Pacific Division betting preview: Can anyone stop the Golden Knights?
The Vegas Golden Knights have won the Pacific Division two out of the three years they've played in it.
Might the newest expansion team, the Seattle Kraken, be the best bet to stop Vegas from doing it again?
We'll get into that and more as we look at the best way to attack the Pacific Division futures market.
| Team | Odds to win division |
|---|---|
| Vegas Golden Knights | -280 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +550 |
| Seattle Kraken | +1000 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +1400 |
| Calgary Flames | +1500 |
| L.A. Kings | +1800 |
| San Jose Sharks | +6000 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +20000 |
With implied odds of 73.7%, Vegas (-280) is a heavy favorite to win the Pacific. Rightfully so. They made the final four just a few months ago and by all accounts were a dominant team in the regular season. They won more games than anybody while only Colorado fared better in terms of five-on-five goal share. Outside of Marc-Andre Fleury, whose departure will sting, the Golden Knights' most notable "losses" were Tomas Nosek, Ryan Reaves, and Cody Glass, who was struggling to establish himself in the lineup. Almost the entire cast is returning, which means the Golden Knights are positioned nicely to win a poor division.
The restI have a hard time believing the Oilers (+550) can give the Golden Knights a run for their money. Their top six are as potent as anyone's and they have a lethal power play, but the list of positives ends there. Defensive play is almost certainly going to be a problem. It wasn't a great group last season and they replaced Ethan Bear, a promising up-and-comer, and Adam Larsson, a stout in-zone defender, with Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci. The former is long past his best-before date and Ceci, simply put, is not very good. Put that weak blue line in front of questionable goaltending and it's a recipe for disaster. Yes, Mike Smith was good last season. His track record in recent years isn't, though, and the 39-year-old is a likely candidate to regress. Mikko Koskinen isn't capable of carrying the load if and when that happens. This team is going to have a hard time outscoring its problems, which is saying something considering the Oilers have two of the best players in the league up front.
Seattle (+1000) is an attractive alternative to Vegas. People are down on them because they didn't have a flashy draft and left some talent on the table. I get it, but the pieces are still there to be solid. While the Kraken may be lacking high-end talent up front, Jordan Eberle, Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, and Yanni Gourde (who is ahead of schedule in his recovery), should help score enough to get by, especially considering the quality depth behind them. The Kraken also have the potential to be one of the best defensive sides in the NHL. Larsson, Mark Giordano, Jamie Oleksiak, and even Carson Soucy are all strong in-zone defenders. Vince Dunn is an underrated threat ready to explode with more opportunity. The pieces are all there to be a formidable group. The Kraken have a fantastic one-two punch in goal, too, with Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger. They might not play a sexy brand of hockey, but they have the potential to grind out a lot of wins in this division.
I don't want anything to do with the Canucks (+1400) this season. Their forwards are solid, and I love Thatcher Demko in goal, but I just can't look past their defense core. It is, in a word, horrible. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a shell of his former self. Tyler Myers is overpaid and overused. Tucker Poolman, Travis Hamonic, and Luke Schenn are a third pairing at best. It's Quinn Hughes, who does have shortcomings defensively, and a bunch of "blah." This team is going to be in tough to make the playoffs, let alone contend for a division title.
Calgary (+1500) should be a more competitive side in its first full season under Darryl Sutter. They have a few stars on the roster to work with and a bunch of "Sutter guys" - none more so than Blake Coleman - who fit into the coach's play style. The Flames should also have strong goaltending with Jacob Markstrom and newcomer Daniel Vladar manning the crease. There's potential here.
Los Angeles (+1800) is on the up. The Kings have a ton of quality prospects and made some nice moves this offseason to improve right now. They do have surprise potential in this division, but they're likely a year or two away from making some noise.
The Sharks (+6000) are a disaster. Their roster is littered with declining, overpaid players who will be used in prominent roles. Given where they're at, they kind of have to accept defeat and suffer through a couple of poor seasons while they try and clear things out. This team will not be good.
I have no idea what the Ducks (+20000) are doing. There's no plan with the team. It's a bad club - and has been bad for years - yet it's making almost no changes. They're not moving big-ticket players. They're not using veterans on expiring contracts to stockpile pieces for a rebuild. They're just keeping the band together, which is puzzling considering the lack of floor and ceiling this team has.
Best value: Calgary Flames (+1500)This Flames team is interesting. Their top-six forwards, overall, are good at both ends of the ice. Mikael Backlund is an elite 3C. The defense core - led by the Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin pairing, which was dominant last season - is competent, and they're in excellent shape in goal. They could grind out a lot of 2-1 and 3-2 wins. Vegas would need to be hit with the injury bug for Calgary to have a real shot but at +1500 the Flames are certainly worth consideration.
Best bet: Seattle Kraken (+1000)I backed the Kraken to make the playoffs so I might as well sprinkle in some division futures. They should be a strong defensive side with excellent goaltending. If, like Vegas a few years ago, they can benefit from a couple of players popping with more opportunity coming their way, this team could surprise.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
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