The cream of the crop in the Pacific is a Vegas Golden Knights squad hoping to bounce back from a sophomore slump and finish what they started in Year 1 of the franchise. It’s not really all that close as the projected four-point gap between Vegas and second place Calgary is the second largest of the four divisions.



That means the Golden Knights have a really strong chance of winning their second division title in three seasons at 45 percent, and with the rest of the division being relatively weak in comparison, a playoff spot is all but assured.



After last year’s crushing end, though, there are bigger fish to fry in the desert and Vegas looks well poised to deliver.



At an eight percent chance of winning it all, the Golden Knights enter the season with the fourth highest probability in the league, a shade higher than the three teams ranked above them. The reason for that is the divisional path, one that likely means an easier road in the first two...