Western Conference Preview: 2011-2012

Welcome back for my Western Conference Preview!  I’m going to give you a short breakdown for each team in order of where I expect them to finish in the standings.  Stay tuned for the Eastern Conference Preview tomorrow and a Playoff/Awards preview in a few days.

Let’s start with…well…the worst.

 

Phoenix Coyotes

Last Season’s Record:  43-26-13, 99pts (3^rd Pacific, 6^th West)

Eliminated by Detroit, 1^st round

PP%:  15.9% (23^rd)

PK%:  78.4% (26^th)

Goals For:  226 (14^th)

Goals Against:  220 (13^th)

Acquisitions:  Alex Bolduc, Kyle Chipchura, Boyd Gordon, Patrick O’Sullivan, Nathan Oystric, Justin Pogge, Marc Pouliot, Mike Smith, Raffi Torres, Daymond Langkow, Matt Clackson

Departures:  Eric Belanger, Mikkel Boedker, Andrew Ebbett, Vernon Fiddler, Ed Jovanovski, Alexandre Picard, Lee Stempniak, Ilya Bryzgalov

Prediction:  Phoenix spent the year struggling through the decision of where they would be playing this year and yet put together a solid season on the ice.  Special teams were generally a disaster, but with goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, the team was always in a game.  This year, not so much.  The Coyotes traded Bryzgalov, and plan to go with Mike Smith in net.  Addtionally, they let go of Eric Belanger, Ed Jovanovski, and Lee Stempniak, and questionably replaced those veterans as well.  I see things getting ugly in Phoenix for one year before they move to a new city.

5^th Pacific, 15^th West.

Edmonton Oilers

Last Season’s Record:  25-45-12, 62 pts (5^th Northwest, 15^th West)

PP%:  14.5% (27^th)

PK%:  77.0% (29^th)

Goals For:  191 (27^th)

Goals Against:  260 (28^th)

Acquisitions:  Cam Barker, Eric Belanger, Ben Eager, Darcy Hordichuk

Departures:  Andrew Cogliano, Jean-Francois Jacques, Steve MacIntyre, Richard Petiot, Sheldon Souray, Zack Sortini, Jim Vandermeer, Jason Strudwick

Prediction:  Edmonton knew they were in a rebuilding year, and at least got to watch Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and others grow into NHL caliber players.  The rebuilding shall continue in Edmonton, but the real issue is the lack of goaltending for this team.  Nikolai Khabibulin is dealing with off the ice issues constantly, and Devan Dubnyk is either not ready or not good enough, though no one knows which.  It’s going to be another long season for the Oilers, but they are certainly worth watching for their young talent.

5^th Northwest, 14^th West.

Calgary Flames

Last Season’s Record:  41-29-12, 94 pts (2^nd Northwest, 10^th West)

PP%:  19.5% (8^th)

PK%:  81.2% (21^st)

Goals For:  241 (7^th)

Goals Against:  230 (19^th)

Acquisitions:  Chris Butler, Scott Hannan, Derek Smith, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Paul Byron

Departures:  Adam Pardy, Steve Staios, Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik

Prediction:  The Flames made a strong run at the playoffs last year and were one of the hottest teams in March, but they had done too much damage early in the season to succeed.  Calgary has been notorious for slow starts, which no one can afford in the ultra-competitive West.  They were very quiet in the offseason, and traded away veteran defenseman Robyn Regehr.    Without making a move to improve on last year’s team, I don’t think Calgary will sniff as close to the playoffs as they did last year.

4^th Northwest, 13^th West

Columbus Blue Jackets

Last Season’s Record:  34-35-13, 81 pts (5^th Central, 13^th West)

PP%:  14.0% (29^th)

PK%:  80.2% (22^nd)

Goals For:  210 (24^th)

Goals Against:  250 (26^th)

Acquisitions:  Aaron Johnson, Radek Martinek, Vaclav Prospal, Curtis Sanford, James Wisniewski, Jeff Carter

Departures:  Chris Clark, Mike Commodore, Trevor Frischmon, Mathieu Garon, Jan Hejda, Sami Lepisto, Ethan Moreau, Andrew Murray, Craig Rivet, Trevor Smith, Scottie Upshall, Jake Voracek, Kyle Wilson, Nikita Filatov,

Prediction:  Columbus is another team that was in rebuilding mode…no wait, they weren’t.  The Blue Jackets put together a decent squad on paper that proceeded to act like they were rebuilding.  Bad on both ends of the ice, this team was built around the idea that Steve Mason would turn into a Vezina candidate, and instead he turned into one of the worst goalies in the NHL.  The additions of James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter will help the offense greatly, but the defense and goaltending will still cause problems.  This team is treading water right now.

5^th Central, 12^th West.

Colorado Avalanche

Last Season’s Record:  30-44-8, 68 pts (4^th Northwest, 14^th West)

PP%:  18.5% (11^th)

PK%:  76.1% (30^th)

Goals For:  221 (18^th)

Goals Against:  287 (30^th)

Acquisitions:  Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Chuck Kobasew, Shane O’Brien, Semyon Varlamov

Departures:  Peter Budaj, Philippe Dupuis, Brian Elliott, Tomas Fleischmann, Adam Foote, John-Michael Liles

Prediction:  Colorado was absolutely dismal last year, depending on Craig Anderson and Peter Budaj in net for most of the year, though many would question if they ever actually stepped in front of the net.  The Avs enter this season with a much different tandem of Semyon Varlamov and JS Giguere.  Varlamov has the potential to bring this team out of the doldrums, but is a health risk.  Meanwhile, the additions of Kobasew and O’Brien should help a very young team keep it together in the locker room.  The Avs will be streaking up, but still need to add more defense before they are playoff worthy.

3^rd Northwest, 11^th West

Dallas Stars

Last Season’s Record:  42-29-11, 95 pts (5^th Pacific, 9^th West)

PP%:  18.0% (14^th)

PK%:  80.1% (23^rd)

Goals For:  222 (17^th)

Goals Against:  226 (15^th)

Acquisitions:  Radek Dvorak, Vernon Fiddler, Eric Godard, Adam Pardy, Michael Ryder, Sheldon Souray

Departures:  Jamie Langenbrunner, Brad Richards, Brandon Segal, Jason Williams, Jeff Woywitka, Karlis Skrastins

Prediction:  The Stars beat most expectations last year, enduring through a Brad Richards concussion and getting better than expected goaltending out of Kari Lehtonen, but still fell just short of making the playoffs.  Things are not likely to improve this year, as Richards is now gone for nothing.  They will get no help with the fact that their division consists of 4 teams that made the playoffs last year either.  Lehtonen will be the key to their season, but I see them falling short again this year.

4^th Pacific, 10^th West.

Nashville Predators

Last Season’s Record:  44-27-11, 99 pts (2^nd Central, 5^th West)

Eliminated by Vancouver, 2^nd round

PP%:  15.2% (26^th)

PK%:  84.9% (5^th)

Goals For:  213 (22^nd)

Goals Against:  190 (3^rd)

Acquisitions:  Niclas Bergfors, Jack Hillen, Tyler Sloan, Zack Stortini, Brett Lebda

Departures:  Steve Begin, Marcel Goc, Aaron Johnson, Shane O’Brien, Steve Sullivan, JoeL Ward, Matthew Lombardi, Cody Franson

Prediction:  Quick, who was Nashville’s leading scorer last season?  You aren’t going to guess it, it was Martin Erat, with 50 points.  Yes, 50, the number of goals that some players score by themselves.  Clearly, the key to the Predators success is on defense and with Pekka Rinne in net.  The Preds did nothing to improve on their offensive prowess, and may have even dropped off slightly.  I see this team regressing unless Rinne can perform miracles yet again.  You need goals to win.

4^th Central, 9^th West.

St. Louis Blues

Last Season’s Record:  38-33-11, 87 pts (4^th Central, 11^th West)

PP%:  18.6% (10^th)

PK%:  81.7% (18^th)

Goals For:  236 (10^th)

Goals Against:  228 (18^th)

Acquisitions:  Jason Arnott, Brian Elliott, Kent Huskins, Jamie Langenbrunner, Scott Nichol, Brett Sterling, Danny Syvret

Departures:  Ty Conklin, Nathan Oystrick, Dave Scatchard, Cam Janssen

Prediction:  The Blues got off to a horrendous start last year as they pushed a youth movement and perhaps expected too much out of Jaroslav Halak in net.  One of their biggest moves for this season occurred towards the end last season, when they traded Erik Johnson and Jay McClement for Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart.  Shattenkirk and Stewart should have major impacts in St. Louis this year, and will have them jockeying for a playoff spot.  A year of seasoning for this young team along with the addition of helpful veterans in Arnott, Langenbrunner, and Nichol is exactly what the doctor ordered.

3^rd Central, 8^th West

Anaheim Ducks

Last Season’s Record:  47-30-5, 99 pts (2^nd Pacific, 4^th West)

Eliminated by Nashville, 1^st round

PP%:  23.5% (3^rd)

PK%:  81.3% (19^th)

Goals For:  235 (11^th)

Goals Against:  233 (20^th)

Acquisitions:  Mathieu Carle, Andrew Cogliano, Jean-Francois Jacques, Matt Smaby, Kurtis Foster

Departures:  Kyle Chipchura, Andreas Lilja, Brad Winchester, Andy Sutton

Prediction:  The Ducks boast possibly the best line in hockey with Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, and reigning MVP Corey Perry, but that wasn’t enough to get them out of the first round of the playoffs last year.  They come into this year making very few changes, hoping that a healthy Jonas Hiller and another year of seasoning for 2^nd year defenseman Cam Fowler could make the difference.  I see them taking a step back however.  It is dangerous to depend on one major scoring line, and it is highly unlikely that the ageless Teemu Selanne can singlehandedly boost them in the standings again.  The Ducks could be fighting for a playoff spot on the last day of their season.

3^rd Pacific, 7^th West.

Minnesota Wild

Last Season’s Record:  39-35-8, 86 pts (3^rd Northwest, 12^th West)

PP%:  18.2% (13^th)

PK%:  82.8% (14^th)

Goals For:  203 (16^th)

Goals Against:  228 (16^th)

Acquisitions:  Darroll Powe, Jeff Taffe, Mike Lundin, Nick Johnson, Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, Dany Heatley

Departures:  Cam Barker, Andrew Brunette, Chuck Kobasew, Patrick O’Sullivan, John Madden, Antti Miettinen, James Sheppard, Jose Theodore, Brent Burns, Marty Havlat

Prediction:  Minnesota was on the playoff doorstep for much of last season, but couldn’t seem to get timely goals from their scorers.  The solution?  Become best friends with the Sharks and making all kinds of trades.  The Wild brought in Heatley and Setoguchi to help with their clutch scoring woes, though they did pay a heavy price in letting go of stud defenseman Brent Burns.  This team knows how to play defense, add a little offense, and I see them taking a big jump in the standings.

2^nd Northwest, 6^th West.

Detroit Red Wings

Last Season’s Record:  47-25-10, 104 pts (1^st Central, 3^rd West)

Eliminated by San Jose, 2^nd round

PP%:  22.3% (5^th)

PK%:  82.3% (17^th)

Goals For:  257 (2^nd)

Goals Against:  237 (23^rd)

Acquisitions:  Fabian Brunnstrom, Mike Commodore, Ty Conklin, Chris Conner, Garnet Exelby, Ian White

Departures:  Brian Rafalski, Derek Meech, Mike Modano, Chris Osgood, Kris Draper

Prediction:  The Red Wings seem to never age and have a chance to dominate any team with the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg leading them, not to mention Niklas Lidstrom.  They have done another strong job in free agency to quietly fill their role players with guys like Chris Conner, Mike Commodore, and Ian White.  Age and the goaltending tandem of Jimmy Howard/Joey MacDonald are the 2 question marks on this team, and this is the year that I believe both will catch up to them.  The Wings had a tough time with goals against last year, and I expect their production will drop as well, costing them the division.

2^nd Central, 5^th West.

San Jose Sharks

Last Season’s Record:  48-25-9, 105 pts (1^st Pacific, 2^nd West)

Eliminated by Vancouver, 3^rd round

PP%:  23.5% (2^nd)

PK%:  79.6% (24^th)

Goals For:  243 (6^th)

Goals Against:  208 (10^th)

Acquisitions:  Michal Handzus, Andrew Murray, James Sheppard, Jim Vandermeer, Colin White, Brad Winchester, Brent Burns, Marty Havlat

Departures:  Ben Eager, Jamal Mayers, Scott Nichol, Kyle Wellwood, Ian White, Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, Dany Heatley

Prediction:  The Sharks made it further last year than they ever had, winning their division and finishing 2^nd in the conference.  They made it to the Conference Finals before losing to Vancouver, only showing a weakness on the penalty kill.  As such, they added Handzus and White to help them defensively, and made another big blue line acquisition in Brent Burns.  The offense they gave up was pretty steep in losing Heatley and Setoguchi, but Marty Havlat (if healthy) will help offset that.  San Jose may have taken a small step back in the regular season, but this is a team that could finally be poised for a complete playoff run.

2^nd Pacific, 4^th West.

Los Angeles Kings

Last Season’s Record:  46-30-6, 98 pts (4^th Pacific, 7^th West)

Eliminated by San Jose, 1^st round

PP%:  16.1% (21^st)

PK%:  85.5% (4^th)

Goals For:  209 (25^th)

Goals Against:  196 (7^th)

Acquisitions:  Simon Gagne, Ethan Moreau, Trent Hunter, Colin Fraser, Mike Richards

Departures:  Michal Handzus, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Wayne Simmonds, Ryan Smyth, Brayden Schenn

Prediction:  The Kings entered last season as a popular pick to mature and make a big run in the playoffs.  Led by Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, and Dustin Brown, they quickly learned that they could not score.  They added Dustin Penner at the end of last season, and Simon Gagne through free agency.  The big key to their offseason was a blockbuster trade to acquire Mike Richards though.  LA has improved on what was already a very talented team and the results will show on the scoreboard.

1^st Pacific, 3^rd West.

Chicago Blackhawks

Last Season’s Record:  44-29-9, 97 pts (3^rd Central, 8^th West)

Eliminated by Vancouver, 1^st round

PP%:  23.1% (4^th)

PK%:  79.2% (25^th)

Goals For:  252 (4^th)

Goals Against:  220 (12^th)

Acquisitions:  Andrew Brunette, Dan Carcillo, Sami Lepisto, Jamal Mayers, Sean O’Donnell, Rotislav Olesz, Steve Montador

Departures:  Troy Brouwer, Chris Campoli, Garnet Exelby, Tomas Kopecky, Jeff Taffe, Marty Turco, Brian Campbell

Prediction:  The Blackhawks faced significant challenges last year in replacing their Cup winning goalie while wearing a target on their backs as the Champs.  They took an early 3 games to 0 deficit to the Canucks, brought it to a Game 7, but finally bowed out in the first round.  Their offensive talent is clear in the form of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa.  The defense and penalty kill was a struggle throughout the season though.  The additions of Brunette and Montador should help greatly in those 2 areas along with another season for young goalie Corey Crawford.  Chicago should be on the rise this year and hungry to show they are not a 1 and done team.  Look for them to take over Detroit and win the Central this year.

1^st Central, 2^nd West

Vancouver Canucks

Last Season’s Record:  54-19-9, 117 pts (1^st Northwest, 1^st West)

Eliminated by Boston, Stanley Cup Finals

PP%:  24.3% (1^st)

PK%:  85.6% (3^rd)

Goals For:  258 (1^st)

Goals Against:  180 (1^st)

Acquisitions:  Andrew Ebbett, Marco Sturm, Mark Mancari

Departures:  Alex Bolduc, Christian Ehrhoff, Tanner Glass, Raffi Torres, Lee Sweatt

Prediction:  By far the best team of the regular season in every facet around, the Canucks exorcised playoff demons over the Blackhawks and took it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost.  The team has not changed much this year, with the only big move being the loss of Christan Ehrhoff.  Luongo is a regular season stud in net, despite his critics in big games in the playoffs.  Hard to see this team not repeating a season like last year.

1^st Northwest, 1^st West.

So my final order for the West this year:

1) Vancouver

2) Chicago

3) Los Angeles

4) San Jose

5) Detroit

6) Minnesota

7) Anaheim

8) St. Louis

9) Nashville

10) Dallas

11) Colorado

12) Columbus

13) Calgary

14) Edmonton

15) Phoenix

Remember – Eastern Conference Preview coming tomorrow, and a Playoff/Award preview within a few days!  (Teaser:  Cup pick is Pittsburgh over San Jose in 6)

As for tonight’s Penguins’ game (@ Cal, 10pm).  I have no clue how I want to do previews yet, so feel free to make suggestions.  My Prediction is a 4-1 win for the Penguins though.  LET’S GO PENS!!!