Western Conference Preview: No surprises here
Colorado and Vegas are the clear favorites in the west, Edmonton and Winnipeg are close, then it's just a bunch of average to bad hockey teams
The Western Conference has some powerful teams and certainly a couple that are capable of winning the Stanley Cup, but that Pacific Division. Woof, as the kids say.
When it comes down to it, the conference has only two top-tier Cup contenders in the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets are probably second-tier contenders. And that’s it. If any other team from the west makes a serious run at Stanley this season, it will come out of the blue and surprise everyone.
ANAHEIM DUCKS
How it ended then: With two overtime losses, last in their division and just 126 goals scored, fewest in the NHL. They had the worst power play since the league began keeping track of that particular stat in the 1970s.
How it looks now: Not a whole lot better. One of the worst teams in the league did almost nothing to bolster its lineup. They’re supposed to be in a rebuild, but there’s little evidence that there’s actually any building going on.
On the hot seat: How long will ownership continue to stick with GM Bob Murray and coach Dallas Eakins?
Olympic hopefuls: John Gibson, G (USA); Hampus Lindholm, D (Sweden)
Wouldn’t it something if: Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, who both played 24 games last season, battled it out for rookie-of-the-year honors?
Where they’ll finish: 7th in the Pacific.
ARIZONA COYOTES
How it ended then: With another finish out of the playoffs and another round of selling off established and productive veterans for futures.
How it looks now: The Coyotes are in a much tougher division, they’re being kicked out of their arena after this season and among their off-season acquisitions were Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson and Andrew Ladd.
On the hot seat: Nobody is ever on the hot seat in Arizona. And that’s part of the problem. But Phil Kessel is in the last year of his deal and will have to prove to other teams that he’ll be worth a trade-deadline acquisition.
Olympic hopeful: Jakob Chychrun, D (Canada)
Wouldn’t it be something if: The Coyotes could somehow dispense with the drama, stop being a farm team for the rest of the league and actually give their fans a reason to come to their games?
Where they’ll finish: 8th in the Central (and possibly on the move).
CALGARY FLAMES
How it ended then: Out of the playoffs in a weak division with some really, really uninspired performances.
How it looks now: The Flames are in the league’s worst division and they’ve made some improvements, so the playoffs are a very realistic goal.
On the hot seat: GM Brad Treliving presided over the most underachieving and unmotivated roster in the NHL last season. He’s moved some pieces around to change the culture and is sticking with Darryl Sutter behind the bench. That last move carries a lot of risk.
Olympic hopefuls: Rasmus Andersson, D (Sweden); Mikael Backlund, C (Sweden); Johnny Gaudreau, LW (USA); Elias Lindholm, C (Sweden); Jacob Markstrom, G (Sweden); Matthew Tkachuk, LW (USA); Juuso Valimaki, D (Finland); Dan Vladar, G (Czech Republic); Nikita Zadorov, D (Russia)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Sutter found a way to motivate this group into playing to its potential?
Where they’ll finish: 3rd in the Pacific.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
How it ended then: After a surprisingly good start for the Blackhawks, fueled by an injection of young talent, the playoffs were looking like a possibility. But the team faded down the stretch and finished nine points out of the playoffs.
How it looks now: GM Stan Bowman swung for the fences and brought in some big-name talent, particularly on defense and in goal, but the post-season remains a tough get for this organization.
On the hot seat: Bowman is facing some very serious allegations as a result of the organization’s handling of an alleged sexual assault by the team’s former video coach. Whether or not he lasts in Chicago might have nothing to do with how the team does on the ice.
Olympic hopefuls: Alex DeBrincat, LW (USA); Marc-Andre Fleury, G (Canada); Seth Jones, D (USA); Patrick Kane, RW (USA); Dominik Kubalik, LW (Czech Republic); Philipp Kurashev, C (Switzerland); Kevin Lankinen, G (Finland); Lukas Reichel, LW (Germany); Jonathan Toews, C (Canada)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Jonathan Toews could rebound from a year off because of illness and make a serious run for the Canadian Olympic team?
Where they’ll finish: 6th in the Central.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
How it ended then: In enormous disappointment. After winning the Presidents’ Trophy and sweeping the first six games of the playoffs, the Avalanche were swept in their next four by Vegas and lost Nazem Kadri to an eight-game suspension.
How it looks now: The Avs enter the season cranky, and they should be. Nothing but a Stanley Cup will do at this point and Colorado has the roster to get it done.
On the hot seat: The aforementioned Kadri has to stop being such a negative force in the playoffs, and he has to channel his energy and physical play to the right side of the rulebook. He’s in the last year of his deal and could do himself a lot of favors this season.
Olympic hopefuls: Andre Burakovsky, LW (Sweden); Pavel Francouz, G (Czech Republic); Darcy Kuemper, G (Canada); Gabriel Landeskog, LW (Sweden); Cale Makar, D (Canada); Nathan MacKinnon, C (Canada); Valeri Nichushkin, RW (Russia); Mikko Rantanen, RW (Finland) Wouldn’t it be something if: Darcy Kuemper could stay healthy?
Where they’ll finish: 1st in the Central.
DALLAS STARS
How it ended then: After getting to the Stanley Cup final in 2020, the Stars missed the playoffs and watched as their window to win a Stanley Cup was pretty much slammed shut.
How it looks now: The Stars have too many goalies and a lineup that is going to need Tyler Seguin back in a big way to avoid missing the playoffs again.
On the hot seat: Surprisingly, GM Jim Nill. He has put a lot of faith in a lot of players who have a lot of miles on them.
Olympic hopefuls: Radek Faksa, C (Czech Republic); Jani Hakanpaa, D (Finland); Miro Heiskanen, D (Finland); Roope Hintz, C (Finland); Anton Khudobin, G (Russia); Joel Kiviranta, LW (Finland); John Klingberg, D (Sweden); Esa Lindell, D (Finland); Joe Pavelski, C (USA); Alexander Radulov, RW (Russia); Andrej Sekera, D (Slovakia); Ryan Suter, D (USA)
Wouldn’t it be something if: The Stars could get something, anything from their bottom six forwards to take the pressure off their top-line players?
Where they’ll finish: 5th in the Central.
EDMONTON OILERS
How it ended then: A shocking sweep at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets in the first round called into question this team’s ability to deal with adversity and the brought the annual criticism that it is top-heavy and lacking depth.
How it looks now: GM Ken Holland did not stand pat. He made a series of bold moves that were designed to make the Oilers more competitive now, but carry a lot of risk along with the potential for reward.
On the hot seat: Holland is in the third year of his tenure in Edmonton and this roster is unequivocally his creation. He’ll come under fire from the fan base if it fails to work out and soon.
Olympic hopefuls: Tyson Barrie, D (Canada); Leon Draisaitl, C (Germany); Connor McDavid, C (Canada); Darnell Nurse, D (Canada); Jesse Puljujarvi, RW (Finland); Mike Smith, G (Canada)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Connor McDavid became the first player to post a 150-point season in more than a quarter of a century?
Where they’ll finish: 1st in the Pacific.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
How it ended then: For a while there, it looked as though the Kings were onto something, but they faded badly and missed the playoffs for the fifth time in the past seven seasons.
How it looks now: The long-term future looks tantalizingly good, but there’s still some work to do. If the Kings could be playing meaningful games down the stretch, that would probably be considered a good season.
On the hot seat: Phillip Danault signed a six-year deal worth $33 million. He’ll have to supply more offense than he did last season to merit that kind of term and money.
Olympic hopefuls: Viktor Arvidsson, LW (Sweden); Drew Doughty, D (Canada); Alexander Edler, D (Sweden); Adrian Kempe, LW (Sweden)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Drew Doughty silenced all the critics and had a boffo first half of the season and made the Canadian Olympic team?
Where they’ll finish: 6th in the Pacific.
MINNESOTA WILD
How it ended then: The Wild battled back from being down 3-1 in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights, but were ultimately vanquished in seven games.
How it looks now: Very, very different. With the stunning buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, GM Bill Guerin served notice that there is a new era of Wild hockey on the horizon.
On the hot seat: After a spectacular rookie season, Kirill Kaprizov leveraged the KHL against the Wild in contract talks and signed for five years at $9 million a season. With that deal comes increased pressure to continue producing at an elite level, not just a good one.
Olympic hopefuls: Jonas Brodin, D (Sweden); Joel Eriksson Ek, C (Sweden); Kevin Fiala, LW (Switzerland); Kirill Kaprizov, LW (Russia); Nico Sturm, C (Germany)
Wouldn’t it be something if: The Wild could find a centerman who could score?
Where they’ll finish: 4th in the Central.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
How it ended then: With another first-round playoff exit, but at least they were competitive. Of their six games against Carolina, two went to single overtime and two to double overtime.
How it looks now: The Predators face a future without Pekka Rinne and something of a rebuild on the fly. Welcome to the mushy middle. Or worse.
On the hot seat: When exactly does GM David Poile have to answer for his stunning lack of success? For all his high-profile and bold moves, his teams never win anything.
Olympic hopefuls: Mattias Ekholm, D (Sweden): Filip Forsberg, LW (Sweden); Mikael Granlund, C (Finland); Roman Josi, D (Switzerland); David Rittich, G (Czech Republic); Juuse Saros, G (Finland); Eeli Tolvanen, RW (Finland)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Ryan Johansen and/or Matt Duchene started playing like players who were top-six centers?
Where they’ll finish: 7th in the Central.
ST. LOUIS BLUES
How it ended then: The Blues looked nothing like the 2019 team of destiny when they were swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche. They didn’t come any closer than three goals of the Avs in any of the games. That was what they call a beat-down.
How it looks now: GM Doug Armstrong improved the forward corps by acquiring Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad in the off-season. The Blues will push and they’ll push hard, as they always do.
On the hot seat: Since winning the Stanley Cup two years ago, goalie Jordan Binnington has been average in the regular season and extremely leaky in the playoffs. He will strengthen his case for the Canadian Olympic team if he plays the way he did down the stretch and in the 2019 playoffs.
Olympic hopefuls: Jordan Binnington, G (Canada); Pavel Buchnevich, LW (Russia); Justin Faulk, D (USA); Torey Krug, D (USA); Ryan O’Reilly, C (Canada); Brandon Saad, LW (USA); Vladimir Tarasenko, RW (Russia)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Vladimir Tarasenko could stay healthy and rescind his trade request?
Where they’ll finish: 3rd in the Central.
SAN JOSE SHARKS
How it ended then: Saddled with the worst goaltending and one of the worst power plays in the NHL, the Sharks, to the surprise of no one, missed the playoffs.
How it looks now: The Sharks have never missed the post-season three straight seasons. This will be the year they accomplish that dubious feat.
On the hot seat: GM Doug Wilson did everything but win a Stanley Cup in San Jose. But now he’s saddled with a poor team and a bunch of contracts that don’t look very good. He’s heading the rebuild, but another down year will increase the pressure on him.
Olympic hopefuls: Rudolfs Balcers, LW (Latvia); Alexander Barbanov, LW (Russia); Tomas Hertl, C (Czech Republic); Erik Karlsson, D (Sweden); Timo Meier, RW (Switzerland)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Unheralded 23-year-old free agent Jonathan Dahlen took the league by storm and won the Calder Trophy on a one-year deal?
Where they’ll finish: 8th in the Pacific.
SEATTLE KRAKEN
How it looks now: The Kraken have a clean slate, a pretty good, but not great, team and an energized fan base. That will be enough to get them through the first couple of seasons.
On the hot seat: GM Ron Francis was not able to manipulate the expansion draft the way the Vegas Golden Knights did, but that won’t stop people from comparing the two expansion teams.
Olympic hopefuls: Joonas Donskoi, RW (Finland); Philipp Grubauer, G (Germany); Calle Jarnkrok, C (Sweden); Adam Larsson, D (Sweden); Jamie Oleksiak, D (Canada)
Wouldn’t it be something if: The Kraken were actually almost as good as the Golden Knights were in their first season? Their opening night roster is every bit as good, perhaps even better, as the Golden Misfits were in Game 1.
Where they’ll finish: 4th in the Pacific.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
How it ended then: After showing some promise in 2019-20, the Canucks were a dismal disappointment on almost every level.
How it looks now: They’ve made upgrades, locked up key players long-term and shed some onerous contracts, but it’s still kind of confusing to try to determine exactly what the plan is with this group.
On the hot seat: Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will find out very quickly that he’s not in Arizona anymore. If he makes some of the glaring errors he made last season in anonymity, they will be noticed and commented upon.
Olympic hopefuls: Brock Boeser, RW (USA); Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D (Sweden); Conor Garland, RW (USA); Jaroslav Halak, G (Slovakia); Bo Horvat, C (Canada); Quinn Hughes, D (USA); J.T. Miller, C (USA); Elias Pettersson, C (Sweden)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Defenseman Jack Rathbone had a huge year and gave the Canucks their fourth Calder Trophy finalist in five years?
Where they’ll finish: 5th in the Pacific.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
How it ended then: There was no shame in losing to the Montreal Canadiens last season, but that was a blown opportunity of biblical proportion.
How it looks now: The Golden Knights have rapidly become one of the league’s more notorious underachieving teams in the playoffs. They always seem to have all the parts in place, but they continue to come up short when it matters most.
On the hot seat: GM Kelly McCrimmon traded the most popular player in franchise history in a year in which Marc-Andre-Fleury came off winning a Vezina Trophy. Talk about stones. McCrimmon is joined by coach Peter DeBoer in the pressure chamber.
Olympic hopefuls: Mattias Janmark, LW (Sweden); William Karlsson, C (Sweden); Robin Lehner, G (Sweden); Max Pacioretty, LW (USA); Alex Pietrangelo, D (Canada); Mark Stone, RW (Canada); Shea Theodore, D (Canada)
Wouldn’t it be something if: Nolan Patrick finally found his way and became the two-way player scouts envisioned in his draft year?
Where they’ll finish: 2nd in the Pacific.
WINNIPEG JETS
How it ended then: After a stunning sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1, they were stunningly swept in the second round by the Montreal Canadiens with their suspended offensive star on the sidelines .
How it looks now: The Jets addressed their defensive issues and remain one of the most dynamic teams in the NHL. They also have arguably the best goalie in the world. Much is expected, but it has not yet been delivered.
On the hot seat: Coach Paul Maurice is revered by his players and his fan base, but at some point he has to produce tangible results. He has more resources at his disposal and if the Jets struggle early, eyes will turn to him.
Olympic hopefuls: Kyle Connor, LW (USA); Nikolaj Ehlers, LW (Denmark); Connor Hellebuyck, G (USA); Neal Pionk, D (USA); Mark Scheifele, C (Canada); Blake Wheeler, RW (USA)
Wouldn’t it be something if: The Jets were the best Canadian team in 2021-22?
Where they’ll finish: 2nd in the Central.