Happy Monday y'all!

If you haven't heard, Dobber's 21st annual Fantasy Hockey Guide is here! What are you waiting for? This is the best damn guide you'll find out there and it contains sleepers, projections, and in-depth analysis on every team. Plus, it gets updated throughout the summer so when Eeli Tolvanen and Evander Kane finally sign somewhere, Dobber and the team will have updates for you. Make sure to get it now because there is a lot to digest in there to help you win your leagues.

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General Manager Mike Grier made good on his promise of Macklin Celebrini not reaching next summer without a contract and the two parties agreed to a five year, $18.5 million AAV deal, making him the highest paid player in the league (next season). The contract is obviously well deserved, but having almost 20% of your cap go to one player will make it hard to build out a full team. This may force Sharks management to make some big moves for this season (I'll go into that below).

Last week I gave some Central Division predictions so this time I'll be giving some early predictions for the Pacific.

Edmonton Oilers – This is finally the season where Connor McDavid wins… the division. The biggest addition the Oilers made over the summer wasn't on the ice, but behind the bench. Management hired Mike Babcock as their head coach to keep players accountable and looking at this through a hockey lens, this was really their last move to try and keep McDavid. It will take too long to develop a franchise goalie and teams don't give them away so the only way to steer the ship is through the coaching waters. I think it does work out for the Oil in the regular season as they finish the year as division champions.

San Jose Sharks – The Sharks almost snuck into the playoffs during the 2025-26 season and then lucked into a lottery win and moved up to pick two. By adding Ivar Stenberg to this lineup, plus some of the defensive additions, I believe the Sharks will make the postseason. Not only do I see them making the dance, I believe they will go hard after rentals. With Celebrini's new contract kicking in next season, the Sharks can use some of their future assets to make a deep run in 2026-27. Some notable free agents next summer include Sidney Crosby (that would be fun!), Cale Makar (the Avs moved on from Mikko Rantanen when they realized they were not going to keep him), Alex DeBrincat (what does the new GM in Detroit look to do?), and Jason Robertson (it sure seems like his time in Dallas is coming to an end).

Anaheim Ducks – The Ducks had one of the most interesting offseasons. They moved on from former third overall pick Mason McTavish, lost four defensemen, and an offer sheet to Leo Carlsson handcuffed their cap situation. Even after all of that, I still think Anaheim makes the playoffs because they still have Joel Quenneville behind the bench. Most people forget Carlsson was one of the leading scorers in the league for the first two months before a rare leg injury took him out of the lineup. Along with some of the other young talent in this lineup, I think the Ducks will remain a competitive group this season.

LA Kings – This will be the first time in 20 years that Anze Kopitar will not be on the opening night roster as he retired this summer. You can't replace a player like Kopitar, but all the Kings did this offseason was plug in bargain replacements. Management is hoping for a big jump from Quinton Byfield, thrusting him into the 1C role. The former second overall pick has shown glimpses of that potential; he just hasn't been able to maintain that consistency over a full 82-game season. Will the extra two games moving forward help the almost 24-year-old into finding that next gear? Time will tell.

Vegas Golden Knights – It is hard to envision a playoff without Vegas (it has only happened once in their existence), but I believe it will happen again this season. They were on the brink of missing the postseason last year until management fired Bruce Cassidy with eight games left and hired John Tortorella. The change sparked the players, especially goaltender Carter Hart, all the way to the Stanley Cup, but the magic ran out as they fell to the Carolina Hurricanes. Then the organization fell victim to the salary as they had to trade their leading goal scorer for the past two campaigns, Pavel Dorofeyev, and brought in Ryan Craig to be the fifth head coach in team history. 

Seattle Kraken – Not much to say about the Kraken here, the team of 60-point potential players. Their season will hinge on what goalies show up for them and what they get in return for Shane Wright (if they do end up trading him).

Calgary Flames – The Flames acquired a potential cornerstone on defense in Simon Nemec over the summer and already moved two of their veterans in Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta. This will be another year for the Calgary faithful to forget, but they are on the right path. 

Vancouver Canucks – Vancouver did a complete overhaul with their front office and coaching staff. They are taking this thing down to the studs so, unfortunately, this is the surest thing on this list. 

We are into August and with the extended schedule, NHL games start next month! Woohoo! Get the fantasy guide and start your prepping! Have a great week!