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5 of 6... Predicting the Northwest! PLUS a Rumor Update (Isles and Turris)

October 7, 2011, 10:04 AM ET [ Comments]
Eklund
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Quick Rumor...Strong rumblings this morning regarding the Islanders pursuing a trade with Phoenix for Kyle Turris this.

It’s prediction time!

Northwest Division

Overall Conference Strength

Playoff Teams: 1
Avg Points Per Team: 85.4 (Worst in the NHL)
Avg Goals Per Team: 227.6 (Third in the NHL, Third in the West)
Avg Goals Allowed Per Team: 242.4 (Worst in the NHL...by a lot..)


On the Northwest:

There may be no division more in flux than the Northwest. If any division were to rival the Atlantic for the title “Division of Question Marks” it would be the Northwest. So what is the Northwest the “Division of?”

How about “The Division of Exclamation Points?” Maybe. I will say this, if I didn’t “have” to buy Center Ice for my job, this division would be the reason I would fork out money for the Center Ice Package. If only to get to watch the star power and storylines that prevail. Between the Sedins, Luongo, Iginla, Duchene. Heatley and all the budding superstars in Edmonton the entertainment never stops.

Or maybe this is “The Division of the Ellipsis(...)” because all these teams feel as though they are in some state of flux and going to be a whole lot different by the end of the year than they are now. These teams are all teams who appear unfinished...The most stable team is unquestionably Vancouver, but are they stable or just much better than everyone else?

Or I could go for the cop out and follow through on this Multiple Choice metaphor and call this “The Division of ‘All of the Above’.” But the funny part of that answer is last year, with Vancouver running away with it, this was really “The Division of ‘All of the Below’.”

Predicted Outcome.

#5. Calgary

I usually hate putting a team in last place, but someone has to be there. Ever since I once called Calgary “scary good” after they came into Philly following the Olli Jokinen and looked amazing, the Flames have struggled. And I love the way Flames fans remind me of this...I really do, no sarcasm, Flames fans are good-natured and a lot of fun. So maybe, by me putting them in last place and saying I am concerned with where they are headed they will once again dominate and actually be “scary good.”

This is my gift to you Calgary, because the two teams I am usually the most wrong about in predicting their success or failure are the NJ Devils and the Calgary Flames.

Last year was, like NJ, a tale of two seasons. and the Flames looked everywhere from awesome to brutal. The Offense was not the issue in Calgary. The problem was the defense and for the first time in recent memory..the goaltending.

This summer, the Flames lost Regehr...not to free agency, but they traded him. They replaced him with Scott Hannan. They lost Daymond Langkow (who wasn’t really there anyway last year) and made their smartest move in acquiring Lee Stempniak.

But that’s all folks. This team that just yesterday was trying to defend a lack of prospects and a faltering minor league system essentially lost Regehr and got Hannan and Stempniak. Not a trade I would have made.


#4. Minnesota

The Wild went crazy (by the standards of this generally very conservative organization) this past summer by sending two pillars of their organization (Havlat and Burns) packing for two question marks in Heatley and Setoguchi. But I actually applaud these moves. As I have written of the Blue Jackets and Panthers before them, at some point you need to fly blind and take a shot.

They say when evaluating a multi-player trade the most sure-fire way to tell who won the trade is by determining who landed the best player. Heatley “should” be the best player in terms of production, although Mikko Koivu is still clearly the most valuable member of the club.

What is all the more interesting is Heatley really wanted to come to Minnesota. Heatley is aware this could be his last chance and he chose to go to Minnesota. That tells us something about Heatley and something about Minnesota. This is a great hockey town. I constantly call it “The Best Kept Secret in Hockey.”


#3. Edmonton

Yes, Edmonton. I love this team. And I love the moves they made this summer as well. They remind me so much of the Oilers who entered the NHL from the WHA all those years ago. A care-free, young group of players, who can flat out fly.

This city is getting a chance to maybe, just maybe repeat history here...and Oilers fans get that. Very clearly.

And yet last year I went out and picked the Oilers to be a playoff team and they were terrible. The difference now, why I think they will find the playoffs this season, goes beyond the natural maturing of Hall and Eberle. It goes beyond the truly other-wordly abilities of Nugent-Hopkins.

Youth needs mentoring. And bringing back Ryan Smyth does so much for this group. Also adding Hordichuk and Sutton does so much for this group.

plus...they have the best home uniforms in hockey.



#2. Colorado

They are really interesting and I just get this sense they are going to be the surprise team of this conference.

First off...I really do like bringing in Varlamov and Giguere. These two will provide for solid goaltending. The kind that allows a team to build its own confidence. A full year of Erik Johnson adds further stability. Youngsters like Landeskog and Stefan Elliott will keep the puck moving quickly every night...

All that is great, but I just get this weird feeling we are about to see a special season out of Duchene and Mueller. Two titans who will do all they can to get this team into the playoff race



#1. Vancouver Canucks

What more can I say about this squad? There are talented and deep at every position and they can make their opponents look downright amateur at times. Many fear that the Cup Finals last year will be a haunt to these guys. I don’t see it that way. I see a team who learned a ton about themselves while coming 1 game from glory.

Of course, no Canucks review is complete without bringing up the elephant in the room. Will he recover? Does he have the mental stability to be a #1? Will Schneider replace him?

To the rest of the NHL it is great theater. To Canucks fans it could be the definition of insanity. Yet I think Schneider will get a legit shot this year and still Luongo will be their guy come playoff time.


Next up...the Pacific.

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