The Pacific Division is one of the most stacked divisions in the NHL this season. With Dallas, San Jose and Anaheim all regular season powerhouses, and Phoenix making some serious upgrades in the offseason, Pacific Division matchups should be some of the most interesting to watch this season. Even lowly Los Angeles is on the road to rebuilding, and should be a force in this division in a season or two.

Los Angeles Kings has one of the youngest defensive corps in the league, with Jack Johnson and new draftee Drew Doughty headlining. Poor goaltending and a lack of depth behind superstar Anze Kopitar will be concerns for the Kings, though. Expect another last place finish for the Kings this season.

Anaheim Ducks hasn’t lost too much since their Stanley Cup ring in 2007. Although aging, their defense is one of the best in the NHL, with veterans like Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. The addition of Brendan Morrison should be a shot in the arm for a mediocre offense, but it may not be enough to put them over the top against some of the more offensively stacked teams in the West, and in their own division.

Phoenix Coyotes made a few steps on the road to recovery last season, narrowly missing the playoffs. With newly added Olli Jokinen around to help Shane Doan, the Coyotes and their pack of young stars like Peter Mueller, Martin Hanzal and Viktor Tikhonov are ready to compete. Ilya Bryzgalov will give the Coyotes their first steady goaltender since Nikolai Khabibulin, but it won’t be enough to get on top of this talented division. If they play hard down the stretch and aren’t bitten by the injury bug, Phoenix could end their playoff drought this season, but don’t look for much more than an early round exit.

San Jose Sharks took steps last year to make the jump from playoff team to Cup contender. With Rob Blake and Dan Boyle on the blueline, the Sharks finally have some stars with Stanley Cup history on their side. Joe Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo and Patrick Marleau still lead one of the scariest offenses in the league, and with Evgeny Nabokov in net, the Sharks could have what it takes to make the final step. Unfortunately, people have been saying that about the Sharks for a couple of seasons now. Until they start winning playoff games, it’s tough to believe in them.

Dallas Stars, last year’s Western Conference finalist, are one of the most complete teams in the league. With star goalie Marty Turco breaking out of his playoff shell last season, the Stars should now feel comfortable playing in big time games next postseason. The offense is good enough, and the defense is solid. As long as the veterans like Mike Modano can stay injury-free all season and help Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow carry the load, the Stars should be in the top half of next year’s Western Conference playoff picture.

Pacific Division Standings Prediction:
Dallas
Anaheim
San Jose
Phoenix
Los Angeles