One participant who has to ship for every Pacific Division staff

A brand new hockey season is on the horizon, and the chances are countless.

Of course, there are the betting favourites and the perennial contenders — on paper, although, all groups are behind the beginning line, every chomping on the bit for the prospect to etch their names onto the Stanley Cup.

But there’s at all times a gaggle of gamers who come into the yr with an additional bounce of their step, a chip on their shoulder and one thing to show. No more true is that than within the Pacific Division — traditionally, the weakest among the many 4 NHL sects — the place groups and gamers alike are itching to interrupt out, snap a droop or show their value.

With that in thoughts, let’s check out one participant from every Pacific Division staff who has additional motivation to ship this season.

For a really publicized, very transient second this low season, 21-year-old Leo Carlsson was the highest-paid participant within the NHL. 

Although he now not carries that mantle, the five-year, $92-million pact with the Ducks nonetheless comes with a wholesome facet of raised expectations. 

Since he was chosen second general on the 2023 Draft, Carlsson has been on the centre of what has been a profitable rebuild for the Ducks. Three years into his profession, he’s managed to raise his sport every season and completed the 2025-26 marketing campaign with 29 targets and 38 assists in 70 video games, including 11 factors in 12 playoff video games. There isn’t any query Carlsson shall be an enormous issue because the Ducks’ rivalry window opens.

He additionally accounts for 17.31 per cent of Anaheim’s wage cap this season, and his whopping $18-million cap hit considerably hinders Ducks common supervisor Pat Verbeek’s capability to lock down RFA Cutter Gauthier and 2027 RFA Beckett Sennecke.

Given the circumstances during which Anaheim now finds itself, Carlsson has to point out he might be that man — or the Ducks could possibly be in large bother.

The 2022 second-overall decide, Simon Nemec by no means fairly lived as much as his draft pedigree with the New Jersey Devils.

The 22-year-old defenceman bounced between the NHL and AHL for his first two seasons, earlier than incomes an everyday slot within the lineup final season. He was confined to the third pairing, although, and his numbers mirrored that — 11 targets, 15 assists in 68 video games. Nemec struggled to carve a spot for himself on the Devils, sliding in behind the likes of Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton on the depth chart.

Enter the Flames, who acquired Nemec with the hopes the puck-moving blue-liner can complement their younger and budding D-corps. The Flames are within the early phases of their rebuild, so the door is huge open for Nemec to determine himself as a top-four defenceman, and with the ink dry on a brand-new five-year contract, he is acquired the time to take action.

The Flames guess on Nemec — now it is as much as him to show it was a great one.

The Tristan Jarry experiment did not get off to one of the best begin final season.

The Oilers acquired the goaltender from the Penguins in on Dec. 12 within the hopes that he would supply an improve on Stuart Skinner, who they despatched the opposite approach to Pittsburgh. Instead, Jarry misplaced his starter’s job by March and completed the common season with an .858 save share in 19 video games — dismal, even after accounting for the league-wide dip in save share.

But it is a new season, and the 31-year-old has a clear slate with an opportunity to alter hearts and minds. He’ll be aided by the Oilers’ three-goalie rotation, the place Jarry will cut up begins with newly acquired Frederik Andersen (as soon as wholesome) and Devon Levi to assist mitigate the workload.

Jarry has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.375 million — by far the costliest of the Oilers’ ‘tendies. He would not must be Connor Hellebuyck 2.0 — neither is anybody anticipating him to be — however Jarry must be trying to show he can at the very least be a dependable selection within the blue paint.

Alex Turcotte is proof that growth appears to be like completely different for each participant.

It was two years into his skilled profession earlier than he scored his first NHL objective, and three years earlier than he acquired any constant enjoying time. He gave the impression to be on the point of figuring it out in 2024-25, however has but to really take that subsequent step. There’s actually potential nonetheless to be tapped, however the runway for him to succeed in his finest hockey is not unending, and he could possibly be working low on possibilities — that alone must be inspire him to discover a new stage to his sport.

It’s additionally a contract yr for Turcotte, which packs on the stress for the 2019 fifth-overall decide. In addition to combating for a lineup spot, the season now turns into one lengthy tryout, after which GM Ken Holland will decide whether or not Turcotte is a part of the way forward for the Kings.

At simply 25 years previous, Turcotte seemingly has extra to provide on the NHL stage, and he is acquired the 2026-27 season to point out that.

After years of slumming it within the NHL’s basement, the Sharks lastly seem like they’re able to contend. The items are there and a path to the Stanley Cup Playoffs exists in a relatively weak Pacific Division, and whereas the Sharks are taken care of up entrance due to Macklin Celebrini, it is the person between the pipes who could make or break their success this season.

The Sharks traded for Yaroslav Askarov again in 2024 with the hopes that he could be the No. 1 netminder they wanted to finish the rebuild. Although he noticed a starter’s workload final season, he completed the yr with a less-than-ideal .884 save share and 21-20 report.

It’s totally attainable that Askarov was simply experiencing rising pains and Year 2 because the No. 1 will produce higher outcomes, however the time is now for the Russian to step up, particularly if the Sharks hope to stage up this yr.

Even extra purpose to raise his sport: It’s additionally a contract yr for Askarov.

The mushy center is arguably the worst place to be within the NHL, and apart from one yr, that is the place the Kraken have resided for many of their existence.

One of the few shiny spots has been the emergence Jared McCann, who exploded for profession highs of 40 targets and 70 factors in 79 video games in 2022-23. Since then, although, his manufacturing has tapered and he completed with 20 targets and 20 assists in an injury-shortened 2025-26.

The Kraken want their offensive cornerstones to provide at an elite stage in the event that they need to claw their approach to relevance. McCann has confirmed that he has the instruments in his toolbox and coming into coaching camp absolutely wholesome, the 30-year-old ought to, on the very least, be aiming for that 30-goal plateau once more.

Sure, there’s an apparent reply right here, however suggesting that Elias Pettersson must ship for his staff shouldn’t be new neither is it groundbreaking evaluation. So to keep away from the low-hanging fruit, let’s flip our focus to a distinct Swede who continues to be trying to make his mark on the staff.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki was the primary Round 1 decide by then-Canucks common supervisor Patrik Allvin and there was actual hype across the Fifteenth-overall choice. He has a deadly shot and a goal-scoring prowess the Canucks, who completed thirtieth in targets final season, are in determined want of.

The 22-year-old has but to play a full season, nevertheless, or rating greater than three targets in a marketing campaign, so there are nonetheless query marks as to how his sport will translate to the NHL stage in the long run.

Development is not linear and Lekkerimaki continues to be younger, however with the place the Canucks are of their tear-down challenge (which is to say, very early), getting the reps in and capitalizing on the chance a rebuild presents shall be essential in cementing his place in Vancouver’s future plans.

There was a time through the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs that Brett Howden was a Conn Smythe frontrunner. The 28-year-old led the post-season targets tally with 14 in 22 video games — comfortably forward of teammate Mitch Marner, who had 10.

This offensive outburst got here as a shock to most as Howden has scored greater than 10 targets solely twice in his profession, in both the common season or the playoffs. He scored 12 targets, two fewer than his playoff whole, in 58 regular-season video games final yr.

For higher or worse, Howden has raised the expectations, and the stress is on to hold a few of that momentum into this season.

Is it seemingly that he will be capturing 34.1 per cent within the common season? No. But if nothing else, Howden shall be desperate to show his capability to attain wasn’t a complete fluke.