Last year, we ran a four-part series on each team in the Western Conference and who we considered the Core Four. This is the third and final part for the West.

The Core Four are the players from each roster, who should be the foundation for their team to build off of over the next three to five years.

The core should be a snapshot of the franchise at a particular time and should reflect where the team is at in terms of competing for the Stanley Cup. The ideal core should be between 22 and 27 years of age and either approaching their peak or in the midst of it.

Teams with younger cores who are still prospects, should be in their rebuild or retool phase. Teams with older cores are more than likely approaching the closing of their competitive windows and if they don’t have the younger prospects becoming potential core members they could be in trouble.

Seattle Kraken

Matthew Beniers (F) (21.8 years of age)

After posting 57 points (0.71/g) as a rookie in 2022-23, Beniers had a bit of a sophomore slump in 2023-24 with just 15 goals and 22 assists in 77 games (0.48/g). After signing a seven-year extension with the Kraken, expect the 2nd overall pick from 2021 to bounce back in 2024-25 to above 50 points. He doesn't shoot the puck enough (1.8 SOG/g) to be a big goal scorer, so expect 20-30 goals to be his wheelhouse during his career.

Vince Dunn (D) (27.8)

Dunn played just 59 games in 2023-24 but did post 46 points (0.78/g) after putting up 64 points in 81 games (0.79/g) in 2022-23. He produced 30 even-strength points last year and 49 the year before. Newly signed addition, Brandon Montour could eat into the power play minutes though and spread out the offensive opportunities. Dunn is signed for three more years at $7.35 million AAV.

Brandon Montour (D) (30.4)

Montour was signed as an unrestricted free agent for seven years at $7.14 million AAV. It was a bit of a strange signing as the Kraken have Dunn as their key offensive defenseman and Montour is already 30 years old. Montour had a career-high 73 points (0.91/g) in 2022-23 but dipped to 33 points in 66 games in 2023-24 (0.5/g). It will be interesting to see if the Kraken have Dunn and Montour play together or stagger them in the top four.

Chandler Stephenson (F) (30.4)

The addition of Stephenson, who the Kraken signed for seven years at $6.25 million AAV as an unrestricted free agent solidifies the center position. Stephenson is more than likely a placeholder as a core piece until Shane Wright or another young player emerges on this roster. It's not ideal to have a 50-60-point player as a core piece. Stephenson should help in the faceoff circle (52.7%) and on the penalty kill.

St. Louis Blues

Robert Thomas (F) (25.2)

With a career-high of 26 goals, 60 assists and 86 points (1.05/g), Thomas has emerged as the true core piece of this Blues roster. He averaged 20:58 per game, won 53.1% of his faceoffs and killed penalties 40.8% of the time. He is signed for seven more years at $8.125 million AAV. He has a career-high of 16 hits.

Jordan Kyrou (F) (26.3)

After just four goals in his first 21 games in 2023-24, Kyrou potted 27 in his remaining 61 games which paces at 36 goals. He ended up with 31 goals and has had back-to-back 30-goal seasons. His points per game have decreased in each of the past three seasons going from 1.01/g to 0.91 and then to 0.82. He is signed for seven more years at $8.125 million AAV, identical to Thomas.

Brayden Schenn (F) (33.0)

Schenn has seen his production dip in each of the past three seasons going from 0.94 points per game to 0.79 and then to 0.56 in 2023-24. He is still a physical player (169 hits) and has scored 20 goals or more eight times with a career-high of 28 in 2017-18. He's not an ideal core piece at his age, but he has four years remaining at $6.5 million AAV.

Jordan Binnington (G) (31.1)

I thought about having Colton Parayko here, but in the end, Binnington has averaged 59 games over the past two seasons and won 27 and 28 games. His save percentage was a very respectable 91.3 in 2023-24 and he had a GSAA of 17.24 which was a career-high. Joel Hofer might chip away at a few starts, but Binnington still has three years remaining at $6 million AAV. He should get 50-60 games in 2024-25.

Utah Hockey Club

Clayton Keller (F) (26.1)

I think it is safe to classify Keller as a point-per-game player after being between 0.94 and 1.05 points per game the past three seasons. He saw his ice time dip from 20:45 to 19:15 in 2023-24, but his shots on goal have been steady between 2.6 and 2.9 per game over the past three years. He should be a first-line winger for years to come. He is signed for four more years at $7.15 million AAV.

Mikhail Sergachev (D) (26.2)

In trading for Sergachev, Utah automatically added him as a core piece. He has seven years remaining at $8.5 million AAV and is just 26 years of age. Utah hopes that his injury from 2023-24, which caused him to play just 34 games, will not hamper his 2024-25 and that they will have a 45–55-point defender who reaches 100 hits and blocks, skating on the power play and penalty kill while averaging 22-24 minutes per night.

Logan Cooley (F) (20.3)

Cooley was the 3rd overall pick in 2022 and played all 82 games as a rookie in 2023-24 after turning pro. He was a little inconsistent but ended up with an impressive 20 goals and 24 assists. After just three goals in his first 41 games, he had 17 goals in his last 41 games. Ironically, he had 10 power play points in the first half with just three in the second half. His faceoffs need a lot of work (38.0%) but Cooley could become a first-line center in Utah sooner than later.

Dylan Guenther (F) (21.4)

This might be a lot of pressure for the 9th overall pick in 2021 (originally Vancouver's pick, which they gave up for Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland). He has played a total of 78 games in the NHL and has put up an impressive 24 goals and 26 assists. He could have a role in the top-six in 2024-25 and after potting nine power-play goals he could be a go-to shooter on the top unit.

Vancouver Canucks

Elias Pettersson (F) (25.8)

Pettersson will be under enormous pressure to produce in 2024-25 after extending for eight years at $11.6 million AAV. After putting up 102 points in 2022-23 (1.28/g), he dipped to 89 points (1.09/g) in 2023-24 and more concerningly just 31 points in his last 38 games, then just one goal and six points in 13 playoff games. He set a career-high in hits (125) and improved his faceoff percentage from 44.3 to 50.8. I have a feeling that if he doesn't produce 100-point seasons, there will be people critical of him in Vancouver.

J.T. Miller (F) (31.5)

Miller has become one of the most valuable multi-category fantasy forwards in the NHL. Not only has he had 99 and 103-point seasons in two of the past three years, he has had between 172 and 217 hits in all three. He won a career-high 823 faceoffs (56.3%) and killed penalties 22.7% of the time. He is signed for six more years at $8 million AAV.

Quinn Hughes (D) (24.9)

Hughes goes into 2024-25 as the defending Norris Trophy winner after posting 17 goals and 75 assists in 82 games (1.12/g). He had 52 points in his first 44 games and 40 in his last 38. He has had between 31 and 38 power play points over the past three campaigns. He is signed for just three more years at $7.85 million which seems like such a bargain. Is it just a matter of time before all three Hughes brothers are playing together in New Jersey?

Thatcher Demko (G) (28.7)

Demko proved his importance when he was injured and missed all of the 2023-24 playoffs. That is two years in a row with a significant injury and he has played 32 and 51 games in both. He set a career-high of 35 wins, a 91.7 save percentage and a GSAA of 21.53 in 2023-24. There are numerous reports that he won't be ready to start the 2024-25 as he is still recovering from what most think was an ACL injury.

Vegas Golden Knights

Jack Eichel (F) (27.8)

Eichel hasn't played more than 68 games since 2019-20 and managed just 63 in 2023-24. He did reach 30 goals for the second time in his career and managed 68 points (1.08/g), which was just the third time in nine NHL seasons that he has put up a point-per-game. The good news is that he averaged 4.4 shots on goal per game which was the second time in his career he had broken four per game. He has just two years remaining on his contract at $10.0 million AAV.

Tomas Hertl (F) (30.8)

Hertl has only been a member of the Golden Knights for six games at the end of 2023-24 and seven playoff games. He played injured in the playoffs, struggled with just one goal and was minus-six. With six years remaining at $8.14 million AAV he needs to be a core piece for Vegas for the next two or three years. He is capable of 30-35 goals and 65-70 points while winning 57.5% of his faceoffs.

Noah Hanifin (F) (27.6)

Hanifin might not be the top defender in Vegas right now (Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo), but after signing an eight-year contract for $7.35 million AAV, he should be. In my opinion, he is a great second defender who could put up 45-50 points and play 21-23 minutes per game, while shutting down the opposition.

Mark Stone (F) (32.3)

I can't believe Stone is just 32 years of age. It seems like he has been injured every year for the past 10 and is around 37. He hasn't played more than 56 games since 2019-20 when he managed to play 65. In 2023-24, he had 53 points in 56 games but didn't provide the spark he did in the playoffs in 2022-23. The Golden Knights were knocked out in seven games in the first round and Stone was held to three goals. In 2022-23 he had 11 goals and 24 points in 22 playoff games on the way to the Stanley Cup. He has three years remaining at $9.5 million AAV.

Winnipeg Jets

Connor Hellebuyck (G) (31.3)

Heading into 2023-24, there were doubts that Hellebuyck would remain with the Jets as he was about to enter the last year of his contract. He ended up signing a seven-year extension at $8.5 million AAV and could retire in Winnipeg. He has won 30 games or more five times in the past seven seasons and won 37 games in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. He has had a save percentage above 92.0 and a GSAA above 31.54 in both the past two seasons. He is currently in the top three goalies in the NHL and won the Jennings and Vezina Trophies in 2023-24.

Josh Morrissey (D) (29.4)

Entering into 2022-23, Morrissey had a career-high of 37 points after playing 423 career games. He exploded that year with 76 points in 78 games (0.97/g) and had 89 hits and 119 blocks to boot. He backed it up in 2023-24 with 69 points in 81 games (0.85/g), along with 90 hits and 103 blocks. He is signed for four more years at $6.25 million AAV, which seems like a huge bargain.

Mark Scheifele (F) (31.5)

Much like Hellebuyck, it appeared that Scheifele might have played his last year with the Jets in 2023-24, but he too signed a seven-year extension for $8.5 million AAV and stayed in Winnipeg. He had six consecutive seasons between 1.00 and 1.13 points per game ending in 2021-22 and has settled in between 68 and 72 points in his last two. He is a solid producer, who has had twenty goals and 60 points or more nine years running.

Kyle Connor (F) (27.7)

Connor has finished below 31 goals in just one of his seven seasons, and that was in 2020-21, when he posted 26 in 56 games (38-goal pace). He is the best pure goal scorer on the Jets and has averaged 3.1 shots on goal per game in his career with a 14.7% shooting percentage. He reached 47 goals in 79 games in 2021-22 and is capable of breaking 50. He has two more years at $7.14 million AAV remaining.

Thank you very much for reading and if you have any comments, please leave them below or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15