. With Braves infielder Vidal Brujan pitching, Schwarber flew out to shallow left field. He left the field to a standing ovation.

“You have the opportunity for a fifth one and I stink against a position player,” Schwarber said. “I was in the cage (indoor batting cage) and I asked ‘how many guys have hit five?’ and no one said anything and I was like ‘well ok that answers that question’. I have a mental block somewhere in my head that I’m not very good against a position player.”

“I thought he was going to do it,” Rob Thomson said of Schwarber’s attempt at a fifth home run. “I really did. There was no doubt in my mind… You know it’s one of those things. He’s in a groove right now, tonight anyway. It was good to see, because we needed it.”

Schmidt was the most recent Phillie to hit four home runs in a game, accomplishing the feat at Wrigley Field in 1976.

“Let me say this about Kyle Schwarber,” Schmidt said Thursday night in a phone interview with Michael Barkann and Ricky Bottalico during Phillies Postgame Live. “He’s one of the best hitters in the league, he has great mechanics. He has a great attitude, the team loves him. If I had to pick any swing to have it would be Kyle’s… he’s on his way to a MVP for sure.”

Schwarber accounted for four of the Phillies’ franchise-record seven home runs on the night. Bryce Harper (22nd of the year), J.T. Realmuto (11) and Max Kepler (14) also got in on the act. Harrison Bader finished a home run shy of the cycle, going 4-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored.

The Phillies scored a season-best 19 runs on 20 hits, 11 of which went for extra bases. They feasted on Braves starter Cal Quantrill early and often, tagging him for nine runs in three and one-third innings. Quantrill now has a 15.55 ERA in three starts against the Phillies this season.

The blowout win over Atlanta coupled with the Mets’ loss to the Marlins increased the Phillies’ lead over New York in the NL East to five games.

Thomson is proud of the way his club responded after being swept by the Mets.

“A huge character win,” Thomson said. “The radio stations were wanting fans to boo us and all that stuff. But that’s alright… You got to grind through it. You got to make your own breaks. You got to just fight… They’ve been through this before. They’ve been through 162-game schedules and the ups and downs of it and they just keep moving forward.”

The night started ominously, with Aaron Nola surrendering three runs on three hits and two walks in the first inning. But after putting the Phillies in that early 3-0 hole, Nola settled down in a big way. He limited the Braves to one hit over his final five innings of work. After taking 37 pitches to get through the first inning, Nola needed just 58 pitches to cover innings two through six.

“I was just trying to really, really get in the zone,” Nola said of his turnaround after the first inning. “Really needed to focus on getting that leadoff guy out and trying to make my pitches. My command wasn’t really there tonight. But after that first (inning) I got some quick outs which helped.”

Nola allowed four earned runs in six innings in his third start since returning from a three-month stint on the injured list.

He had four strikeouts on the night, raising his career total to 1,845. He passed Cole Hamels to move into third place on the Phillies career strikeout list, trailing only Steve Carlton (3,031) and Robin Roberts (1,871).

Not bad company for the longest-tenured Phillie, who was asked if he considers himself one of the best pitchers in franchise history.

“Oh gosh, no,” Nola said. “I mean there’s been some really, really great pitchers to come through here. I just want to keep making starts and have good years and be healthy and put the team in a good chance to win every time I’m out there.”

The Phillies offense didn’t waste any time picking Nola up, scoring five runs against Quantrill in the first inning. They added a run in the third before putting the game out of reach with six runs in the fourth.

It was a team effort for the Phillies bats. Every starter had at least one hit by the fourth inning. But just as it’s been all season – one hitter stood apart from the rest.

Schwarber’s historic power display won’t soon be forgotten.  

“It was amazing,” Nola said of Schwarber’s performance. “The guy is awesome. I don’t know what else to say. The guy is having a year for the ages. It’s awesome to watch. He’s such a hard worker, a great teammate, a great guy. For him to do something like that, especially at home too, it’s special.”

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Tim Legler replaces Doris Burke on ESPN's lead NBA team; Burke inks contract extension

Left, fomer NBA player Tim Legler and right, Doris Burke.
Tim Legler, left, will replace Doris Burke as an analyst on ESPN/ABC's lead NBA broadcast team. Burke will remain with the network after signing a multi-year extension and will call a full slate of games, ESPN said in a press release. (Getty Images; Associated Press)

ESPN announced some changes Thursday for its NBA broadcast teams going into the 2025-26 season — among them, a promotion for Tim Legler and a contract extension (but also a demotion) for Doris Burke.

Legler will join the network's lead NBA crew, which also includes play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, fellow analyst Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters.

That team will call the 2026 NBA Finals on ABC, as well as the conference finals, several first- and second-round playoff games, a Christmas Day game and NBA Saturday Primetime games on ABC.

Legler is a former NBA journeyman who won the league's three-point shooting contest during the 1996 All-Star festivities. He retired as a player in 2000 and joined ESPN as an analyst the same year.

Read more:'Stupid idea'? Charles Barkley says 'Inside the NBA' hosts may have another show on TNT

ESPN did not provide details on Burke's contract extension, other than to say it is for multiple years. According to a press release, Burke will call "full slates of games throughout the regular season and the NBA playoffs" on ESPN and ABC with play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch.

Burke has been with ESPN since 1991 and joined the network's lead NBA broadcast team in 2023. When she called the 2024 NBA Finals, she became the first woman to serve as a TV game analyst for a championship-round game in one of the four major professional U.S. men's sports leagues.

In 2018, Burke received the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award for outstanding contributions to basketball.

Read more:Plaschke: 'It’s over.' Bidding farewell to ESPN's 'Around the Horn' with gratitude

The news that Burke's future with the lead NBA team was up in the air was first reported by The Athletic in June ahead of the 2025 Finals. Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle spoke in support of Burke during his news conference before Game 1.

“She’s changed the game for women in broadcasting,” Carlisle said. “Doris is a great example of courage and putting herself out there."

Also on Thursday, ESPN announced a multi-year extension for Jefferson, who has been with the network since 2019 and called his first NBA Finals this year.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Predicting The NHL's Pacific Division Rankings In 2025-26

As we approach September, it’s a great time to post some predictions for the 2025-26 NHL season. 

Below, you’ll see this writer’s rankings of an NHL division, the picks made in The Hockey News’ Yearbook & Fantasy Guide 2025 and BetMGM's odds of each team winning the division. We will not only argue for the rankings we made but also acknowledge why we might be wrong about each team.

Today, we’re starting the predictions series with a look at the Pacific Division.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 2nd
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 2.50 (+150)

Why I've Ranked Them First: The addition of former Toronto Maple Leafs star right winger Mitch Marner was the biggest coup of the summer, and Vegas now has one of the best playmakers on the planet. Only two teams finished higher than Vegas in our NHL summer splash rankings, and the Golden Knights once again have a stacked roster that can excel at both ends of the ice.

Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon pushed in all his chips to bring Marner aboard, and the Golden Knights – who finished first in the Pacific last season – are primed to be an even better offensive force and emerge as one of the deepest teams in the NHL.

Why I Could Be Wrong: To afford Marner’s $12-million cap hit, the Golden Knights had to move out a couple of solid foot soldiers in center Nicolas Roy and defenseman Nicolas Hague.

But the biggest blow is losing star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who’s stepping aside indefinitely, potentially permanently, due to injury issues. The Golden Knights’ depth on ‘D’ is not as impressive as it used to be, and that could have an impact on the performance of starting goalie Adin Hill. While we’re all but certain Vegas will be a playoff team next season, they could slip down the ranks of the Pacific and be overtaken by teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

2. Edmonton Oilers

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 1st
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 2.70 (+170)  

Why I've Ranked Them Second: The Oilers proved to be the best team in the Pacific last season – at least, in the playoffs. 

In the regular season, Edmonton finished third in the Pacific, behind the Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. So to argue the Oilers will make that jump to the top spot in the Pacific felt like too big a stretch from this writer’s perspective. 

Edmonton has undergone some significant roster turnover, losing veteran wingers Connor Brown, Evander Kane and Corey Perry, among others. To replace them, they’ve turned to young players, such as left winger Isaac Howard and center Matthew Savoie, but they also added Andrew Mangiapane and European free-agent David Tomasek as well. Those changes could lead to the Oilers rising higher in the Pacific standings, but it may take time for the younger players to get settled in. 

Why I Could Be Wrong: The Oilers played as well as they did despite a (relative) down season from superstar center Connor McDavid. Similarly, star left winger Zach Hyman’s goal total fell to half of what he produced two seasons ago. Getting bounce-back years from those two could elevate Edmonton to the top spot in the Pacific.

The rookies and additions could ratchet up the energy levels for this Edmonton team. The Oilers are a virtual lock to get home-ice advantage, but where they finish specifically could be a coin flip.

Oilers' Connor McDavid Has An Easy Way To Avoid DistractionsOilers' Connor McDavid Has An Easy Way To Avoid DistractionsThe NHL’s biggest superstar, Connor McDavid, isn’t rushing to re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers.

3. Vancouver Canucks

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 4th
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 16.00 (+1,500)  

Why I've Ranked Them Third: After winning the Pacific in 2023-24, a lot went wrong for the Canucks last season. There was a reported feud between star center Elias Pettersson and center J.T. Miller, injuries to star players, such as defenseman Quinn Hughes, goalie Thatcher Demko and Pettersson, and inconsistent play from the rest of the roster. Most, if not all, of those situations have been addressed this summer.

The Canucks acquired Kane from the Oilers, but otherwise, their roster is largely the same as the one in the spring.

While the yearbook has the Canucks finishing fourth in the Pacific – and out of a playoff spot – we feel like a bounce-back year is coming for them. If they can get anywhere close to their level of two years ago, Vancouver can not only be a playoff team but leapfrog the wild-card spots.

Why I Could Be Wrong: The Canucks lost coach Rick Tocchet just a year after he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s best bench boss. That’s not a positive sign for Vancouver. 

Meanwhile, the play of Demko when he was healthy, including an .889 save percentage, was nothing to write home about. 

The Canucks may not rise as high as we envision, but Vancouver missing the playoffs for two straight years would be inexcusable..

4. Los Angeles Kings

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 3rd
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 5.00 (+400)  

Why I've Ranked Them Fourth: Few teams made as many moves as the Kings did this summer.

They hired GM Ken Holland, who reshaped their roster with a slew of signings, including Perry, right winger Joel Armia, veteran defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin and goalie Anton Forsberg. Their biggest departure was defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who went to the New York Rangers.

While Holland changed things around the edges of his roster, we now see the Kings as now being less than the sum of their parts. 

They look more like a wild-card team. That’s a step back for L.A., as the Kings finished second in the Pacific last season. There’s still lots to like about them, but they may have bigger, foundational questions to ask themselves next summer if they do as we expect. 

Why I Could Be Wrong: Holland has earned his reputation as an above-average team-builder – he was part of the Oilers’ more recent successes when he recently served as their GM – and if he’s done nothing else with this Kings roster, he’s added a bunch of experienced hands to handle the pressure to not only get into the playoffs but to actually win a round or two. That’s something Rob Blake, Holland’s predecessor as Kings GM failed to do – once they do get into the post-season.

Either way, there’s next-to-no-chance L.A. misses the playoffs next season. There’s too much talent on the roster for that.

5. Anaheim Ducks

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 5th
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 36.00 (+3,500)  

Why I've Ranked Them Fifth: The Ducks won 35 games last season – their most since 2018-19. But for the seventh straight season, they missed the playoffs. 

While we do like the Ducks to improve on their sixth-place finish in 2024-25, it’s going to be especially difficult for them to unseat one of the teams we’ve put ahead of them in our projected Pacific standings.

Anaheim has a new coach in Joel Quenneville and new faces in left winger Chris Kreider and center Mikael Granlund. But if they’re going to climb up the Pacific standings, they’ll need their youngsters to do the heavy lifting. We can see that happening for the Ducks, but not to the degree that would make them a playoff team in ’25-26. 

The good news is they’re likely to keep getting better, but patience is a virtue for rebuilding teams, and Anaheim fans need to be patient for a bit longer as this Ducks team cements its identity.

Why I Could Be Wrong: With talent like right winger Troy Terry, center Leo Carlsson, left winger Cutter Gauthier, left winger Mason McTavish and defensemen Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, the Ducks have the foundation of a terrific team. And with young No. 1 goalie, Lukas Dostal, signed to a long-term contract extension, Anaheim could sneak up on opponents and find a way to squeeze into a post-season slot.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has painstakingly built his team’s lineup into a competitive one, so the days of Anaheim languishing at the bottom of the Pacific are almost certainly over.

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6. Seattle Kraken

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 7th
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 101.00 (+10,000)  

Why I've Ranked Them Sixth: The Kraken finished fourth in the Pacific in 2022-23, but they got progressively worse after that, finishing sixth and seventh in the division in the last two seasons. 

That is not a trend they wish to continue.

Seattle made major moves this summer, promoting former Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill to its GM role and replacing coach Dan Bylsma with former New York Islanders bench boss Lane Lambert.

Unfortunately for Lambert, the Kraken still have a dog’s breakfast of talent, with no truly generational players other than maybe center Matty Beniers. That’s going to keep them in the lower half of the Pacific for the time being, but we don’t see Seattle as a true bottom-feeder. 

The Kraken are still likely to be inconsistent, but as their younger players develop, they’re on the road to being an above-average team. They just won’t get there this season.

Why I Could Be Wrong: We’ve picked the Kraken to finish out of the playoff mix, but if the yearbook is correct, they’ll finish seventh again. To be fair, that is a possibility for a team that has too few needle-movers and too many middle-of-the-road players.

The Kraken are living in the shadow of another recent expansion team – the Golden Knights, which found a way to win a Stanley Cup and be a perennial mover-and-shaker. It hasn’t come nearly so quickly for the Kraken, and they may need another few years of no playoffs and high draft picks to set this team up for the long haul.

7. Calgary Flames

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 6th
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 36.00 (+3,500)  

Why I've Ranked Them Seventh: Calgary arguably overachieved last season. Even then, they finished fourth in the Pacific and out of a playoff spot. 

This summer, they added no one of significance while losing winger Anthony Mantha and goalie Dan Vladar. And we’re supposed to see the Flames as keeping up with the Joneses in the Pacific? Sorry, but we just don’t see it.

The Flames have potential trade chips – defenseman Rasmus Andersson chief among them – who can help out Calgary’s long-term potential by being traded this season. 

But in the short term, when you put the Flames’ roster alongside most other Pacific teams, it’s obvious that Calgary doesn’t have the depth or experience to be a true rival to the playoff contenders. That almost certainly makes them a reasonable candidate to plummet down the Pacific standings next year.

Why I Could Be Wrong: The Flames made the most of what they had last year. When you have proud veterans in the room, such as left winger Jonathan Huberdeau, center Nazem Kadri, captain Mikael Backlund and blueliner MacKenzie Weegar, you’re not going to be pure pushovers. 

So, could Calgary ride the performance of burgeoning star goalie Dustin Wolf to at least be in the conversation for a playoff berth in the West? Sure, we’re not ready to completely count them out.

8. San Jose Sharks

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 8th
BetMGM Pacific Division Winner Odds: 301.00 (+30,000)  

Why I've Ranked Them Eighth: There’s no doubt about where the Sharks will finish. 

San Jose was 24 points behind the seventh-place Kraken last year. That should tell you how far the Sharks have to go to get back to a respectable place in the standings.

Nevertheless, we like what San Jose GM Mike Grier has been doing. He’s building a reliable winner the most proven way – by being absolutely terrible for a long span and building through the draft. While it’s going to be another long season for the Sharks, in the macro picture, San Jose is well on its way to having the core components of a long-term winner.

Why I Could Be Wrong: Let’s be honest – we may be wrong about many of our predictions, but this Sharks prediction is nearly 100 percent guaranteed to be accurate. 

Even after San Jose made veteran additions, including defensemen Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy, the Sharks simply don’t have the type of proven needle-movers to stay out of the Pacific basement.

Three or four years from now, San Jose may be a first-rate Cup threat. But right now, the Sharks are nowhere near good enough to even dream about the playoffs.

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