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The start of NHL training camps is about to begin, and it’s time for a few pre-season predictions.
We kicked off the process by looking at five predictions for the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division teams, then Wednesday, we focused on five predictions for the Metropolitan Division, and Thursday, we turned our predictions to the Central Division. Today, we’re winding things up with five predictions for the Pacific Division:
Prediction: In Calgary, veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie makes the Flames roster but he’s dealt to a Stanley Cup playoff-bound team by the NHL trade deadline.
The 33-year-old Barrie appeared in only 41 games for the Nashville Predators last season, posting 14 assists and 15 points in that span. So it wasn’t exactly a surprise when Barrie didn’t get much attention this summer from teams needing defensive help. The Flames, however, decided to take a chance on him with a pro tryout offer, and we’re guessing that gamble will pay off for Barrie landing a low-cost, one-year contract – even though he still may be only Calgary’s seventh-best blueliner and a frequent press box inhabitant.
With limited action as a Flame, Barrie will be an attractive alternative for genuine Cup front-running teams, and Calgary will only want a late draft pick or average prospect for him. So we’re projecting Barrie gets traded by the deadline and gives the Flames some help down the road. Calgary GM Craig Conroy is a savvy executive with his eye on the big picture, and he’s taking a chance on Barrie knowing he’ll likely move on from him sooner than later.
Related: Four Notable PTO Signings Around The NHL
Prediction: In Edmonton, training camp PTO winger Mike Hoffman fails to make the Oilers roster, but he stays healthy and active and waits for a spot that opens up early in the season for a playoff-bound team in need of depth options.
The 34-year-old Hoffman spent last season with San Jose, and he didn’t get much interest this summer, choosing a PTO with the Oilers. However, Edmonton is one of the deepest teams in the league, and Hoffman isn’t the type of fourth-line contributor teams are looking for, so we expect he’ll be released by the Oilers before the regular season begins.
That said, Hoffman may well choose to wait things out before he retires and hope an opportunity arises that isn’t there at the moment. An injury here or there, or an underachieving team on offense may decide to bring in Hoffman as a stop-gap measure and a short-term solution. But he doesn’t have enough game left to overtake Edmonton’s other wingers, and the Oilers experiment should end quickly.
Related: Oilers Should Plan To Address Blueline, Not Replace Evander Kane With Mike Hoffman
Prediction: In San Jose, up-and-coming star centers Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith win the No. 1 and No. 2 center jobs out of training camp, establishing themselves as the Sharks’ cornerstones right out of the gate.
The Sharks were the NHL’s worst team last season, but they were rewarded by the hockey gods for it with Celebrini, the top pick in the 2024 draft, to go along with Smith, the fourth-overall pick in 2023. It’s still going to be a difficult season for San Jose, as they’re an island of misfit toys right now. But Celebrini will win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, and Smith will finish in the top five in voting for the honor.
With Smith and Celebrini cemented as the Sharks’ top-two centers, San Jose has tremendous skill at arguably the most important position, and they now have to build the depth around those two. But Celebrini and Smith won’t need much of an acclimation period. They’re going to get every opportunity to make a difference right out of the gate, and they’re going to take full advantage of it.
Related: Five NHL Teams That Will Get the Biggest Boost from Rookies: Canadiens, Sharks and More
Prediction: In Seattle, center Shane Wright begins the year as the Kraken’s fourth-line center, but he quickly moves into the third-line center spot a few weeks into the season and has a productive rookie year.
Wright was the fourth-overall pick by Seattle in 2022, but his evolution and improvement as he strives to become an NHL player hasn’t been linear, and he had to spend this past season in the American League. This year, Wright is going to get the chance to stick with Seattle, and he’s going to make the most of it, starting the season as a fourth-line center.
From there, Wright should make slow but steady improvement, and while he’s not close to the point where he can be a first or second-line center, Wright can have a reasonable goal of improving into a third-liner this season and honing his craft as an all-around impact player. In the grand scheme of things, Wright may not be a superstar at the NHL level, but if he grows into a capable second or third-liner, Wright will make the Kraken and team brass pleased they selected him. And we think he’ll continue that journey this year.
Related: Young NHL Players Needing A Strong Training Camp In The Pacific: Gauthier, Zary, Silovs And More
Prediction: In Las Vegas, first-year Golden Knights goalie Ilya Samsonov struggles in training camp, offering no real challenge to Adin Hill for the starter’s job to start the season.
Samsonov took a job with the Golden Knights after a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He’s capable of playing well, but his lack of consistency is the reason the Leafs moved on from him this summer. And while Hill will earn the starter’s job yet again this season, Samsonov will show his sub-par side early on with Vegas and force coach Bruce Cassidy to lean heavily on Hill — more heavily than the Golden Knights otherwise would’ve liked to when they agreed to a one-year, $1.8-million contract with Samsonov this summer.
This isn’t to say Samsonov won’t have stretches where he plays well. When he’s at his best, Samsonov is a smart performer with instincts that help him predict where the play is going to be, but at his worst, he looks totally lost, and the Golden Knights are going to see that early this year. At some point, they will look elsewhere for another tandem partner with Hill, and Samsonov could very well be trade bait by the deadline. If Samsonov does excel, it will be a gamble well-made by Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon, but Samsonov just as easily could crumble, and if he does, he’ll be an ex-Golden Knight in a hurry.
Related: Five NHL Pre-Season Predictions For The Blackhawks, Blues And The Central Division
Related: Despite A Perceived Lack of Loyalty, Jack Eichel Says Vegas Is ‘The Place You Want To Be’
Related: Oilers’ McDavid And Draisaitl Talk Balancing Act Between Raising NHL Salaries And Team Success
News Summary:
- Five NHL Pre-Season Predictions For The Flames, Oilers, Kraken And The Pacific Division
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.