NHL division previews: 2017-18 Pacific Division

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In the final installment of the NHL division previews we will be taking a look at the 2017-18 Pacific Division. There’s a tight race at the top of the division, and a sharp drop off at the bottom.

The division previews are coming to an end, and here is the preview of the 2017-18 Pacific Division. At the top, you have a tight race between Edmonton, Anaheim, San Jose and possibly even Los Angeles, but after that, there isn’t a ton to talk about.

With all due respect to the Calgary Flames, who are primed for a drop in production and will likely be competing for the middle of the pack, they aren’t contenders for the division title. After them, there are three teams that could be occupying the bottom five or six spots in the league.

Let’s get into it.

LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 01: Head coach Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights handles bench duties during the team’s preseason game against the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. San Jose won 5-3. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

8th in 2017-18 Pacific Division – Vegas Golden Knights

It should come as no surprise to see the Golden Knights sitting here. You can’t expect much from an expansion team, and the expectations are surely being tempered. While they won’t be a garbage fire, they won’t be ruffling any feathers either.

They have a few players up front that could have decent seasons accompanied by a few names looking to revive their careers. The mixture of new faces and players hungry to prove themselves will make for some fun hockey to watch, even despite the fact that they’ll be fighting not to finish dead last in the league.

Leading the way offensively are names like Vadim Shipachyov, who many are excited to see how he can transition to North American hockey, and others like Jonathan Marchessault, Cody Eakin, William Karlsson, James Neal and David Perron. They all bring something different to the table, but it’s hard to say any one of them is a true top six guy consistently.

On defense is where it starts to get a little bit sketchy. While the numbers show that Nate Schmidt had a solid season last year, his 1.043 PDO leads us to believe that it’s not entirely sustainable. He’s followed up by Brayden McNabb, Colin Miller and Shea Theodore in the top four.

Theodore has promise, and the other two are serviceable, but it’s just not going to be a very strong defensive corps in their first season. Expect the Golden Knights to be sitting well within the bottom third of goals allowed at the end of the season.

The goalie situation is a bit better. While inconsistent, Marc-Andre Fleury is a good goaltender. He will win the Golden Knights a few games in their inaugural season.

Player to watch in 2017-18: Vadim Shipachyov. Shipachyov had the best year of his KHL career last season with 26 goals and 50 assists in 50 games. He has been on the upswing the last three seasons, with 54, 60 and then 76 respectively. While the KHL is obviously below NHL level, it will be interesting to see if he can translate his success onto North American ice.