Top 5 Western Conference Teams
Posted 1:12 PM ET | Comments 0
Unlike the Eastern Conference, outlining the top five teams is a bit tricky. The central division alone, has five or six teams that could easily finish in the top 3 in the Western Conference. In the Pacific, we have the dominant Ducks, followed by the always unpredictable Sharks, Canucks and Kings. In my mind, the West is the more difficult of the two Conferences, as every team outside of maybe Arizona, is competitive night in and night out. Even the Oilers are poised to make a push, and many consider them to be a playoff bound team.
5. Minesota Wild: ( 46-28-8 : 100 Points)
This was the most difficult selection for me as the Kings, Avalanche, Jets and Sharks are not far behind the Wild. I give Minesota the edge because of their young talent poised to improve after a solid 2014-15 season. The team had 42 ROWs ( regulation or overtime wins), which was second best in the west, and only one behind the Ducks. The core of the team is the same and I anticipate some younger players contributing more this season. Mikael Granlund is a player I expect to have a stellar season centering Parise and Pominville. Nino Niederreiter, Jared Spurgeon and Matt Dumba are equally talented young stars in the making. They will give the Wild good depth and provide some much needed energy late in the season. Last year the Wild finished the year with a +30 goal differential, which is impressive in the Central division. They had a great year on the penalty kill, finishing first in the entire league. However, the power-play was third last and extremely inconsistent. With another year of maturity, the Wild should be ready to hike up that special team stat and make a serious push for the Stanley Cup.
4. Nashville Predators: ( 47-25-10 : 104 Points )
The Predators were one of the biggest surprises last season, as many did not project them to finish so high in the West. They lack star power, but make up for it in youth and depth throughout the lineup. The reemergence of Mike Ribeiro played a pivotal role in rounding out the first line. Filip Forsberg and James Neal did well to stand out despite posting average numbers given their big minutes. Lines 2 and 3 were much the same for the Predators, as nearly every players throughout the lineup finished the season a "plus" player. The defensive end is looking even better after last season, with the likes of Weber and Josi providing a veteran presence. Young guns Ryan Ellis and Seth Jones are highly skilled players on the back end and will only continue to improve with experience. Last but not least, Pekka Rinne will solidify that back end. His combination of size and agility make him one of the most consistent goal tenders in the game. He is always in position, and may be the best butterfly goalie in the game today.
3. St. Louis Blues: ( 51-24-7 : 109 Points)
The Blues have been a dominant team in the regular season for a number of years now. They are solid in most areas of the game, but have struggled in the playoffs. I will start with their only weakness, which may be goal tending. This year, I expect the duo of Jake Allen and Brian Elliot to stand tall. Allen will be the new starter as he proved himself last year, posting a 22-7-4 record in 37 games. Defensively, the team is still stellar and will once again be led by Shattenkirk, Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester. The only change coming into this season is the loss of T.J. Oshie, who was a great player for the Blues. However, the team invested in Vlad Tarasenko long term. I am not a huge fan of the move, but they have many players who are due for bigger roles and can easily handle extra minutes. Berglund and Brouwer should benefit from the added minutes, and I do not anticipate a huge decline in the Blues offense. Last year, the Blues led the West with a +47 goal differential. I expect a slight decline given how strong the Central division is. However, a +30 or +35 season is not out of the question.
2. Anaheim Ducks: (51-24-7 : 109 Points)
The strength of the Ducks has always been their first line, but I believe that they ice an extremely underrated defense core and some stellar goal tending as well. I believe Frederik Anderson is more than ready to be an NHL starter. He has been criticized in the past for some soft goals, but he is still just 25 and his numbers are quite good for somebody his age. He has played most of his career in front of a young, inexperienced defense core who made some mistakes. This year, I expect a much more responsible defense core, who will be much more effective in both ends. For the top team in the West ( reg. season ), they posted an average +10 goal differential. Despite this, they were dominant in all 1 goal games, winning the vast majority of them. This can be attributed to the leadership of both Getzlaf and Perry. I expect the two of them to post 80+ points a piece if they can stay healthy this upcoming season.
1. Chicago Blackhawks: ( Stanley Cup Champions...)
It is hard to choose any other team given the recent success of the Hawks. They have won three Stanley Cups in six years, and ice a team with some of the game's best players. The Hawks implemented a bold strategy in signing their core to long term deals. They have Keith, Toews, Kane, Hossa and Crawford signed long term, and recycle the bottom line players when necessary. It is a bold system, but the management team for the Hawks finds a way each year to fill the roster with competitive. reliable guys at a bargain price. On paper, the may not be the best team depth wise, but they have proven playoff success. With this core coming back for another season, I expect them to be dominant in the regular season and push for another successful playoff run.
5. Minesota Wild: ( 46-28-8 : 100 Points)
This was the most difficult selection for me as the Kings, Avalanche, Jets and Sharks are not far behind the Wild. I give Minesota the edge because of their young talent poised to improve after a solid 2014-15 season. The team had 42 ROWs ( regulation or overtime wins), which was second best in the west, and only one behind the Ducks. The core of the team is the same and I anticipate some younger players contributing more this season. Mikael Granlund is a player I expect to have a stellar season centering Parise and Pominville. Nino Niederreiter, Jared Spurgeon and Matt Dumba are equally talented young stars in the making. They will give the Wild good depth and provide some much needed energy late in the season. Last year the Wild finished the year with a +30 goal differential, which is impressive in the Central division. They had a great year on the penalty kill, finishing first in the entire league. However, the power-play was third last and extremely inconsistent. With another year of maturity, the Wild should be ready to hike up that special team stat and make a serious push for the Stanley Cup.
4. Nashville Predators: ( 47-25-10 : 104 Points )
The Predators were one of the biggest surprises last season, as many did not project them to finish so high in the West. They lack star power, but make up for it in youth and depth throughout the lineup. The reemergence of Mike Ribeiro played a pivotal role in rounding out the first line. Filip Forsberg and James Neal did well to stand out despite posting average numbers given their big minutes. Lines 2 and 3 were much the same for the Predators, as nearly every players throughout the lineup finished the season a "plus" player. The defensive end is looking even better after last season, with the likes of Weber and Josi providing a veteran presence. Young guns Ryan Ellis and Seth Jones are highly skilled players on the back end and will only continue to improve with experience. Last but not least, Pekka Rinne will solidify that back end. His combination of size and agility make him one of the most consistent goal tenders in the game. He is always in position, and may be the best butterfly goalie in the game today.
3. St. Louis Blues: ( 51-24-7 : 109 Points)
The Blues have been a dominant team in the regular season for a number of years now. They are solid in most areas of the game, but have struggled in the playoffs. I will start with their only weakness, which may be goal tending. This year, I expect the duo of Jake Allen and Brian Elliot to stand tall. Allen will be the new starter as he proved himself last year, posting a 22-7-4 record in 37 games. Defensively, the team is still stellar and will once again be led by Shattenkirk, Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester. The only change coming into this season is the loss of T.J. Oshie, who was a great player for the Blues. However, the team invested in Vlad Tarasenko long term. I am not a huge fan of the move, but they have many players who are due for bigger roles and can easily handle extra minutes. Berglund and Brouwer should benefit from the added minutes, and I do not anticipate a huge decline in the Blues offense. Last year, the Blues led the West with a +47 goal differential. I expect a slight decline given how strong the Central division is. However, a +30 or +35 season is not out of the question.
2. Anaheim Ducks: (51-24-7 : 109 Points)
The strength of the Ducks has always been their first line, but I believe that they ice an extremely underrated defense core and some stellar goal tending as well. I believe Frederik Anderson is more than ready to be an NHL starter. He has been criticized in the past for some soft goals, but he is still just 25 and his numbers are quite good for somebody his age. He has played most of his career in front of a young, inexperienced defense core who made some mistakes. This year, I expect a much more responsible defense core, who will be much more effective in both ends. For the top team in the West ( reg. season ), they posted an average +10 goal differential. Despite this, they were dominant in all 1 goal games, winning the vast majority of them. This can be attributed to the leadership of both Getzlaf and Perry. I expect the two of them to post 80+ points a piece if they can stay healthy this upcoming season.
1. Chicago Blackhawks: ( Stanley Cup Champions...)
It is hard to choose any other team given the recent success of the Hawks. They have won three Stanley Cups in six years, and ice a team with some of the game's best players. The Hawks implemented a bold strategy in signing their core to long term deals. They have Keith, Toews, Kane, Hossa and Crawford signed long term, and recycle the bottom line players when necessary. It is a bold system, but the management team for the Hawks finds a way each year to fill the roster with competitive. reliable guys at a bargain price. On paper, the may not be the best team depth wise, but they have proven playoff success. With this core coming back for another season, I expect them to be dominant in the regular season and push for another successful playoff run.