We finish our NHL conference previews with a look at the Pacific Division. Last year the Pacific sent four teams to the playoffs with the 5th team, Dallas just missing the post-season.
In the off-season all five teams have significant changes made to their roster. Will all five teams contend for a playoff spot this year? Let's break it down.
1. San Jose Sharks
How They Finished: 48-25-9 105 points 1st in Pacific, 2nd in West Lost in Conference Finals to Vancouver.
Additions:
Brent Burns (Minnesota) Martin Havlat (Minnesota) James Sheppard (Minnesota) Michal Handzus (Los Angeles) Jim Vandermeer (Edmonton) Andrew Murray (Columbus) Colin White (New Jersey)
Subtractions:
Dany Heatley (Minnesota) Devon Setoguchi (Minnesota) Ben Eager (Edmonton) Jamal Mayers (Chicago) Ian White (Detroit) Scott Nichol (St. Louis) Kent Huskins (St. Louis) Kyle Wellwood (Winnipeg) Niclas Wallin (Sweden)
Why They'll Succeed:
Looking at the roster this might be deepest team in the NHL. Patrick Marleau (37G, 36A) and Joe Thornton (21G, 49A) each reached the 70 point plateau to lead all scorers.
The trade of Devon Setoguchi was made because of the emergence of Joe Pavelski & Logan Couture. Pavelski was 3rd on the team in points last year with 66 (20G, 46A) while Couture 1st full season in the NHL ended with him finishing 2nd on the Sharks in goals scored with 32.
Martin Havlat and James Sheppard come over to the Sharks from Minnesota.Havlat had 22 goals & 40 assist last year for the Wild and will fit in nicely on the 2nd line. Sheppard missed last year with a knee injury and is looking to resurrect what has been a disappointing NHL career.
In goal the Sharks have Antti Niemi in net. Niemi was 35-18-6 in goal with a GAA of 2.38 and a save percentage of .920. Most importantly in the playoffs he gave the Sharks a sense of calm in goal that they haven't had in recent years.
Why They'll Fail:
The biggest move the Sharks made in the off-season was getting Brent Burns from Minnesota to go with Dan Boyle on the blueline.
Burns was an All-Star last year with 17 goals and 29 assists. He also played at times last year like a #5 defenseman instead of an All-Star. Burns is a good player who has done a great job transitioning from forward to defense but there are still some lapses in his game.
Another move the Sharks made was letting Ian White and Kent Huskins leave as free agents and bringing in Colin White from New Jersey and Jim Vandermeer from Edmonton to replace them.
From a talent standpoint the Sharks are better on defense but when you bring in a lot of new faces chemistry is always a concern right away.
Prediction:
GM Doug Wilson realizes the window for the Sharks is closing. That's why these bold moves were made. Yes there is always some concern when making these deals but I believe the Sharks are a stronger team overall because of these deal. I like the Sharks to win the Pacific once again with another deep run in the playoffs to follow.
2. Los Angeles Kings
How They Finished: 46-30-6 98 points 4th in Pacific, 7th in West.
Lost in 1st Round to San Jose.
Additions:
Mike Richards (Philadelphia) Colin Fraser (Edmonton) Simon Gagne (Tampa Bay) Ethan Moreau (Columbus) Trent Hunter (NY Islanders)
Subtractions:
Wayne Simmonds (Philadelphia) Brayden Schenn (Philadelphia) Michal Handzus (San Jose) Alexei Ponikarovsky (Carolina) Peter Harrold (New Jersey) Oscar Moller (Sweden)
Why They'll Succeed:
For the last few seasons the Kings have had a lot of salary cap space but failed to land a marque free agent. This year they decided to trade for one acquiring Mike Richards from Philadelphia.
Richards is one of if not the best two-way center in the NHL. He can score and set up goal and is great on the penalty kill. He won't be under the microscope in LA like he was in Philadelphia.
Richards joins a talented group of forwards led by Anze Kopitar who lead the Kings with 73 points (25G, 48A) last season. Dustin Brown (28G, 29A) and Justin Williams (22G, 35A) finished tied for 2nd on the team with 57 points.
The Kings will also benefit by having Dustin Penner (23G, 22A) for a full season and also bringing in Simon Gagne (17G, 23A) from Tampa Bay.
On defense the Kings are led by Drew Doughty. Doughty was a finalist for the Norris Trophy in 2010. If he can get back to that form for the 2011-2012 season the Kings will be in great shape on the blueline.
Doughty is joined on defense by Jack Johnson who led all defenseman on the Kings in scoring with 42 points (5G, 37A).
Why They'll Fail:
There is a drop-off in talent on defense after Doughty & Johnson.
That's not a knock on Matt Greene, Willie Mitchell, and Rob Scuderi. It's just that they aren't as good as Doughty & Johnson. Their play on the blueline will determine how good the Kings are defensively.
The Kings have two good goaltenders in Johnathan Quick & Jonathan Bernier. While both have proven they can play at the NHL level neither one has shown they can seize the job as the number one goaltender. I believe for the Kings to take the next step one of these two needs to claim the job in goal.
Prediction:
Last year I predicted the Kings to win the Pacific. That didn't happen as they finished 4th. This year I think the Kings are better but I don't think they are good enough to over take San Jose for the division crown. Los Angeles finishes 2nd and reaches the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row.
3. Anaheim Ducks
How They Finished: 47-30-5 99 points 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West. Lost in 1st Round to Nashville.
Additions:
Kurtis Foster (Edmonton) Andrew Cogliano (Edmonton) Mathieu Carle (Montreal) J.F. Jacques (Edmonton) Jeff Deslauriens (Edmonton) Matt Smaby (Tampa Bay)
Subtractions:
Andy Sutton (Edmonton) Andreas Lilja (Philadelphia) Kyle Chipchura (Winnipeg)
Why They'll Succeed:
They have the best line in the NHL in Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, & Bobby Ryan.
Perry, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, finished with 98 points last year and led the NHL in goals with 50. Getzlaf was 3rd on the team with 76 points (19G, 57A) while Ryan was 4th with 71 points (34G, 37A)
The Ducks also received good news with Teemu Selanne announcing he would return for another season. Selanne was 2nd in scoring last year for the Ducks with 31 goals and 49 assists. He'll anchor the 2nd line.
On defense the Ducks have a nice core of defenseman that can score.
Lubomir Visnovsky led all defenseman with 68 points (18G, 50A) while Cam Fowler had a solid rookie campaign with 40 points (10G, 30A) Toni Lydman was 3rd on the team with 25 points (3G, 22A) and led all defenseman in plus/minus at +32.
Why They'll Fail:
The status of Jonas Hiller is a concern for Anaheim. Hiller missed time last season battling Vertigo like symptoms. He did return at the end of the year only to be sent home during the playoffs.
If Hiller can't go in net the job will fall to Dan Ellis with Jeff Deslaureins backing him up. Either way I'm concerned if I am a Ducks fan.
Prediction:
It all depends on the health of Hiller. If he is healthy the Ducks are hands down a playoff team. If not it could be a struggle for Anaheim to get in. I'll say right now Anaheim is a playoff team but that is subject to change.
4. Dallas Stars
How They Finished: 42-29-11 95 points 5th in Pacific, 9th in West. Missed Playoffs
Additions:
Michael Ryder (Boston) Radek Dvorak (Atlanta) Vernon Fiddler (Phoenix) Adam Pardy (Calgary) Sheldon Souray (Edmonton) Jake Dowell (Chicago) Eric Godard (Pittsburgh)
Subtractions:
Brad Richards (NY Rangers) Jamie Langenbrunner (St. Louis) Jason Williams (Pittsburgh) Jeff Woywitka (Montreal) Brandon Segal (Chicago)
Why They'll Succeed:
Four of their top five scorers return this season for Dallas.
Loui Eriksson (27G, 46A) and Mike Ribeiro (19G, 52A) each reached the 70 point mark while Brendan Morrow (33G, 23A) and Jamie Benn (22G, 34A) each had 56 points.
They'll be joined up front from Michael Ryder who scored 41 points (18G, 23A) last season with the Bruins.
On defense the Stars should benefit from having Alex Gologoski for an entire season. Acquired last season from Pittsburgh, Gologoski finished with 14 goals and 32 points. He'll lead a blueline that consists of Stephane Robidas (5G, 25A), Trevor Daley (8G, 19A) and Nicklas Grossman (1G, 9A)
Why They'll Fail:
The Stars best player last year is now playing in New York.
Brad Richards left as a free agent and as to who will step in to fill his skates is anybody's guess. Truth be told no one player on the roster will be able to do it by themselves. Each forward will have to produce more to fill the 77 points that Richards had last year.
Another thing to watch is the return of Sheldon Souray to the NHL. Souray has been the property of the Edmonton Oilers since 2007 but played last year in the AHL. Souray should be able to get a spot on the Dallas roster but there is no guarantee he will be the same player he was in Montreal.
Kari Lehtonen did play well in net for Dallas finishing 34-24-11 with a GAA of 2.55 and a save percentage of .914. While he did better than I thought he would I'm still not convinced he can lead the Stars to the playoffs.
Prediction:
Dallas led the Pacific Division for most of the season before falling back and missing a playoff berth on the final day of the season. With the ownership situation being unsettled and Richards leaving the team I see the Stars missing the playoffs once again.
5. Phoenix Coyotes
How They Finished: 43-26-13 99 points 3rd in Pacific, 6th in West. Lost in 1st Round to Detroit.
Additions:
Marc-Antoine Pouliot (Tampa Bay) Daymond Langkow (Calgary) Petteri Nokelainain (Finland) Boyd Gordan (Washington) Mike Smith (Tampa Bay) Raffi Torres (Vancouver) Alex Bolduc (Vancouver) Curtis McElhinney (Ottawa) Kyle Chipchura (Anaheim) Patrick O'Sullivan (Minnesota)
Subtractions:
Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia) Lee Stempniak (Calgary) Ed Jovanovski (Florida) Eric Belanger (Edmonton) Vernon Fiddler (Dallas) Andrew Ebbett (Vancouver) Alex Picard (Tampa Bay)
Why They'll Succeed:
Dave Tippett seems to get the most out of the Coyotes.
Two years ago they were picked to finish last in the Western Conference only to makes the playoffs and have home ice in the 1st round. Last year I picked them to miss the playoffs only for them to return for the 2nd year in a row.
Scoring goals shouldn't be an issue for the Coyotes as their top four scorers from last season return.
Shane Doan (20G, 40A) led Phoenix in scoring with 60 points last year with Ray Whitney (17G, 40A) was 2nd among forwards with 57. Radim Vrbata (19G, 29A) & Lauri Korpikoski (19G, 21A) also reached the 40 point mark.
On the blueline the Coyotes have a potential Norris Trophy candidate in Keith Yandle. Yandle finished with 59 points (11G, 48) and was a +12 on the ice. He might be the most important player this year for Phoenix.
Why They'll Fail:
The reason Yandle might be Phoenix's most important player is because Ilya Bryzagalov has left the desert for Philadelphia.
Last year Bryzgalov was 36-20-10 with a GAA of 2.48 and a save percentage of .921. In a system where team defense & limiting the number of goals is the key just to compete losing Bryzgalov is a big blow for the Coyotes.
The task of replacing Bryzgalov will fall into the hands of Mike Smith. Smith played in 22 games for Tampa last year and was 13-6-1 with a GAA of 2.90 and a save percentage of .899.
What concerns me about Smith is he was never able to claim the job as number one goalie in Tampa. With Phoenix's ownership situation still in limbo the Coyotes couldn't afford to keep Bryzgalov and won't be able to go after a top goaltender should Smith fail.
Prediction:
The Coyotes aren't a fancy team but the last two years they found a way to win hockey games. With Bryzgalov gone the number of wins is going to drop. The Coyotes will be competitive but they won't make the playoffs.
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