As the NHL’s 2026-27 season gets underway, the league’s three California franchises appear poised for a significant shift in the competitive hierarchy.
For years, the Los Angeles Kings stood as the sole representative of success among California’s teams, while their northern counterparts struggled. The Anaheim Ducks missed the Stanley Cup playoffs from 2018 to 2025, and the San Jose Sharks failed to qualify for the post-season from 2019 through last year.
In contrast, the Kings maintained a streak of five consecutive playoff appearances. However, genuine success remained elusive, as Los Angeles failed to advance past the first round in any of those five seasons.
This past summer, the Kings experienced a largely underwhelming offseason, acquiring only a few veterans nearing the twilight of their careers while ushering in a new head coach in Peter Laviolette.
While it is true that Los Angeles has not necessarily regressed on paper, the reality is that both San Jose and Anaheim are projected to take significant steps forward this season. This upward trajectory for the Sharks and Ducks positions them to leapfrog the Kings, signaling the dawn of a new power dynamic among the California teams.
Throughout the summer, this publication has maintained a highly optimistic outlook on the Sharks specifically. While the Kings appear to lack generational talent, San Jose boasts an abundance of foundational young stars, including Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Ivar Stenberg, and Michael Misa.
Although the Sharks’ defensive unit may still be a work in progress, it represents a clear upgrade over last year’s roster. Ultimately, no other NHL team possesses as much elite young talent as the Sharks, who are poised to dominate the league for years to come.
Meanwhile, despite predictions of a slight dip in the standings for Anaheim following their third-place finish in 2025-26, there remains immense promise with the Ducks. On talent alone—disregarding salary cap considerations—center Leo Carlsson represents a far superior foundational piece to anything in Los Angeles. The same applies to defenseman Jackson LaCombe, wingers Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke, and goaltender Lukas Dostal. Even if Anaheim takes a step back this season, they remain a far more formidable and imposing group than the aging Kings roster.
Can the Kings remain in the playoff conversation long enough to make a late push for a wild card spot? Possibly. They still feature veteran leadership and remain more competitive than the Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames, or Vancouver Canucks. However, it is evident that Los Angeles’s window of opportunity has rapidly narrowed since the prime eras of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty.
The shifting landscape of the Pacific Division makes it clear: the Sharks and Ducks are on an upward trajectory, while the Kings are on the decline. While this upcoming season may represent a final, desperate stand for Los Angeles, the future shines brightly for both San Jose and Anaheim.
This new pecking order in California will be difficult for Kings fans, players, and management to accept.