Sporting News' hockey experts , and predicted the final standings for the 2018-19NHL season. The playoff seeding below was determined by the average finish for each team based on ourcombined projections. Acollective groan from Pacific Division general managers could be heard coast to coast when the Sharks pulled off the biggest trade of the summer, adding superstar Erik Karl sonto theirdefensive stable on the eve of training camp.The landscape-altering deal elevatedSan Jose to elite contender status and effectively sealed their place as odds-on favorite to recapture the division title from the Golden Knights. As the rest of the division falls in line behind the Sharks, Vegas' encore is the story to watch.The expansion darling's improbablefirst season in the NHL was a wake-up call for the Pacific Yovani Gallardo Jersey 's old guard. And as teams like the Ducks and Kings age, there's a sneaking suspicionthe Coyotes, Oilers or Flames could take their place in the playoffs as soon as 2018-19.MORE PICKS: | | | Pacific | Pacific Division: 2018-19 predictions1. San Jose SharksAdditions: Erik Karl sonOut: Chris Tierney, Dylan DeMelo, Mikkel Boedker, Jannik Hansen, Eric Fehr Whether Erik Karl son's acquisition alone raises San Jose to the same pedestal as Nashville, Winnipeg or Vegas remains to be seen. But GM Doug Wilson, regarded as one of the NHL's shrewdest executives, wasn't keen to sit on his laurels this offseason, and the roster is undoubtedly improved from 2017-18.Instantly, Karl son creates a defense corps that should be the most dangerous in the NHL in terms of jumping into the play and driving po se sion. The group already included2017 Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns, routinely among the NHL's select few to challenge Karl son's point output, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, one of the game's best Milwaukee Brewers Custom Jersey shutdown defensemen. Only Nashville (P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis) and Tampa Bay (Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev) can compare. The me sage for 2018-19 is clear: The Sharksare squarely in"Win One for Joe" territory, asJoes Thornton and Pavelskiage deeper into their 30swithout a Cup.2017-18 finish: 100 points, third in Pacific2018-19 finish (projected): 110.6 points, first in PacificYear over year: +10.6 points(Schlager: 108 points; Cerny: 112 points; Spiegel: 112 points) MORE:2. Anaheim DucksAdditions: Brian Gibbons, Andrej Sustr, Carter Rowney, Luke SchennSubtractions: Francois Beauchemin, J.T. Brown, Kevin Bieksa, Antoine Vermette Corey Perry might've been a pivotalscorer for theDucks in 2018-19. The 2011 Hart Trophy winner has plummeted from 25-goal lock to fringe top-six forward in two underwhelming seasons, and Anaheim, already short on goal-scoring punch, was counting on the 33-year-old's return to form. Those hopes are gone, with Perry out five months Orlando Arcia Jersey after undergoing preseason knee surgery.On the other hand, the Ducks have faredfine without Perry's goals the last two years. The injury is an opportunity forJakob Silfverberg,Ondrej Kaseand Troy Terry to contribute more in an offensive capacity. Anaheim still has John Gibson, arguably the NHL's best goalie, and one of the league's deepest defenses. It's time to lean on the younger, quicker forwards more heavily after the Sharks skated circles in a sobering first-round sweep of the Ducks last year.2017-18 finish: 101 points, second in Pacific2018-19 finish (projected): 100points, second in PacificYear over year: -1point(Schlager: 93points; Cerny: 100 points; Spiegel: 107 points) TOP25 UNDER25: 3. Vegas Golden KnightsAdditions: Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny, Daniel Carr, Curtis McKenzieSubtractions: Tomas Tatar, James Neal, David Perron, Luca Sbisa Last season's expansion darlings are back for an encore. There were many questions about how GM George McPhee would navigate the franchise's first true offseason, managing immediate expectations withlong-term well-being. But the Golden Knights seem to be pulling the right strings. Gone are James Neal and David Perron, two main contributors from the inaugural season whose lo ses will be felt, but aren'tirreplaceable.Luring Paul Stastny away from the conference rival Jets killed two birds with one stone, and the blockbuster Max Paciorettytrade was aswing-big, me sage-sending move that should numb any disappointment overErik Karl sonlanding Lorenzo Cain Jersey in San Jose instead of the Sin City. Vegas is out to prove the was no fluke. A step back would benatural, but this is still very much a playoff contender.2017-18 finish: 109 points, first in Pacific2018-19 finish (projected): 99.6 points, third in PacificYear over year: -9.4 points(Schlager: 98 points; Cerny: 102 points; Spiegel: 99 points) MORE: 4. Calgary FlamesAdditions: James Neal, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Derek Ryan, Austin CzarnikSubtractions: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Kris Versteeg, Matt Stajan, Lance Bouma It's not easy to make sense of the 2017-18 Flames. All thattalent never came together underGlen Gulutzan, for one reason or another, and the franchise opted for sweeping changes this summer, both to the team's culture and their one-ice product. The draft day blockbuster shipping DougieHamilton to Carolina was a surprise; he partnered with Mark Giordano as one of the premier defense tandems in the NHL. But an ensuing character a sault on Hamilton and brother Freddie Hamilton allowed the franchise to spin the deal, scored in favor of the Hurricanes, as a fresh start for all involved.Much will be expected fromElias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and, eventually, Adam Fox to shift perceptions of trading a high-end defenseman in his prime. New coach Bill Peters, hailed in Carolina as a skilled tactician, is out to show his style can produce playoff results in his first year with the Flames.2017-18 finish: 84 points, fifth in Pacific2018-19 finish (projected): 92 points, fourth in PacificYear over year: +8 points(Schlager: 88 points; Cerny: 96 points; Spiegel: 92 points) Milwaukee Brewers Hats MORE: | 5. Los Angeles KingsAdditions:Ilya Kovalchuk, Peter BudajSubtractions: Tobias Rieder, Christian Folin, Andy Andreoff IlyaKovalchukis one of the NHL's more curious storylines forthe 2018-19 season. Once considered hockey's most feared sniper, the 35-year-old returns to North America after a five-year hiatus in the KHLand the Kings are counting heavily on the a sumption he'sstill an effective goal scorer.Except, players of Kovalchuk's age typically don't score 30 goals (2013-14 is the last time a player over 35 reached that mark), a total he achieved the last two years overseas. Is he still able to beat NHL goaltending with regularity? And more critically: Can he skate well