Pacific Division Preview: How the West Will Be Won
The Pacific Division could possibly be the deepest, toughest division in either conference this year. Almost all the teams in the Division improved, or got healthy. Most of them added pieces, and some finally have their young studs ready to go. The Blades of Teal writers, Steve Fishman, Lucas Burrell, Michael Gutnick and David Boettcher have broken down the eight teams in the division.
The San Jose Sharks face an uphill climb in what could surmount as the deepest division on all of hockey this season. The Pacific Division will feature the leagues best overall player in Connor McDavid, three Norris Trophy Winning Defensemen – Drew Doughty, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. A plethora of rising stars like Johnny Gaudreau, Rickard Rakell, Timo Meier, “Wild Bill” Karlsson, and Leon Draisatl.
The Pacific Division will feature teams like the Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks with young players like Clayton Keller and Elias Petterson laying in wait to take their place at the top of the division in a couple of years. But those two young squads should pose a challenge to all teams in the NHL’s Wild West.
It features the Calgary Flames, who made a blockbuster trade to shake up their roster and improve their squad. Another team in San Jose who made a blockbuster trade to shake up the league, and the Los Angeles Kings brought in a former superstar who’s last contract literally caused a lockout.
Yes, regular season hockey is back folks, and it should be a good one in the Pacific Division this season. Anything can happen, which is why hockey is the best sport. Its so unpredictable, but we tried our best to do it.
Anaheim Ducks
Head Coach: Randy Carlyle
Key Additions: Brian Gibbons, Carter Rowney, Luke Schenn, Patrick Eaves (Returning from injury)
Key Losses: Antoinie Vermette, Derek Grant
Strengths: Goaltending, Veteran presence, and Defensive core.
Weaknesses: Speed, Lack of scoring depth, and Health concerns.
Predicted Point Total: 97 (42 – 30 – 10)
The Anaheim Ducks didn’t do much during the off-season when it comes to impact free agent signings. They did lock down a few players already on their roster. They are banking on their core players to come back and reclaim their contender status in the Pacific Division.
Anaheim is coming off a hard fought regular season during their 2017 – 2018 campaign. They scraped and clawed enough to place 2nd in overall points in the Pacific Division with 101 points.
For the first few weeks of the season the Ducks were plagued with injuries to their most important players. At times last year the Ducks team consisted of a majority of their AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls roster regulars.
They were missing core players like Hampus Lindolm, Ryan Getzlaf, Patrick Eaves and Ryan Kesler for chunks of last season. Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was able to stitch together impactful line ups in order to perpetuate his reputation of being a playoff coach. He relied on exceptional goaltending from John Gibson and contributions from players casual hockey fans weren’t aware of.
The Ducks leaned on young skaters like Rickard Rakell, Ondej Kase, and Brandon Montour to drag them through the rough patches of their season. Rakell led the team in points with 69, 34 of which were goals. He used his deceivingly fast skating ability to sneak into shooting lanes or open space in the offensive zone. There he was able to launch his quick wrist shot towards that crease where the Ducks big bodies are parked in order to screen the goalie.
Ondej Kase came out of the woodwork last year and put up nice numbers for a Ducks team desperate for depth scoring. He had 38 points with 5 clutch game winning goals in 66 games. The Czech skater got more and more comfortable in his role as the season went on.
Something that is impressive about the young winger is that a major chunk of his production happened at 5v5. This illustrates that he is impactful in all 3 zones and coach Carlyle trusts his ability to score during crunch time. He is a name to keep tabs on next season; the Ducks are banking on the 22 year old to continue to progress with a full season with the big club.
On paper the Ducks are very solid defensively, with having one of the most formidable top 2 pairings in the Pacific Division. But this is a very volatile group where things can go wrong quick if any of Lindholm, Fowler, Manson, or Montour go down to injury.
The Ducks had a difficult time suppressing shots last season they finished in the top 10 for shots allowed and top 3 in High Danger Scoring Chances allowed. These stats are concerning, but with a fully healthy defensive core look for them to bounce back in both of those statistical categories.
You might be asking yourself if this team had trouble scoring goals and got peppered by that many scoring chances how the hell did they finish their season with 101 points? The answer is a simple one, John Gibson is a spectacular goalie. The Ducks seem to feel the same way; they extended their franchise goalie with an 8 year 51 million dollar contract over the summer, per capfriendly.
Gibson’s prowess in the crease is exhibited by one key team stat. Their High Danger Goals For to High Danger Goals Against differential ended the season at an astounding +34. The Ducks give up a lot of dangerous scoring chances but John Gibson is there to make the tough saves. I don’t think Anaheim wants to repeat the this type of defensive strategy but having Gibson in net is a great insurance policy for a team still figuring out who they are.
The Ducks believe they have playoff roster with the all of their returning players. They suffered a huge blow in training camp with the loss of Corey Perry, but I wouldn’t dance on this team’s grave just yet.
Along with their extension to Gibson, they locked up last year’s trade acquisition Adam Henrique who played very well for them since coming over from New Jersey. Patrick Eaves is also returning from a long term injury and is looking to reformulate the chemistry he built with this Ducks club.
Also keep an eye out for young forwards Sam Steel and the unsigned Nick Ritchie. This team has done a decent job of incorporating their young impact in with their grizzled veterans so it is tough to judge how they’ll compete this upcoming season in the Pacific Division.
Overall I would be wary of counting the Ducks out of a playoff spot just yet. Head Coach Randy Caryle is known for getting his team in the playoffs, and this roster has an all pro goalie, still littered with experienced veterans, strong defensive core and also possesses young high end scoring talent.
The Pacific Division has changed a lot and the Ducks have managed to stay relatively the same. They are hoping their old recipe for success will continue to result in regular season success. Anaheim starts their season off against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 3.
–Lucas Burrell
Arizona Coyotes
Head Coach: Rick Tocchet
Key Additions: Alex Galchenyuk, Michael Grabner, Vinnie Hinostroza
Key Losses: Max Domi, Luke Schenn
Strengths: Skill, Stability at Defense and Center
Weaknesses: Lack of Depth
Predicted Point Total: 80 pts (35-39-8)
For the last couple of seasons, the Arizona Coyotes have been a mystery. The Coyotes continue to take small steps forward on the way to being playoff-caliber team with big acquisitions over the past few summers.
It is hard to imagine the Coyotes competing for a spot in the top 3 for the Pacific Division, since this team has yet to make the playoffs since 2011. However, if Arizona can carry out the second half of the 2017-2018 season into the beginning of this year, there is potential for the Coyotes to fight for one of the two Wild Card positions. Or one of the three open spots in the Pacific Division
A chance to make the playoffs will be tough, given the Pacific Division stacks up to a much larger advantage and the Kings still stand as a favorite to punch a ticket to the first round. But who knows? Hot streaks, the leadership of a new captain, and a healthy Antti Raanta in goal could possibly bring the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the desert.
The addition of Alex Galchenyuk (for Max Domi), appears to be a favorable one for the ‘Yotes. And the upside of Michael Grabner and Vinnie Hinostroza provide some more talented depth to a young forward group. The 1-2 punch of Galchenyuk and Derek Stepan solidify the center role tremendously.
After the top two lines is where the Coyotes find holes on the left and right wings. As Arizona does not have the forward depth of a team like the Sharks or Golden Knights. Still young and capable, the Coyotes hold high hopes for the likes of rising stars Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun, and Lawson Crouse, all of whom seek to make big impacts during the regular season.
Clayton Keller, a Calder Trophy finalist, looks to have another breakout year on the top line with Derek Stepan and Richard Panik. Keller led the Coyotes with 23 goals and 42 assists, including a team-high 20 power play points. The 20-year-old forward finished second among rookies last year with his 42 helpers and 65 points, behind Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders.
Locking down Oliver Ekman-Larsson for eight years is crucial to the stability of Arizona’s blue line. Ekman-Larsson was announced as the fourth captain in Coyotes history (Keith Tkachuk, Teppo Numminen, and Shane Doan). The 27-year-old defenseman has been the foundation of the blue line for last seven seasons and poses as an exceptional leader on the top defensive pairing and power play unit. Ekman-Larsson leads all Coyotes’ defensemen in points and assists the last five seasons, playing a pivotal role as a skillful sniper from the point.
The Coyotes’ success and ambitions of making the playoffs will be reliant on the pads of Finnish goaltender Antti Raanta. The 2017 offseason trade sent him and Stepan to the desert and opened the eyes of many within the Western Conference.
A dismal 1-12-1 start last season and early injuries pulled him out of what some considered a Vezina Trophy-caliber year for 29-year-old netminder. Surprisingly, Raanta posted a Pacific Division-leading 2.24 GAA, a .930 save percentage and three shutouts in 47 games, during a roaring second half. While Darcy Kuemper serves as an adequate backup, a full, healthy season of Raanta just might push the Coyotes into playoff contention.
-Michael Gutnick
Calgary Flames
Head Coach: Bill Peters
Key Additions: Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, and James Neal
Key Losses: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Kris Versteeg
Strengths: High end scoring talent and Solid defensive core.
Weaknesses: Questions in net, Depth scoring, and chemistry concerns
Predicted Point Total: 90 (39 – 28 – 12)
The Calgary Flames had a very disappointing 2017 – 2018 campaign in the Pacific Division. This team had one of the best scoring duos in the league with Johnny Guedreau and Sean Monahan. On paper three of the best defensive pairings. Along with arguably one of the best shutdown defensive forward lines. With a roster make up like that it is shocking that the Flames weren’t even relevant at the end of last season.
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This year’s Flames club looks a little different coming into 2018 – 2019. The Calgary made a huge splash on draft day with a trade with Carolina. They sent their most productive offensive defenseman Dougie Hamilton and Forward Michael Frolik to Calgary for defenseman Noah Hannifin and forward Elias Lindholm.
This swap surprised a lot of people especially ones who hold Hamilton in such a high regard. But listening to reports that came out after this trade it seems that Hamilton didn’t mesh well with the rest of the locker room. They also signed UFA James Neal who scored 25 goals for the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
The Flames are confident that this new configuration of the roster along with a fresh face behind the bench will produce more positive results this time through the regular season in the Pacific Division.
Looking closer at their offseason additions the team seemed to have addressed their areas of need. Their offense was effective at generating shots but lacked the finishing ability to convert them into goals. Calgary really struggled to score goals last season, they placed 28th overall in goals for, while managing to put up the 3rd most shots on goal.
Their lack of goal scorers really hurt them last season. The Flames just didn’t have enough players who shot for the net instead of just throwing the puck on goal. This can be exhibited with some underlying stats. The Flames had the 27th worst shooting percentage on scoring chances, and placed 30th in high danger scoring shooting percentage. Essentially this means when the Flames had good scoring opportunities they really struggled to convert them into points.
The additions of Neal and Lindholm should help supplement their lack of offensive finishers, but their Hannifin for Hamilton swap might hinder their ability to generate offense on the back end. Still there are reasons to be excited about this team. Lindholm is a fantastic playmaker and thrives at setting up players for golden scoring chances. While Neal seems to be an automatic 25 goals every season, and the Flames desperately need a player with his finishing ability in the lineup but especially the power play.
Much of the success of next season is going to dependent on the coach Bill Peter’s goalie usage. Goaltender Mike Smith is going to be heavily relied on this season and is expected to start more than 50 games. That’s a tall order for a 36 year old coming into his 15th season in the league. Still he is coming off back to back seasons with 50 or more starts, so it’s difficult to cast doubts on Smith’s ability to stay on the ice.
Their backup David Rittich has been a regular for their AHL affiliate the Stockton Heat and spent some time with Calgary towards the end of last season. They are hoping he can take a few games off of Mike Smith’s hands so their starter can remain effective throughout the season.
This is probably one of the most volatile teams in the entire league. They could easily be a 100 point club with their elite scoring ability and some consistent goal tending. But things could just as easily fall apart like they did towards the end of last year.
Keep tabs on this team throughout the year for some interesting story lines. Calgary’s management is banking on their midsummer roster shake up to kick start this potential contender in the Pacific Division.
-Lucas Burrell
Edmonton Oilers
Head Coach: Todd McClellan
Key Additions: Kyle Brodziak, Kailer Yamamoto (Rookie), Evan Bouchard (Rookie)
Key Losses: David Desharnais, Matt Hendricks, Benoit Pouliot
Strengths: Connor McDavid, Speed, Youth
Weaknesses: Anyone not named Connor McDavid, Goaltending, Defnesemen
Predicted Point Total: points, 85 points (40-37-5)
The Edmonton Oilers are the enigma of the Pacific Division. On one hand, they have the best player in all of hockey. Connor McDavid, there is no disputing that.
McDavid lead the league in points (again) last season with 108 and a whopping 41 of those being goals. He was sixth in the NHL in that category behind the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Wild Bill Karlsson, and Alexander Ovechkin to name a few.
He was third in the NHL in assists with 67, only one behind the career years of Claude Giroux and Blake Wheeler.
A team with Connor McDavid, the best player in all of hockey, should be better than Edmonton was last season.
There is a caveat to last year though for the Edmonton Oilers. His name is Peter Chiarelli.
Edmonton was already seeing the effects of what could go down as the worst trade in NHL history before the season even started. I need not remind you that after the 2016-2017 season GM Peter Chiarelli traded current Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for…wait for it…ADAM LARSSON. Only a day after another blockbuster that sent P.K Subban to Nashville for Shea Weber, another one which will live in infamy.
Not to be outdone, before the start of last season, Chiarelli struck again, trading perennial 25 goal scorer Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders for not 25 goal scoring Ryan Strome.
Add this to absolutely horrible Milan Lucic and the absolutely horrible contract he’s signed to, and you got yourself a recipe for disaster.
San Jose Sharks
Head Coach Todd McClellan has found himself on the hottest of seats in the Pacific Division. The Oilers’ record last season, with all the talent that team has warranted his job being on the precipice.
However, and a big however, I think it is going to be the Edmonton Oilers, rather than the Arizona Coyotes who are going to be the surprise team in the Pacific Division.
The Copper and Blue have a plethora of very young talent starting their first full seasons in the NHL or even making their debuts.
2017 First Round Pick Kailer Yammamoto has been lighting up the preseason, and they have big hopes for him in Edmonton. Same goes for 18 year old defenseman Evan Bouchard. The 10th overall pick in this years draft apparently cannot be optioned to the AHL until 9 games in, but look for the kid from Oakville Ontario to make an immediate impact.
He’s an excellent two way D-man, very adept at moving the puck, something the Oilers desperately need on the Blue Line. He will be optioned to the AHL after 9 games, but don’t be surprised if we see him again in Copper and Blue very soon.
Darnell Nurse and aforementioned Adam Larsson are not puck movers (as Larsson was advertised), and are more physical than anything. I enjoy the way Nurse plays but don’t see him making a huge impact.
Starting Goaltender Cam Talbot has been somewhat of a disappointment since coming over from the New York Rangers. Talbot posted a meager 3.02 GAA and .908 SV% in 67 games last year. That uh, isn’t good.
Juggernaut forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl should keep Edmonton in it longer than they should be. Expect to see some impact from Yammamoto and a healthy former number one pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Free Agent addition Kyle Brodziak will add some much needed veteran presence to a younger bottom six for the Oilers.
While I expect them to come out strong, their youth and inexperience will catch up to them at the end of the season, and I predict a slide at the end of the year to keep them out of the playoffs. But an improvement year in Northern Alberta.
-Steve Fishman
Los Angeles Kings
Head Coach: John Stevens
Key Additions: Ilya Kovalchuk, Jeff Carter…sortof
Key Losses: None
Strengths: Defense, Goaltending
Weaknesses: Forwards
Predicted Point Total: 93, (42-31-9)
The Los Angeles Kings had a fairly unremarkable season. The Kings made the playoffs in the Pacific Division with 98 points and were subsequently swept by the Golden Knights in what was a much closer series than the sweep would indicate. Each game was a one goal game in a low scoring affair.
The Kings followed up the unremarkable season with an unremarkable offseason minus one addition, Ilya Kovulchuck at $6M for three seasons. The sniper has played that past five seasons with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. One of the purest snipers to ever grace the game, Kovy is expected to add significant punch to the Kings.
Forwards – The Kings are a very top-heavy, aging forward corps. They are led by the perennially underrated Anze Kopitar. Last season they were without goal scorer Jeff Carter. Even though he returned for the last few games and the playoffs it was obvious he was nowhere near 100%. The Kings should fare much better with a healthy Carter as the second line center.
Tyler Toffoli took a step back last year but should improve with the additions of Carter and Kovulchuk. Kovulchuk rounds out the notable top six forwards. We would mention Dustin Brown, however, we don’t talk about fight club. Plus, he has a broken finger and is out indefinitely.
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The main concern with the forward’s are its aging corps. They have progressively slowed and added an already 35 year old sniper. This forward corps is nearly past its “sell by” date, if it hasn’t passed it already. The Kings will really rely on its young skaters, like Alex Iafallo and Tanner Pearson, to take a step forward and supplement the aging group.
Expect an uptick in goal scoring this season, but until Kovy proves it, don’t expect much from the Kings forwards.
Coaching Staff – John Stevens takes on his second season as the Kings head coach. They performed admirably last season, and no changes are expected.
Defense – The defense was one of the strengths of the Kings last season. A blue line anchored by Drew Doughty, if it has some decent legs behind it, will always be a force. According to Hockey-Reference, Doughty averaged 27 minutes per night on defense while scoring 10 goals and 50 assists for 60 points.
Bottom line, Doughty was beast. The addition of Dion Phaneuf last season added a bit more stability to the back end and should continue in a second or third pair role. Underrated defenseman Jake Muzzin is another player to watch. Adding a healthy Alec Martinez will round out a solid defensive corps. Which will be just another solid blue line in the defense-heavy Pacific Division.
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Goaltending – The Kings goaltending was very good last season. According to NHL.com, Jonathan Quick posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.40 GAA in 64 games last season. He was also spectacular in the playoffs. While the Kings were swept the netminder posted a .947 SV% and a 1.55 GAA. In most series, those numbers equal a goalie stealing the series. If the Kings want any hope of making the playoffs this year, Quick must duplicate those numbers.
The Kings have a slow aging forward corps that should be able to put up more goals this season than they were able to manage last year. However, too many teams around them have taken bigger strides for them to warrant contender status. As a result they have surfaced as a playoff bubble team.
The defense will remain solid and likely make it tough on the opposition in their own zone.
It is unlikely Quick will repeat his near Vezina numbers, as he is a career league average goaltender in save percentage at .916. Though he has been able to keep his career GAA relatively low (2.28 GAA), this has been mostly due to stellar defense in front of him. Unfortunately the Kings will again struggle to score putting them on the outside looking in the Pacific Division.
-Dave Boettcher
San Jose Sharks
Head Coach: Peter DeBoer
Key Additions: Erik Karlsson, Joe Thornton (injury)
Key Losses: Chris Tierney, Dyaln DeMelo, Erik Fehr, Joel Ward, Jannik Hansen, Mikkel Boedker, Joe Thornton’s Beard.
Strengths: Blue Line, Penalty Kill, Top six
Weaknesses: Power Play, Bottom Six
Predicted Point Total: 112 (52-22-8)
Yeah, I know. This is a San Jose Sharks blog, and we’re picking them to win the division, and sort of run away with it. But, in fairness, we wouldn’t have done this ’til about three weeks ago. New addition Erik Karlsson is just that good and adds to an already elite blue line.
Karlsson will step in and pair with elite defensive defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, which could arguably be the best pairing in the NHL. Brent Burns will stay with running mate Joakim Ryan as they connected last season as a pretty nice pairing.
Ryan is a stay at home defenseman and he can counter Burns’ risky free-wheeling offensive style. Burns defensively leaves something to be desired, and is often out of position due to him pinching on nearly every offensive possession. But Burns, even in an off year last season still netted 67 points on a five-year low 12 goals.
Burns had a 3.60 shooting percentage on 332 shots which is almost unheard of. He takes very low-percentage shots, but even still, that is out of this world low. Expect that number to rebound as Burns will find himself taking less shots, as he may not need to now with Karlsson on the other pairing, and a healthy Joe Thornton back at the helm.
The San Jose Sharks last season posted the second best penalty kill in all of hockey, behind only the LA Kings by a couple decimal points. Newest Ottawa Senator Chris Tierney had a pretty major part to play in that, as he was the forward anchor to the penalty kill, but they retained Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun who will reunite on the PK this year for the Sharks.
Here is where I mention goalie Martin Jones. I have a different opinion of Jonsey than others do. To me, Martin Jones is an elite goaltender in this league. According to Corsica Hockey, Martin Jones’ 81.25 HDSV% (High Danger Save Percentage) ranks 8th among goalies with over 2,000 minutes of ice time last season.
Jones gets a bit of a bad rap, as he can lose focus, which could account for his relatively low MDSV%(Mid-Danger) of 90.04 which isn’t what you want out of your starting goaltender. But, there is talk around town that Jones was dealing with a few injuries, which contributed to his lack of focus and apparent loss of some quickness.
But the hype train has left Diridon Station. The Sharks should be the odds on favorite to win the Pacific Division. They have the firepower up front with a healthy Joe Thornton, and a full season of happy Evander Kane. And the Firepower in the back with the best blue line in all of hockey (dont @ me Predlines!)
-Steve Fishman
Vancouver Canucks
Head Coach: Travis Green
Key Additions: Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Tim Schaller
Key Losses: The Sedin’s
Strengths: Bright Young Stars
Weaknesses: Defense, Goaltending
Predicted Point Total: 68 pts (29-43-10)
With now-retired Swedish duo of Henrik and Daniel Sedin out the door, the youth movement is in full effect for the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks still find a lack of consistency on offense, defense and in goal finishing seventh in the Pacific Division in back-to-back seasons,.
With a sub-par offseason at the hands of general manager Jim Benning, the Canucks are still couple years away from reaching the playoffs – a feat last accomplished last during the 2014-2015 season.
Vancouver gave Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel matching four-year contracts to serve as veteran a presence in the bottom six. The Canucks re-signed several key players over the summer, including forwards Sven Baertschi, Jake Virtanen, and Markus Granlund as well as defensemen Troy Stecher and Derrick Pouliout.
However, that’s the not story for the Canucks this season as three superstar skaters look to stand out on the top of the organization: Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, and Elias Pettersson.
Bo Horvat will be the leader of this Vancouver Canucks offense. Horvat is now a cornerstone player for this franchise and has even bigger shoes to fill with the departure of the Sedin twins. Horvat carries a role of guidance on the top line with the budding talent of Boeser and Pettersson. The London, Ontario native has tallied at least 40 points in each of the last three seasons. In 64 games during his 2017-2018 campaign, the 23-year-old center put up a season-high 22 goals, 10 of which found the back of the net on the primary power play unit.
Brock Boeser was on pace to undoubtedly claim the Calder Trophy halfway through his freshman campaign. Unfortunately, a season-ending lower-back injury that took the award out of his grasp. Nevertheless, in 62 games, the 21-year-old right winger racked up a team-best 29 goals, which was second among all rookies behind the Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor.
Boeser’s 55 points sat five below the rookie franchise record of 60 established by Ivan Hlinka and Pavel Bure. Boeser possesses a wicked wrist shot and camouflages like a “silent weapon”, sneaking his way past the opponent’s defense with a stealthy style of play. With his golden hair’s magical flow, Boeser seeks to shine more light onto this year and pose as the biggest threat in the Canucks young talented lineup.
Elias Pettersson is one of the premier emerging stars in the National Hockey League. The 2017 5th overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks impressed in the Swedish Hockey League with Vaxjo Lakers HC, pacing the league with 56 points. Furthermore, the 19-year-old Swedish forward held tremendous tryouts at the past two Vancouver rookie camps and looked unstoppable during this year’s preseason.
Pettersson is an electric two-way forward with an exceptional play-reading mindset, the ability to skate sharply and react in all three zones, and a threat to whiplash his wrister and slapshot. Boeser and Pettersson give a jolt of excitement to the Vancouver fans, and front office as the backbones of the franchise, along with Horvat for the many years to follow in Rogers Arena.
While the young stars are ready to bring out the best on offense, the Canucks still falter on the defensive and goaltending front. Jacob Markstrom is average, at best. He has never really shown any significant improvement defending between the pipes over the previous five seasons within the Canucks organization. Last year, the 28-year-old Swedish goaltender recorded a 2.71 GAA and .912 save percentage in 60 games.
Alongside backup Anders Nilsson, Markstrom have to reach beyond expectation in order for the Canucks to fight in more closely-contested games this season. Especially if Vancouver wants to compete with elite defensive Pacific Division teams, like the Sharks, Ducks, or Kings. Either way, the Canucks are still in the final stages of their rebuilding process with 2018 seventh overall draft pick Quinn Hughes close to rising up to the NHL level.
-Michael Gutnick
Vegas Golden Knights
Head Coach: Gerard Gallant
Key Additions: Paul Stastny, Max Pacioretty
Key Losses: James Neal, David Perron, Nate Schmidt (Serving 20 game suspension)
Strengths: Forwards, Goaltending, Rushes off Turnovers.
Weaknesses: Defensemen
Predicted Point Total: 101, 2nd in the Pacific
It’s time to give credit where credit is due. The Stanley Cup Final appearance, and Pacific Division Title by the Golden Knights was by no means a fluke. They have a deep forward corps, very good goaltending, and a solid puck moving D corps.
The team brought back essentially the same guys from their Stanley Cup run with a few additions. They bring back the entire coaching staff of current Jack Adams award winner, Gerard Gallant, who played no small part in the Knights spectacular season.
In an attempt to ensure they didn’t follow up their record breaking season with a stinker in the Pacific Divison, the Knights didn’t stand pat. They allowed a few notable UFAs to walk, while adding a few much hyped players in Max Pacioretty and Paul Stasny.
The additions certainly make up for the subtractions and as a result team win production should not suffer in the Pacific Division. However, last season, every single Knights player had a career year, which will be hard to replicate. Additionally, its unlikely the Knights take anyone by surprise this season. A totally WAG (wild a** guess) for the Knights record is 47-28-7 for 101 points.
Forwards – The Vegas Golden Knights were a deep forward team before they made a magical run to the Stanley Cup finals. The lost perennial clutch scorer James Neal and 70 point scoring third liner David Perron to the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues respectively.
James Neal was a key piece to the Knights run, and was essentially replaced with Max Pacioretty in a notable trade with the Montreal Canadians. The Knights gave up a very good prospect in Nick Suzuki, a third line grit player in Tomas Tatar, and a second round pick.
In an upgrade over Perron, the Knights acquired the services of Paul Stastny via free agency to a 3 year $6.5M Dollar deal. A very solid second line center who is responsible defensively.
Additionally, the Knights resigned notable RFA and best nickname in all of hockey, William “Wild Bill” Karlsson on a one year show me deal at $5.25M.
Bottom line, the Knights incredibly talented forward corps became even better.
Coaching staff – As referred to above they are the reigning Jack Adams award winning staff led by Gallant. The coaching staff brought together a gaggle of players who have never played together before, were essentially cast offs, and turned them into a contender. That is spectacular work.
Goaltending – According to Hockey-Reference, Marc Andre Fleury sported an elite .927 save percentage and 2.24 GAA in 46 games last season, while the rest of the conglomerate of goaltenders managed to put together a respectable league average save percentage and GAA.
Defense – The Knights have a very mobile puck moving defense led by Shea Theodore, recently resigned to a 7 year contract at a $5.2M AAV according to CapFriendly. Theodore will be relied upon to log big minutes and make up for the absence of Nate Schmidt. Colin Miller, Brayden McNabb and Nate Schmidt are a solid top four behind Theodore.
The reason this is the Knights sole weakness is because of offseason drama created by one the Knights best defenseman. Nate Schmidt, a castoff of the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, was smacked with a 20 game suspension in accordance with the leagues doping policy. This is a big hit for the Knights and could have a significant impact on the Knights season in the Pacific Division.
The Golden Knights are still going to be a very dangerous team in the Pacific Division. The forward corps improved significantly enough to prevent any drop-off from the teams emotional inaugural season, while the award winning coaching staff returns.
The defense should be able to weather the effects of losing a top two defenseman for 20 games but not without some overall impact on the team. Also, its doubtful all of the Knights have career seasons two seasons in a row.
While, a 100 point season isn’t out of the question, the Knights likely wont reproduce the point total from last years Cinderella story.
-David Boettcher
Next. Sharks Decide on Opening Day Roster. dark
Look. We don’t know what the hell is going to happen. We do know this however, that the Pacific Division is going to be one hell of a dogfight.