Todd Cordell
1. Vegas - I am super high on the Golden Knights this year. They were a solid team last season and that was with Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny missing quite a bit of time due to injury, Mark Stone only playing 18 games, and Nate Schmidt being suspended for 20. There is a nice mix of high-end talent and depth, they play ultra fast, and the goaltending should be good.
2. Calgary - They’re returning essentially the same team that won the Western Conference a season ago. A few players are likely going to be hit by regression but the Flames should still be very good if David Rittich and Cam Talbot provide adequate goaltending.
3. San Jose - I have concerns about their forward depth after losing Joe Pavelski, Gustav Nyquist and Joonas Donskoi. The top-6 is still loaded, though, and they have Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson leading the charge on defense. They’ll be a playoff team.
4. Arizona – They hung around in the playoff race most of last year despite a shockingly bad offense. The Coyotes have added high-end talent (Phil Kessel) and solid depth players (Carl Soderberg) to try and address this issue. A healthy Nick Schmaltz will help, too. I don’t know that the Coyotes will make the playoffs but they should at least be in the conversation.
5. Vancouver - J.T. Miller and Micheal Ferland will definitely provide a much-needed boost up front while Quinn Hughes adds real dynamic ability to the back end. Tyler Myers, while overrated, and Jordie Benn will also help. The Canucks should be competitive this season.
6. Anaheim - I think the Ducks are going to be respectable this season. They have the league’s best goaltender in John Gibson, they’re getting Ondrej Kase back, and there are some quality young pieces (Sam Steel, Troy Terry, etc.) who could be ready to take the next step.
7. Edmonton - James Neal, Alex Chiasson, and Thomas Jurco are the headliners in terms of true wingers on the Oilers roster. In other words, they’re not going to be very good. It sure seems like we’re heading for another wasted year of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
8. Los Angeles - This team...is garbage. There are a ton of replacement level players on the roster, key veterans significantly declining (Jeff Carter, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jonathan Quick etc.), and the stars – Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty – are coming off disastrous seasons by their standards. I think they’re going to be a bottom-5 team.
Sean Maloughney 1.) Vegas Golden Knights
Despite some assets that had to be moved due to cap constraints, the Golden Knights remain the best team in the Pacific. Mark Stone took some time to adapt in the regular season when he joined the team but was a dominant goal scorer when the playoffs start. He could easily finish the year top 5 in scoring.
2.) San Jose Sharks
Though the Pavelski era is over in SJ there is still plenty for this team to be excited for. Timo Meier is emerging as a skilled young scorer and the duo of Burns and Karlsson remains terrifying. Goaltending could be the only Achilles of this team.
3.) Calgary Flames
After some impressive career years we are likely going to see some regression from the Flames. Calgary still has enough weapons up front and a strong D to be a playoff team but goaltending is going to be a huge question mark. Which Cam Talbot is the team getting? Oh and I give you all 6 games before you're sick of Lucic.
4.) Edmonton Oilers
Maybe I'm drunk on pre-season hype but I am looking at the Oilers more favourably than I did a couple of months ago. Players like Bear and Persson looked prepped to take bigger roles on the club this year and Tomas Jurco could be the sneaky steal of the summer. The bottom six has been reinvigorated with players that can chip in withoit needing to play with high end players. I still don't believe this is a playoff team but they should compete most of the way.
5.) Vancouver Canucks
If Petterssen, Hughes, and Boesser all continue developing in a straight line I would not count the Canucks out as being the surprise in the West. For now I will say there's enough inexperience in the lineup and issues on D to keep this team out of contention.
6.) Arizona Coyotes
Poor Coyotes can't catch a break. Raanta is injured...again and there are still big questions regarding who will score on that roster. Maybe next year.
7.) Anaheim Ducks
If Gibson doesn't perform like a Vezina candidate again (he has for years now) I could see the Ducks finishing last in the Pacific. Scoring will be more of an issue for the Ducks than the Coyotes. Players like Kase, Comtois, and Terry need to be difference makers but that is asking alot for young and rookie players.
8.) LA Kings
The purge of the old continues in LA as the team is saddled with players until they are 50. A lottery team almost certainly.
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