With just a couple of games left in the 2025-26 regular season, first place in the Pacific Division is still up for grabs. However, is winning the worst division in the NHL worth it?
Coming into the final week before the playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights all have a chance to win the Pacific. It’s going to be a wild finish, as the Oilers and Golden Knights have been the standard in the division for the past few years, while the rising Ducks and pesky Kings aren’t going away.
Yet, with how bad the Pacific has been this year, it might not even be worth finishing in first. With the Utah Mammoth holding the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, the division champ might have a relatively rough battle on its hands.
On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton discussed whether any of the four teams should really want to win the Pacific.
Carter Hutton: What team can get the right momentum headed in? Obviously, Vegas, with the coaching change, has been that way. LA’s been good as of late. I just don’t know if they can make noise. Winning that division or almost staying in it might be better off. Do you wanna draw Utah? I think it might be a better team than getting the Anaheim Ducks if you’re the Edmonton Oilers. It’s just wild it’s come down to this situation. Then the point structure…when you compare those divisions here with Colorado and Minnesota, ranging from 115 [points] to 102. Then you have another division where you’re going from 91 to 87. It’s crazy how it’s worked out this way. It’s just been that kind of year.
Everything is a race once you get in the playoffs. It’s all about being consistent, and a hot goalie or a good power play can really push you through. The storyline is can you start at home? It has a bit of an edge for some of these teams.
You watch the full segment and entire episode here…
