NHL season preview: Western Conference

It’s really a tossup between the Jets and the Predators. What the Jets have, though, are the offensive stars, or potential stars, the Predators don’t have just yet. Patrik Laine is already one of the best goal scorers in the NHL. He notched 44 goals last year in his sophomore campaign. Mark Scheifele has averaged over a point per game the last two seasons. Pekka Rinne and Connor Hellebuyck are both coming off great seasons, but Hellebuyck is a young goalie on the rise, while Rinne is a 35-year-old veteran who can’t keep this up forever. This is why Winnipeg gets the edge out west.

Last year, the Predators won the President’s Trophy, and two years ago they made it to the Stanley Cup final. The team should be just as good this year. Pekka Rinne just won the Vezina, and if you are worried he will regress, Juuse Saros is perhaps the best backup in the league. Their defensive corps is the best in the league. They also have several very good forwards, led by Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, and Ryan Johansen. While they lack that elite offensive star, we know how good this team is when they are at the top of their game.

Last year the Kings allowed the fewest goals per game, thanks to their great defense and goalie Jonathan Quick. Oh, and also Anze Kopitar, one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. This is a team built to win now, thanks to an abundance of veterans like Jeff Carter, Dion Phaneuf, and Drew Doughty. They also added Ilya Kovalchuk, fresh from the KHL, this offseason. The Kings are definitely going for the Cup, and they just might get it.

The Sharks were already looking good before they traded for Erik Karlsson. You could say that San Jose now has the two best offensive defensemen in the league with Karlsson and Brent Burns. Don’t forget about Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun. Will Martin Jones even face any shots? The addition of Evander Kane at the trade deadline last year has been extended into this year, giving this team more punch on offense. Will Joe Thornton finally lift a Cup this year? It’s quite possible.

Basically everybody thought the Golden Knights were going to be awful last season. Instead, they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. They will not surprise anybody this year. There is legit talent on this team, and now they’ve added Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty. On the other hand, the defense is a collection of unremarkable names, and can Marc-Andre Fleury post a .927 save percentage again? Vegas likely won’t be returning to the finals, but they should definitely make the playoffs.

The Blues need Jake Allen to bounce back, but if he does, this is a potentially formidable lineup. The addition of Ryan O’Reilly at center gives them a one-two punch at the pivot with him and Bryaden Schenn. David Perron and Patrick Maroon have been added to give depth on wing. Of course, we can’t forget Vladimir Tarasenko, who can score 30 goals in his sleep. The defense behind Alex Pietrangelo isn’t what it used to be, but this is still a really good team on paper.

The Ducks are old, and in turn are often injured. Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and Corey Perry have started missing considerable time, and in fact Perry is now out five months due to knee surgery. On the other hand, John Gibson looks like the kind of goalie who could win multiple Vezinas in his career. He’s only 25, and has a career .923 save percentage.

Ben Bishop was supposed to solidify Dallas in net last year, and he sort of did, but it wasn’t enough to take the Stars to the next level. At least Bishop is back. In truth, the real issue is the lack of depth. The top three forwards, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Alexander Radulov, are great. So is Swedish defenseman John Klingberg. Name one other good player on the Stars. Point proven.

Can Eric Staal repeat his campaign from last season, when he shockingly notched 42 goals and 76 points? It seems unlikely, but there is talent on this team beyond the former Hurricane. Ryan Suter and Zach Parise are on their last legs, although given that Suter played 26:47 per game last year those legs are still strong. The Wild should make the playoffs again, but it feels like this team’s ceiling has been defined.

It all begins and ends with Connor McDavid. He’s already the best player in the NHL, and he’s not even in his prime yet. Don’t be surprised if he takes home the Hart, at least if he can carry the Oilers into the playoffs. It’s hard to bet against him, especially if Cam Talbot can bounce back in net. Some secondary scoring beyond Leon Draisaitl would be nice, too.

Two season ago, the Avalanche were the worst team in the NHL by a wide margin. They proceeded to improve by nearly 50 points and make the playoffs. Expect the Plexiglass Principle to come into play this year. Nathan MacKinnon is great, and Mikko Rantanen emerged last season, so there is talent here. Adding Philipp Grubauer to compete with Semyon Varlamov helps as well. We’re not saying Colorado is going to sink to the bottom of the standings again, but if they miss the playoffs, don’t be surprised.

The addition of James Neal should help give the Flames depth behind the one-two punch of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. On the other hand, they traded away Dougie Hamilton, which hurts the defense. There is also good reason for skepticism about Mike Smith, who at times carried Calgary last season. He finished with a .916 save percentage, which is better than his career number of .913, and the 36-year-old is going to be hard pressed to repeat that.

The present is not the past, and the Blackhawks are a sterling example of that. Once the best team in the league, age, and the salary cap, has caught up with Chicago. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are no longer the dynamic pair they used to be. They lack the depth of the days of yore. Plus, we have no idea what the future holds for Corey Crawford, who is dealing with post-concussion issues. Any team with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have hope, but hope is in shorter supply in the Second City these days.

The Coyotes always seem to be getting better bit by bit, but unfortunately the rest of the conference never seems to slip up. You may not realize it, but when Antti Raanta was healthy he had a .930 save percentage. Clayton Keller is a legit forward, and the hope is new additions like Alex Galchenyuk and Michael Grabner will help them finally contend for a playoff spot. That could definitely happen, but patience is probably running thin in the desert.

There are 14 teams that seem like they will be at least decent in the Western Conference…and then there are the Canucks. Vancouver seems primed to be the worst team out west by a large margin. The Sedin Twins are gone, and a rebuild is just getting started. Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, and Elias Pettersson, are the building blocks for a bright future, but the cupboard is largely bare.