Everyone loves talking about the future. It doesn't matter if it's the Vegas Golden Knights' prospect pool or any young players that could impact the roster in the future. Thinking about what's to come is always a favorite among sports fans.
That's especially true when you have some exciting players coming up. The Golden Knights saw what Braeden Bowman could do when given ice time. Thus, he's expected to make the jump from the Henderson Silver Knights to the Golden Knights this upcoming season. Also, watch for Carl Lindbom and Trevor Connelly to come up sooner or later.
But that also applies to your enemies. The Golden Knights' foes have done excellent work in building their rosters to feature stellar players. That ranges from Leo Carlsson to Macklin Celebrini, who will give their respective teams a massive boost.
With that, let's look at who's the biggest Pacific Division threat of them all. Who's a team that the Golden Knights shouldn't worry about in the future? Who are the biggest threats that await in the next few years? Let's break out the ol' crystal ball and see what could await for Vegas.
7.) Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are one of those franchises that can never get its act together. They tried to make it work with Quinn Hughes, but couldn't. They're looking to trade Elias Petterson and try another rebuild. Regardless, it seems that anything neighboring or in Seattle is ripe for incompetence and mediocrity. Speaking of which...
6.) Seattle Kraken
I've mentioned this numerous times on here, but it bears repeating. The Seattle Kraken have become the NHL equivalent of their Emerald City brethren, the Seattle Mariners. They've embroiled themselves in a state of mediocrity, making mid moves to stay as far away from first place as possible. At least the NHL is trying its best to avoid potential lockouts, giving the Kraken some reprieve.
5.) Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are in the midst of a rebuild. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether that rebuild is successful or not. However, the Golden Knights can't dismiss the Flames as a future team if they nail it.
4.) Los Angeles Kings
Currently, the Kings are in the midst of some changes. They're also entering the 2026-27 season as the NHL's oldest team with an average age of 30.71. Their future looks far more bleak than they realize, giving Vegas some reprieve. Still, Vegas can't be too optimistic since they're the third-oldest NHL team (average age of 29.95).
3.) Edmonton Oilers
Obviously, having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will catapult you into the Top 3. But some questions remain. First, what will McDavid's situation be like in the next two seasons? Will he stick around? Also, does Edmonton have enough defensive structure to finally make them into Stanley Cup champions?
2.) Anaheim Ducks
Yes, I'm aware that general manager Pat Verbeek isn't good at handling restricted free agents. Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish are prime examples of his incompetence. But the team still has a solid core. They also gave Vegas plenty of trouble in the Second Round, taking the Golden Knights to six games before being eliminated.
1.) San Jose Sharks
The obvious pick, mainly because of Macklin Celebrini. But he's not the only notable threat to the Golden Knights. Names like Will Smith and Yaroslav Askarov have the potential to become Golden Knight killers in the upcoming years. You also can't hate on the Sharks picking up Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba, although those two moves could cause problems down the road.
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