NHL Western Conference Predictions: 2026-27

Welcome to Part 2/2 of my annual NHL season predictions. You guys know the drill, think of these as primarily power rankings that are not set in stone. It was extremely hard to predict who will make the playoffs in the East, but the West is a bit easier. However, it's much harder to predict who will come out on top. The elite teams in the conference can all score in 5-on-5 and make you pay with their Power Play. Since 2020, the West has only claimed the Cup twice, but this could be the year someone in this conference retakes the crown.

CENTRAL DIVISION

1) Colorado Avalanche (C1)

Like always, the mentality is "Cup or bust" in Denver. Last year's Avalanche won 55 games and the Presidents' Trophy, but that fabled curse continued when Vegas swept them in the Conference Finals. How did they respond? By making D Cale Makar the highest-paid player in NHL history ($163.2M total), of course. That signing cost the team some production from roleplayers who left for better opportunities, but as GM Joe Sakic says, "you can't win without superstars." Very true. Makar is a game-changer, and when paired alongside C Nathan MacKinnon, the two are almost unstoppable. Losing depth always hurts, but I'd venture to say their top 3 lines are better than the 4 lines they had last year. Additionally, Colorado wins on special teams with lethal Power Play and Penalty Killing units.

2) Dallas Stars (C2)

What's wrong with Dallas? This is a championship-caliber team that hasn't even had the chance to play for one since 2020. They play so well all year long just to unravel in a 7-game series. Despite consistently coming up short, this team refuses to give up. They come back each year with more acquisitions and selling future stock for players that make an impact today. Between the 18 guys in rotation, there's maybe 2 or 3 I'd consider liabilities. The rest of these guys are either superstars or very productive roleplayers. So to answer your question, I don't know what's wrong with them. The latest debacle with LW Jason Robertson is a bit unnerving, but guys on expiring contracts always play out of their minds. The Stars can usually keep pace with the top dogs, so I see them right back in the mix.

3) Minnesota Wild (C3)

The Wild were one of the most exciting teams to watch last season. Kirill "The Thrill" Kaprizov is entering his prime, Brock Faber and Matt Boldy had breakout years, and they landed world-class defenseman Quinn Hughes in a blockbuster trade. The catch? They can't pay him. In the modern NHL, defensemen are judged based on their offensive production (ironic), so guys like Hughes, Makar, and Evan Bouchard are generally considered "the best." Their role is to play defense, but they actually play more like a Point Guard. They can disrupt plays, create shots, and drive to the net equally well. Their offensive system runs through Quinn Hughes. That could be due to their lack of a true first-line Center, but an elite goalie tandem and highly productive wingers will sustain Minnesota all year.

4) St. Louis Blues (WC1)

I'm back with another vibes pick. My vibes pick in the East was Ottawa, and in the West it's St. Louis. The Blues were 90 seconds away from pulling off a major upset in the 2024 playoffs but choked it away. In 2025, they greatly underperformed and underwhelmed. This is all concerning, but I trust their front office and HC Jim Montgomery. They dumped some household names for high-quality returns, cleared up cap space, and most importantly, got healthy. Health is wealth. Let's never take it for granted. The Blues still struggle with inconsistency in the crease, and neither goalie has established himself as "the guy." However, I think their offseason success will jumpstart this offense as STL bounces back into playoff contention.

5) Utah Mammoth (WC2)

While I really like Utah this year, I'm not as high on them as most people are. They had a really good season last year and made the playoffs as the WC1. They lost to Vegas in the first round, but they weren't all that analytically different from the Top 6 teams in the conference. Guys like Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther really stepped up and made a difference on the scoreboard. Will they lose some of that production with the departure of RW JJ Peterka? Probably, but the move allowed them to go all-in on some veteran Centers. Utah's gameplan for this season is clear: dominate the faceoff circle. I like it and think it will serve them well. However, they still have a patchy defense, and I watched them give up too many backdoor cuts last year. The Mammoth are a good but not great team.

6) Nashville Predators

This is where my crystal ball gets a little cloudy. Being 6th in the Central typically means you're 4th or 5th in any other division. I also believe these 6-8th place teams are interchangeable this season. Nashville was fairly competitive last year after a disastrous 2024-25 season. Their mixture of overpaid, washed-up vets and young prospects that are not pro-ready is a weird type of alchemy that doesn't work. They have no offensive system, the defense does OK, and their goaltenders are extremely inconsistent. They traded away a key piece of their future, Luke Evangelista, to New Jersey this offseason. They also made a good move for Mavrik Bourque, who is marketed as their Center of the future. The Preds are wildly unpredictable this season, so I'm conservatively putting them at 6th.

7) Chicago Blackhawks

All the sportsbooks give Chicago the longest odds for just about anything, and they consistently rank this team at the bottom of this division. As I said, these teams are interchangeable, but I think we're all discounting the Hawks this year. Patrick Kane came home, Anton Frondell has arrived, Connor Bedard is team Captain, and their big offseason splash for D Bowen Byram is already looking like a good investment. You have to follow the storylines when making predictions. Both performance and vibes are trending upwards for Chicago. It's not right for such a decorated franchise to be basement dwellers every year. While I still believe they're a few years away from competing, the pieces are there. If they make a few more big moves, they may climb up a few spots in this loaded division.

8) Winnipeg Jets

Womp womp. I genuinely can't wrap my head around how a team that won 56 games two years ago came crashing down into the cellar of the league. They lost a few pieces (i.e. Nikolaj Ehlers & Mason Appleton), but I didn't think their departures would hurt them this bad. To make matters worse, Connor Hellebuyck, who many consider to be the best goalie in the world right now, requested a trade this offseason. The Jets have yet to find anyone who will pay their asking price, so chances are he stays put. That will definitely mess with the chemistry, though. Winnipeg still has some very good players and household names, but their current situation is a trainwreck that gets worse everyday.

PACIFIC DIVISION

1) Vegas Golden Knights (P1)

Oilers star Connor McDavid described the Pacific Division as a "pillow fight." Ironically, the winners of this bed war smashed their way through the playoffs, swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche, and took the eventual Cup-winning Hurricanes to Game 6. This happened after Vegas fired their old coach and signed a goalie who had just been reinstated into the league. Chaos! This year, I think things will be a little smoother. Vegas's homegrown coach Ryan Craig is taking over one of the most talented and deep rosters in the league. They're fast, physical, dynamic, and already know how to win. The Knights also have star players at all positions. You need 4 good lines to win a Cup. Vegas has just that.

2) Edmonton Oilers (P2)

Given the chance, I think Connor McDavid would be the Jackie Moon of hockey: player, coach, & owner all-in-one. The Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch (who took them to 2 straight Cup Finals) and hired the ever-controversial Mike Babcock. On the outside, it makes no sense! But if you take a deeper look, you'll see why they did. He's a players' coach. He will sit back and let McDavid and Draisaitl play how they want to play. That will be a very interesting storyline to follow all season long. They are immensely talented, however, and I think that's why they can get away with it. Their biggest issue is goaltending, and they've somehow made it worse every year. Picking them to win it all is a big risk with little payout.

3) San Jose Sharks (P3)

Wait, is this a typo? The Sharks in the playoffs? The last few years have not been good in San Jose, but people forget how good this franchise was in the 2010s. They were this close to winning a Cup. We all thought that roster would win one given the chance. They didn't, but this roster... it has some promise. All-World talent C Macklin Celebrini is being compared to prime Sidney Crosby daily. That's high praise for a 20-year-old, but it's a praise well deserved. I'll admit that the Sharks had some of the best draft luck I've ever seen in the past few years, and none of their picks were busts. This fiery young squad is supported by a great group of veterans across all 4 lines, and I think this is the year the Sharks finally return to the postseason.

4) Anaheim Ducks

Riddle me this: how did a young team that just made the playoffs get completely screwed over by a team on the other side of the country? The Flyers offered RFA Leo Carlsson $19.5M/yr just to see if the Ducks would match it. He was their #2 overall pick, so naturally, they did. The Ducks also had to pay LW Cutter Gauthier $13.5M/yr at the same time. As a result, their payroll increased exponentially, and they lost all the other roleplayers that made this team great. Why did the Flyers troll a team that's not in their conference or division? I have no idea. It did set the Ducks back a bit, though. They regressed from competing for a playoff spot to a late-stage rebuild. Their core is a trio of young stars, but they need some help. They could sneak in as a Wild Card, but they're just a piece or two away once again.

5) Los Angeles Kings

I could probably write a whole article on why I can't stand the LA Kings. I hate the way they play hockey. They make the playoffs because of loser points (1 point earned for every OT loss), and it almost seems intentional. Parking the Bus is a tactic in soccer, but the Kings do it in hockey... for the entire game. They could go 0-0-82 and be happy. To be fair that could just be a HC Jim Hiller thing, who got fired for Peter Laviolette, and the Kings may finally play hockey the right way. We'll see, though. They have a lot of old players, and their young core has yet to take that next step in progression. It seems like the Kings hit a plateau in both talent and effort every year. I will acknowledge that they somehow always make the playoffs, but I'm hoping they finally come back down to Earth this season.

6) Seattle Kraken

It's the same old song and dance for Seattle: one, maybe two good lines, an OK defense, and a goalie tandem that keeps them hovering around .500. This front office is a lot like the Red Wings'. They are so determined to get to the playoffs that they go all-in on whoever's available, but they consistently strikeout. Their ultra-aggressive pursuits of star players are turned down almost immediately because nobody wants to play here. It's not an attractive destination because they can't build a winning culture. Seems like a vicious cycle. Well, in my opinion, there's only one way to break the cycle: start over. I expect that they want to try and compete for the first half of the year, but another bad start should signal a fire sale to acquire picks and young prospects.

7) Calgary Flames

Calgary is slightly worse than Seattle, but they're both in worse positions than the Ducks and Kings. The Flames are 100% in rebuild mode right now. They're cutting costs, scrounging for draft picks, and shopping on the clearance aisle to fill roster spots. I don't have a problem with it. As long as you communicate your plans and goals to the fans, I think it's fair game. We know what to expect. Will they still show up and try to win at home? Absolutely. Will they win the Stanley Cup? Absolutely not. Most of their prospect pool is tied up in prior commitments in college or independent leagues, but the future is bright. G Dustin Wolf and RW Matt Coronato are fan favorites and will be here for a long time.

8) Vancouver Canucks

Just 2 years ago, the Canucks finished the season as Pacific Division winners and made it to the Second Round thanks to one of the league's most formidable defenses. They had star talent, a solid core, and a good system under HC Rick Tocchet. And then... they fired him. And then, they fired another coach. And now, they hired Manny Malhotra and drafted his son #3 overall. Funny how that works. Vancouver is in the same stage as Calgary. They're fully in rebuild mode and everyone knows it. Their offense is completely lifeless, they cannot figure out who their starting goaltender is, and no one has emerged as the next leader of this team after trading Captain Quinn Hughes last season. This is a rough situation. I love 'em, but man, Vancouver is a long way away from competing.

Predicted Playoff Bracket

C1: Colorado Avalanche

C2: Dallas Stars

C3: Minnesota Wild

P1: Vegas Golden Knights

P2: Edmonton Oilers

P3: San Jose Sharks

WC1: St. Louis Blues

WC2: Utah Mammoth

Conference Champion: Colorado Avalanche

Predicted Stanley Cup

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Colorado Avalanche

It's always hard to predict a championship before the season even begins, but it's equally as hard to bet against two star-studded, hard-hitting, well-balanced teams. To be fair, a lot of teams could fit this description. In the East: I think Carolina, Washington, Florida, Buffalo, and maybe Montreal have the best chances of making it this far. In the West: I think any of the Top 3 Central teams, Vegas, and maybe Edmonton have a shot as well.

Take your pick from any of those 10 teams I just mentioned. As for me, I'm letting it ride with the Carolina Hurricanes until someone can prove otherwise. This is a year full of parity after all, so I won't be surprised if we have some unlikely heroes on a darkhorse team hoisting Lord Stanley in June.

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