As the NHL season begins the second year of its closure, the teams and players are anxiously trying to prepare and give a good impression on the rest of the league. This season is intended to provide questions in terms of winners and losers like last year's winners of Carolina, Edmonton, and Buffalo or the losers in Toronto, Boston and Vancouver. This update I will tackle the Pacific division in the hope of finding new changes, surprises and disappointments.
The Dallas Stars have been well known for always being a strong representative of the Pacific Division since the movement of Minnesota to the Lone Star State. While many hockey fans this season can be argued that, for such withdrawals as Bill Guerin and Jason Arnott will be hard for fans of Stars, I will reassure all those who doubted that Dallas will be one of the elite teams in the regular season again. While Marty Turco is not known for their stellar performances of the playoffs, which is as solid as you can get in the regular season, and with additions to the blue line as Jaroslav Modry and Darryl SYDOR, two, three defenses of their respective teams above, both the defense and goaltending situation should be solid for the Dallas Stars. As for the offense, it is true that the stars may have lost key additions Guerin and Arnott, but the truth is that Guerin was less than stellar last season and was very productive while Arnott was a contract year for him, and more than likely not have been paired with the same level of production. The stars are added some depth movements Patrik Stefan, Jeff Halpern, and Eric Lindros, and the emergence of promising young Jussi Jokinen and Antti Miettinen and the stars should have no trouble finding the net. Look at the stars once again compete for the President Trophy this year.
Causing the Stars a run for their money last year, the Anaheim Ducks did not just change the name, but the outlook for this season too. Arguably the best defense in the league with the addition of Chris Pronger with Scott Niedermayer, Ducks think will actually win the Pacific this year for a key addition. With two goalkeepers capable of high level of play and great defense, teams will have very difficult time scoring against this team. If Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald are able to perform in the same caliber as last season and if the prospects for duck in Getzlap hot, Perry, Kunitz, Chistov and are able to play solidly, ducks should have absolutely no problem to win not only the division but also the President of the Trophy. Hopefully this will add more attention to the area of Los Angeles once.
In what I believe is the best division in the NHL San Jose Sharks are next on the list of playoff contenders, probably. Supporting a horrible start last fall, sharks remained resilient to the players and especially the acquisition of Joe Thornton put in a second incredible. With a year against the Sharks, the team will have no problem getting to the playoffs and compete vigorously. As Anaheim, the team has two competent goalkeepers eager to start, which should provide excellent goaltending. It is true that sharks are a little weak on defense, but with the replacement of future studies Matt Carle defenses instead of Tom Priessing, defense, led by Hannan and EHRHOFF must be strong enough to allow the crime of win games. Speaking of the offense, the Sharks have potentially most dangerous combinations in the league with Thornton and Cheechoo. If newly acquired Mark Bell can go to jail and perform on the ice, there is probably one of the best lines in the league. While the depth of the shark could be a little weak in terms of crime, with a line like this, unless one of these players is injured, there is no reason for concern in terms of offensive production. Find a great year for this team, but because the Sharks play in a division so hard, the points can be difficult to find in the end.
Unlike sharks, kings of Los Angeles began the season in excellent shape, but drowned near the end that culminated in the sacking of coach Andy Murray. The kings of this season are not in better shape as they have taken in a confusing manner which seemed to be rebuilding at one end, but also seemed to compete in another final. Pavol Demitra Trading in the wild for Patrick O'Sullivan might have looked like the Kings, where the signaling mode for the reconstruction of other teams, but other acquisitions as Dan Cloutier, Alan McCauley, Rob Blake, while both excellent for their positions seems to discuss a more competitive team for opponents to think. While the Kings made the acquisitions with respect to its competitors in the division, with a tough schedule ahead, and the team is pretty mediocre for one to compete with the likes of sharks, ducks, and the stars, I do not see the Kings make the playoffs again this season.
Now, probably one of the last teams to expect to go to the Stanley Cup playoffs is the Phoenix Coyotes right? Well, they are my Western Conference Champions. You may think I'm crazy for choosing this team, but consider the Edmonton Oilers last year and how many experts chosen to represent the West. I see a familiar pattern with the Coyotes, a team of bed that barely reaches the playoffs, but Gretzky wheel steering and a huge amount of depth, which provide the Coyotes causing some problems for opponents this season. With key additions as Nick Boynton defense and Ed Jovanovski, along with tablets of offense, as Jeremy Roenick and Owen Nolan, the team may have the right materials to definitely compete and, together with Jose Roenick their first Stanley Cup. It is true that they are in a difficult division, but again have a less than stellar regular season point total does not mean much in the playoffs. I also predict the victory of the Vezina Joseph, as well as an excellent defensive nucleus.
Final results of the Pacific for the 2006-2007 season (Ranking based on the Western classification):
1. Anaheim Ducks
4. Dallas Stars
5. Phoenix Coyotes
6. San Jose Sharks
12. Vancouver Canucks