The National Hockey League has reached the All-Star break, with clubs pretty much knowing what they are and what they lack. With just five weeks to go before the trade deadline, league GMs are looking at what they can do to make their teams stronger for the stretch drive, but some clubs are still riding the wave of their early season success and hope to continue their progress down the stretch.
Here is a look at where things stand in the Pacific Division:
Biggest Success Or Surprise
Edmonton Oilers (12-0-0 in January – 3rd Place in the Pacific)
It’s pretty impressive when a club that goes 10-1-2 in January only earns an honorable mention for the biggest success of the month, but the division-leading Vancouver Canucks are winners of the silver medal to start 2024, as the Edmonton Oilers have won 16 games in a row and were victorious in all dozen of their games this month.
Some believe the Oilers’ slow start in October and November was not reflective of their overall quality, and some believe that their current winning streak is a mirage. It is likely that the real Oilers lie somewhere in the middle, and in spite of their success, they are not as good as Vancouver or second-place Vegas.
The Dennis Green “They Are Who We Thought They Were” Award
San Jose Sharks (4-8-1 in January – 8th place in the Pacific)
If you thought the Sharks were the worst club in the NHL and leading candidates in the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes, you were right. San Jose is tied with Chicago for the worst record in the NHL at 13-32-4 (30 points), and that is with Connor Bedard out for almost the entire month of January. The Sharks roster is borderline AHL caliber except for Tomas Hertl and a few other players and will get worse when they move a few players off their roster before the trade deadline.
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Biggest Disappointment
Los Angeles Kings (2-7-4 in January – 4th Place in the Pacific)
The Kings season took a complete nosedive after Christmas. They were 20-7-4, with a firm hold on third place in the division and within a few points of Vancouver and Vegas. Since then, they have lost 13 of the next 15 games, Edmonton has shot past them into third, and their struggles have become so concerning that head coach Todd McLellan’s job may be in jeopardy.
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January MVP
Stuart Skinner (EDM) (9-0-0, 1.33 GAA, .953 save %)
Once again, it’s pretty impressive when a player averages over a goal-per-game and does not earn player of the month honors, but Elias Pettersson’s 14-goal January falls just short of Skinner’s perfect 9-0-0 record. Despite how well Edmonton has played, they are still not a very good defensive club, which makes the sophomore allowing only 12 goals in nine starts and posting a .953 save % even more impressive.