Pacific Power Rankings, Week 19: The march to the trade deadline continues

Welcome back to another edition of the Pacific Power Rankings! Every week, we take a look at how the Pacific Division is shaping up through the entire 2023-24 regular season.

Let’s get into this week’s rankings:

1. Edmonton Oilers (33-18-1, 67 points)

Last week: 2 (+1)

Record this week: 3-1-0

They haven’t looked like the 16 straight win team we saw prior to the All-Star break, but the Edmonton Oilers look they are returning to that form after going 3-1-0 on the week. It certainly helps when Connor McDavid rattles off six assists against the Red Wings to start the slate. It’s not a secret, but the Oilers are going to go as far as Connor McDavid takes them in the playoffs. As long as Stuart Skinner can shake off his recent couple games and be the guy we saw during the winning streak, that playoff run could be a deep one.

2. Vancouver Canucks (37-14-6, 80 points)

Last week: 1 (-1)

Record this week: 2-2-0

The Vancouver Canucks were comfortably in the number one spot for the majority of the week for me. In fact, they were at the top of the rankings until the third period meltdown against the Minnesota Wild in which they took a 5-3 lead heading into the final frame and lost 10-7. That just isn’t good enough when you have Stanley Cup aspirations. The good news is they conclude their back-to-back in Colorado on Tuesday so that should get them back into the win column…

3. Vegas Golden Knights (32-17-6, 70 points)

Last week: 3 (-)

Record this week: 1-1-0

The Vegas Golden Knights are going to be a threat come playoff time. It doesn’t matter where they finish in the regular season standings, they are going to be a real problem for whoever draws them in the first round. Adin Hill hasn’t missed a beat since returning from injury and looks to be back in the Vezina running while Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel look like they are on the horizon of returning to the lineup. For now, it seems like whoever they call up to fill in are immediately contributing for the time that their top offensive and defensive players are on the shelf.

4. Los Angeles Kings (27-16-20, 64 points)

Last week: 4 (-)

Record this week: 3-1-0

The Los Angeles Kings look like they are slowly breaking out of their slump. They have now won five of their previous six contests dating back to before the bye week. Yes, the one loss was a tough 7-0 blowout at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres – *insert football reference here* – but they have held opponents to one goal or less in three of fives games this month.

Rookie D-man Brandt Clarke looks like he has provided a breath of fresh air in the Kings locker room since drawing back into the lineup. In his last three, Clarke has three points including the overtime winner in a barn burner against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

5. Calgary Flames (26-25-5, 55 points)

Last week: 5 (-)

Record this week: 1-2-0

After the first two games this week, it finally looked like the full picture was coming together for the Calgary Flames; They don’t have enough top tier talent to pose as a serious playoff contender and Jacob Markstrom can’t single-handedly take this club where they want to be. But, after Mondays 6-3 win over Winnipeg, one of the juggernauts this year, they are once again right back in the playoff conversation. I think the best way to think about this team now is to just ride the wave because I give up trying to forecast where they will be at the conclusion of the regular season.

6. Seattle Kraken (23-21-11, 57 points)

Last week: 6 (-)

Record this week: 2-0-1

If anyone can relate to the pressure that Jacob Markstrom has felt in keeping his team in the race, it’s the Seattle Kraken’s Joey Daccord. The good news for Daccord is that Philipp Grubauer is back to take some of the load off. Now with two quality goaltenders, the Kraken could be a team to look out for down the stretch as they sit only three points out of the second Wild Card spot.

7. Anaheim Ducks (20-33-2, 42 points)

Last week: 7 (-)

Record this week: 2-2-0

It was a tale of two teams this week for the Anaheim Ducks. For two of their four games this week, we saw the exciting offensive output this team is capable of, led by the second line of Mason McTavish, Frank Vatrano, and Troy Terry, who had a combined 16 points this week. For the other two games however, we saw the team that is going to be in the mix for a number one pick, showcased by a 9-2 spanking from the Toronto Maple Leafs on national television.

8. San Jose Sharks (15-35-5, 35 points)

Last week: 8 (-)

Record this week: 1-3-0

Wildly enough, the upcoming trade deadline could be a interesting one for the San Jose Sharks. Their play has improved from what we saw at the beginning of the season (which is not saying a lot), but with that some of their players stocks have risen at the right time (i.e., Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair). If they can get a decent return for some of their top players, it could perhaps expedite the rebuild process a little.