Post by League Commish (Hurricanes GM) on Mar 23, 2013 18:17:21 GMT -5
WESTERN CONFERENCE
15. DETROIT RED WINGS
Last Season: 10th
What was once a mighty dynasty, the Detroit Red Wings are feeling the effects of a rebuild finally reach them. Gone are Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom and other fixutres and in are new, young blood like Martin Frk,
Tyler Toffoli, Dougie Hamilton, Malcolm Subban and power forward Milan Lucic.
The Red Wings are in a transition into a full-scale rebuild, and as so, they will fall in the standings. I believe that this lack of an identity, plus a depleted roster with very little star power, no number one goaltender and a plethroa of young, unproven talent will see the mighty Red Wings sink to 15th in the West, netting them a high draft pick in 2014 to officially start the rebuild.
Players to Watch[/u]
Milan Lucic (LW), Dougie Hamilton (D), Niklas Kronwall (D)
14. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Last Season: 15th
Another team in a rebuild, the Blue Jackets are continuing to build assets
to become a competitive team in the future. While the roster still isn't ready to compete, I expect to see a more solid Blue Jackets team on the ice this year and it will be interesting to see how number one overall pick Nathan MacKinnon fares in his first pro season.
The Blue Jackets are going to live and die on their defensive game with a great d-core led by stalwart rookie from last year's draft, Ryan Murray. An unproven rookie nineteen year old goaltender will start between the pipes, but he'll have a solid cushion in front of him in the Blue Jacket's top six. It'll be a challenge to see if the offense led by R.J. Umberger and James Van Riemsdyk can add enough support. I feel like it will be a marginal imporvement this year for the Blue Jackets, but the big prize will be at the end of next year with another high pick anda full year of pro hockey under MacKinnon's belt.
Players to Watch[/u]
Nathan MacKinnon (C), James Van Riemsdyk (RW), Oscar Dansk (G), Ryan Murray (D)
13. DALLAS STARS
Last Season: 13th
I predict the Stars to be even with their performance last year, and have them slotted in at 13 once again this season. There are some very good
players on this team, including a huge acquisition in Ryan O'Reilly. It's hard to really write off any team with a goaltender as good as Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes, but I expect another trying season from him but I'm not sure that the Stars defense will be able to support him enough.
The Stars will be a harder team to play against with the acquisition of the aforementioned O'Reilly and the addition of Chris Neil. They should remain competitive, but I'm not sure if the improvements made will be enough to create a big surge in the standings for the Texans. Expect a solid year from Benn and Lundqvist as they attempt to prove me wrong.
Players to Watch[/u]
Henrik Lundqvist (G), Jamie Benn (RW), Ryan O'Reilly (C)
12. NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Last Season: 12th
The Predators have done little to really improve the team, which is why I predict them to finish around the same place as last year. The Predators have some serious star power in each position with Getzlaf, Weber and Rinne, but the rest of the team isn't quite on their level just yet. A work-in-progress, the Predators have a number of forwards still reaching their prime and a young star in the making in Jeremy Morin who made the team this year after coming across from Chicago at the trade deadline last year.
It will be a season of ups and downs once more for the Predators. Expect a strong season from the stars, as well as a potential breakout year for Roman Josi and Morin. The Predators should be competitive enough not to completely hit rock bottom this year, and while they could surprise, I feel confident in saying that they're not a playoff team just yet.
Players to Watch[/u]
Ryan Getzlaf (C), Pekka Rinne (D), Shea Weber (D), Jeremy Morin (LW)
11. PHOENIX COYOTES
Last Season: 8th
The Coyotes were a marginal surprise last year, making it into the playoffs as the eight seed before falling to the Oilers in a gutsy 7 game effort. I
feel as if the Coyotes overacheived last year and are due to a drop off, which isn't a knock on the team more as it is a compliment to some of the improvements made elsewhere in the Western Conference. But if last year proved anything, the Coyotes are eager to ruin anyone's fantasy predictions, so I still expect them to be in the thick of things near the end of the year.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has quietly become one of the leagues best defenders, and will be a huge mentor to young dmen like Brandon Gormley and Michael Stone as they try to transition into full time NHL defenders. Bergeron leads the charge up front but has some quality accomplices in Boedker, Doan and Vrbata to help him out. The Coyotes also feature an excellent goaltending tandem in Mike Smith and last year's breakout star Mark Visentin. Take this prediction with a grain of salt, I think the Coyotes may be poised to surprise once again this year.
Players to Watch[/u]
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D), Mark Visentin (D), Patrice Bergeron (C)
10. CALGARY FLAMES
Last Season: 14th
This may be a bit of an overestimation on my part, but I expect the Flames to be much better this year despite an influx of young talent. The acquisition of some big time forwards like Henrik Zetterberg, Brad Richards and Joffrey Lupul give the Flames some great weapons to work with, as well as a young star named Sven Bartschi who continues to improve every year. The return of Dion Phaneuf adds a solid, stay at home presence with a huge shot to work the powerplay and adding Simeon Varlamov gives them a legit number one netminder to guide Leland Irving's bumpy transition to an NHL goalie.
I feel like the Flames have the potential to surprise, and it really
depends on how well their new acquistions click and if Bartschi can take
his game to the next level. The veteran/youth presence is there in spades for both, it's just a matter if they fit together or not.
Players to Watch[/u]
Sven Bartschi (RW), Henrik Zetterberg (LW), Brad Richards (C), Joffrey Lupul (RW), Dion Phaneuf (D)
9. COLORADO AVALANCHE
Last Season: 11th
Rounding out the non-playoff teams in the West, I predict the Colorado
Avalanche to just miss the playoffs, which is still a huge improvement from their 11th place finish last season. Alot of this prediction rests upon some of the younger forwards on the team making big contributions. That means Kreider and Fasching. The Avs are thin on the wings but have some serious talent up the middle and on the backend.
Duchene, Stastny and Landeskog return to carry the majority of the
offensive load, with Johnson, Siemens and Hejda holding down the D. The progression of younger defenders like Elliott will help the team, but I
think the biggest addition may be the combo of Kiprusoff and Aittokallio in goal. Kipper is a proven winner and should be an excellent mentor for
Aitokallio. Look for goaltending to steal a few wins for the Avs this year
as they look to make the playoffs once more. They're one or two wingers way from being there, can Fasching and Kreider become those players and fill that void?
Players to Watch[/u]
Miikka Kiprusoff/Sami Aittokallio (G), Hudson Fasching (RW), Chris Kreider (C), Matt Duchene (C)
8. SAN JOSE SHARKS
Last Season: 7th
The San Jose Sharks have been battling what some could consider a playoff curse for years. They've always had great teams but just weren't able to get it done in the post season. This season's iteration of the Sharks seems poised to finally get the Championship, but it may be a bit of a rough season in a very competitive Western Conference.
That said, the Sharks should easily still be a playoff team led by great plyaers like Patrick Marleau, Cody Hodgson, Martin St. Louis and all star Ryan Miller manning the pipes. Their D is good enough to not be a problem and forward depth seems plentiful. Expect the Sharks to be a low seed with dangerous potential for an upset with the leadership and talent that they have.
Players to Watch[/u]
Ryan Miller (C), Cody Hodgson (C), Martin St. Louis (RW), Tomas Hertl (LW)
7. LOS ANGELES KINGS
Last Season: 4th
The Los Angeles Kings are virtually untouched from their team last year, but that isn't really a problem when your team has as much depth and talent as this one does in the first place. That said, I feel like there were some other teams that improved more in the west that might push the Kings back a bit and I'm not convinced that their offense is as good as it would be if they still had Anze Kopitar playing at center. Travis Zajac does, however, make a perfect replacement.
Jonathan Quick is, however, arguably the best goaltender in the league and that will go a long way to helping you win games. A solid D core and a very deep forward group means that the Kings will be very hard to play against from top to bottom. Maybe I'm underselling them just a bit by placing them at 8th, but they definitely have the tools to prove me wrong.
Players to Watch[/u]
Drew Doughty (D), Jonathan Quick (G), Travis Zajac (C)
6. MINNESOTA WILD
Last Season: 9th
After shoring up big over UFA last summer, the Minnesota Wild looked poised to take a run at their division championship but fell short of even the playoffs, finishing 9th at the end of the regular season. Now, this year, coming off another exciting offseason, it's once again a chance for the Wild to prove that they have what it takes to be a top team in not only the Western Conference, but also in the entire league. I believe that this year may be the year that this may happen.
The biggest addition to the Wild in this offseason was the addition of one of the best two way forwards in the league and one of the most skilled, centerman Pavel Datsyuk. Not only does it give the Wild one of the biggest offensive threats in the league to supplement Parise and Heatley, but it also gives them an amazing one-two punch down the middle alongside captain Mikko Koivu. If Josh Harding can prove that he can hold his own as a starting goalie, expect to see the Wild finally making noise in the post season.
Players to Watch[/u]
Pavel Datsyuk (C), Mikael Granlund (LW), Josh Harding (G), Ryan Suter (D)
5. Vancouver Canucks
Last Season: 5th
The Canucks have been on the cusp of greatness for several seasons now, with a Stanley Cup finals appearance and a graceful bow out in the third round of last season's playoffs. The addition of scoring winger Martin Havlat may be the remedy to some of the problems that the Canucks have been having, mainly, someone to play along side and contribute at the same level as, the Sedin twins.
With Havlat on board, the majority of the core from that Cup final visit still intact, one of the league's best goaltenders and a promising young threat in Brendan Gaunce, the Canucks once again have all the tools to capture Lord Stanley's Cup. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Canucks fight for first in their division and maybe even have a shot at taking it.
Players to Watch/
Robert Luongo (G), Martin Havlat (RW), Brendan Gaunce (C)
4. St. Louis Blues
Last Season: 2nd
The St. Louis Blues spent a large portion of last season sitting near the top of the Western Conference before injuries took a toll and dropped them a bit. This season, look for a healthy Blues squad to try to get back to the top. The drop in standings really has nothing to do with any mistakes made by the GM or players lost, but rather how I feel some of the other teams in the West improved. And unfortunately, being in the same division as last year's cup winner means that the highest they can go standings wise is 4th. The Blues should be a post season lock with a great shot at being a serious contender for Lord Stanley's Cup in May.
The Blues are a tough team to play against with large, strong forwards who make teams pay both physically and on the socre board. Add in a great defense core with the addition of one of the league's best defensemen in Zdeno Chara and a great goaltending tandem and you have the recipe for a team that should be in every single game of the season. Poised and ready to prove that last season wasn't a fluke, look for a healthy Blues team to cause turmoil at the top of the standings in the west this season.
Players to Watch[/u]
Zdeno Chara (D), Jaroslav Halak/Brian Elliott (G), Jarome Iginla (RW)
3. Anaheim Ducks
Last Season: 3rd
The Ducks were a bit of a surprise last season when they captured the Pacific division championship. This season, I think they have the parts to repeat despite losing gritty center Mike Fisher to UFA, but they'll be pressed hard by the San Jose Sharks in the meanwhile. The Ducks strength comes from their back end which features a pair of top defenders in Shea Weber and Cam Fowler, and the ever-solid Jack Johnson. Up front, the charge is led by young phenom Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and a talented cast with Thomas Fleischmann, Vincent Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn helping to carry the load.
The Duck success will come if they play their same game as last season and Jonas Hiller once again provides solid goaltending. If their hard working gameplan fails, the team might find themselves facing some heavy fire from the Sharks, who will be close behind chomping at their heels for the Pacific Division title.
Players to Watch[/u]
Jonas Hiller (G), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C), Shea Weber (D)
2. Edmonton Oilers
Last Season: 1st
The Edmonton Oilers are built to win after a season that saw them ship out the entirety of it's young core. Built around a great defense core and franchise center Jonathan Toews, the Oilers have great depth in all positions, making them a hard team to play against in all areas of the ice. Combined with spectacular Vezina winning Jonathan Bernier, the Oilers are built to make another huge playoff push this season. The addition of Mike Fisher only serves to prove that.
With so many threats, the Oilers push opposing defenses hard while holding their line strong with some of the league's best defensive defensemen in Brent Seabrook, Tyler Myers and Jakub Kindl. The Oilers are the clear cut favorite to take the Northwestern title and expect them to contend heavily to repeat their President's Trophy victory again this year.
Players to Watch[/u]
Jonathan Bernier (G), Jonathan Toews (C), Brent Seabrook (D)
1. Chicago Blackhawks
Last Season: 6th
The Chicago Blackhawks had a bit of a disappointing regular season but made up for that by capturing the Stanley Cup at the end of the last season. Another team built around it's tremendous depth, the Hawks roll four lines that are all defensively and offensively solid with the ability to make you pay anywhere on the ice. The acquisition of Michael Del Zotto further proves to solidfy a great defense that provides ample cushioning for netminder Corey Crawford.
A pair of ex-Oilers lead the way in Eberle and Hall, who will carry alot of the offensive burden alongside Marian Hossa. The Hawks will also be starting with top prospects Colin Wilson, Mark McNeill and Ryan Strome in their starting lineup. If they turn into the bonafide NHL stars they are expected to be, the Hawks may have a dynasty growing before them. The Blackhawks are a top favorite for defending the Stanley Cup and taking home the President's Trophy this season.
Players to Watch[/u]
Jordan Eberle (C), Taylor Hall (C), Michael Del Zotto (D), Colin Wilson/Mark McNeill (C)
15. DETROIT RED WINGS
Last Season: 10th
What was once a mighty dynasty, the Detroit Red Wings are feeling the effects of a rebuild finally reach them. Gone are Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom and other fixutres and in are new, young blood like Martin Frk,
Tyler Toffoli, Dougie Hamilton, Malcolm Subban and power forward Milan Lucic.
The Red Wings are in a transition into a full-scale rebuild, and as so, they will fall in the standings. I believe that this lack of an identity, plus a depleted roster with very little star power, no number one goaltender and a plethroa of young, unproven talent will see the mighty Red Wings sink to 15th in the West, netting them a high draft pick in 2014 to officially start the rebuild.
Players to Watch[/u]
Milan Lucic (LW), Dougie Hamilton (D), Niklas Kronwall (D)
14. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Last Season: 15th
Another team in a rebuild, the Blue Jackets are continuing to build assets
to become a competitive team in the future. While the roster still isn't ready to compete, I expect to see a more solid Blue Jackets team on the ice this year and it will be interesting to see how number one overall pick Nathan MacKinnon fares in his first pro season.
The Blue Jackets are going to live and die on their defensive game with a great d-core led by stalwart rookie from last year's draft, Ryan Murray. An unproven rookie nineteen year old goaltender will start between the pipes, but he'll have a solid cushion in front of him in the Blue Jacket's top six. It'll be a challenge to see if the offense led by R.J. Umberger and James Van Riemsdyk can add enough support. I feel like it will be a marginal imporvement this year for the Blue Jackets, but the big prize will be at the end of next year with another high pick anda full year of pro hockey under MacKinnon's belt.
Players to Watch[/u]
Nathan MacKinnon (C), James Van Riemsdyk (RW), Oscar Dansk (G), Ryan Murray (D)
13. DALLAS STARS
Last Season: 13th
I predict the Stars to be even with their performance last year, and have them slotted in at 13 once again this season. There are some very good
players on this team, including a huge acquisition in Ryan O'Reilly. It's hard to really write off any team with a goaltender as good as Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes, but I expect another trying season from him but I'm not sure that the Stars defense will be able to support him enough.
The Stars will be a harder team to play against with the acquisition of the aforementioned O'Reilly and the addition of Chris Neil. They should remain competitive, but I'm not sure if the improvements made will be enough to create a big surge in the standings for the Texans. Expect a solid year from Benn and Lundqvist as they attempt to prove me wrong.
Players to Watch[/u]
Henrik Lundqvist (G), Jamie Benn (RW), Ryan O'Reilly (C)
12. NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Last Season: 12th
The Predators have done little to really improve the team, which is why I predict them to finish around the same place as last year. The Predators have some serious star power in each position with Getzlaf, Weber and Rinne, but the rest of the team isn't quite on their level just yet. A work-in-progress, the Predators have a number of forwards still reaching their prime and a young star in the making in Jeremy Morin who made the team this year after coming across from Chicago at the trade deadline last year.
It will be a season of ups and downs once more for the Predators. Expect a strong season from the stars, as well as a potential breakout year for Roman Josi and Morin. The Predators should be competitive enough not to completely hit rock bottom this year, and while they could surprise, I feel confident in saying that they're not a playoff team just yet.
Players to Watch[/u]
Ryan Getzlaf (C), Pekka Rinne (D), Shea Weber (D), Jeremy Morin (LW)
11. PHOENIX COYOTES
Last Season: 8th
The Coyotes were a marginal surprise last year, making it into the playoffs as the eight seed before falling to the Oilers in a gutsy 7 game effort. I
feel as if the Coyotes overacheived last year and are due to a drop off, which isn't a knock on the team more as it is a compliment to some of the improvements made elsewhere in the Western Conference. But if last year proved anything, the Coyotes are eager to ruin anyone's fantasy predictions, so I still expect them to be in the thick of things near the end of the year.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has quietly become one of the leagues best defenders, and will be a huge mentor to young dmen like Brandon Gormley and Michael Stone as they try to transition into full time NHL defenders. Bergeron leads the charge up front but has some quality accomplices in Boedker, Doan and Vrbata to help him out. The Coyotes also feature an excellent goaltending tandem in Mike Smith and last year's breakout star Mark Visentin. Take this prediction with a grain of salt, I think the Coyotes may be poised to surprise once again this year.
Players to Watch[/u]
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D), Mark Visentin (D), Patrice Bergeron (C)
10. CALGARY FLAMES
Last Season: 14th
This may be a bit of an overestimation on my part, but I expect the Flames to be much better this year despite an influx of young talent. The acquisition of some big time forwards like Henrik Zetterberg, Brad Richards and Joffrey Lupul give the Flames some great weapons to work with, as well as a young star named Sven Bartschi who continues to improve every year. The return of Dion Phaneuf adds a solid, stay at home presence with a huge shot to work the powerplay and adding Simeon Varlamov gives them a legit number one netminder to guide Leland Irving's bumpy transition to an NHL goalie.
I feel like the Flames have the potential to surprise, and it really
depends on how well their new acquistions click and if Bartschi can take
his game to the next level. The veteran/youth presence is there in spades for both, it's just a matter if they fit together or not.
Players to Watch[/u]
Sven Bartschi (RW), Henrik Zetterberg (LW), Brad Richards (C), Joffrey Lupul (RW), Dion Phaneuf (D)
9. COLORADO AVALANCHE
Last Season: 11th
Rounding out the non-playoff teams in the West, I predict the Colorado
Avalanche to just miss the playoffs, which is still a huge improvement from their 11th place finish last season. Alot of this prediction rests upon some of the younger forwards on the team making big contributions. That means Kreider and Fasching. The Avs are thin on the wings but have some serious talent up the middle and on the backend.
Duchene, Stastny and Landeskog return to carry the majority of the
offensive load, with Johnson, Siemens and Hejda holding down the D. The progression of younger defenders like Elliott will help the team, but I
think the biggest addition may be the combo of Kiprusoff and Aittokallio in goal. Kipper is a proven winner and should be an excellent mentor for
Aitokallio. Look for goaltending to steal a few wins for the Avs this year
as they look to make the playoffs once more. They're one or two wingers way from being there, can Fasching and Kreider become those players and fill that void?
Players to Watch[/u]
Miikka Kiprusoff/Sami Aittokallio (G), Hudson Fasching (RW), Chris Kreider (C), Matt Duchene (C)
8. SAN JOSE SHARKS
Last Season: 7th
The San Jose Sharks have been battling what some could consider a playoff curse for years. They've always had great teams but just weren't able to get it done in the post season. This season's iteration of the Sharks seems poised to finally get the Championship, but it may be a bit of a rough season in a very competitive Western Conference.
That said, the Sharks should easily still be a playoff team led by great plyaers like Patrick Marleau, Cody Hodgson, Martin St. Louis and all star Ryan Miller manning the pipes. Their D is good enough to not be a problem and forward depth seems plentiful. Expect the Sharks to be a low seed with dangerous potential for an upset with the leadership and talent that they have.
Players to Watch[/u]
Ryan Miller (C), Cody Hodgson (C), Martin St. Louis (RW), Tomas Hertl (LW)
7. LOS ANGELES KINGS
Last Season: 4th
The Los Angeles Kings are virtually untouched from their team last year, but that isn't really a problem when your team has as much depth and talent as this one does in the first place. That said, I feel like there were some other teams that improved more in the west that might push the Kings back a bit and I'm not convinced that their offense is as good as it would be if they still had Anze Kopitar playing at center. Travis Zajac does, however, make a perfect replacement.
Jonathan Quick is, however, arguably the best goaltender in the league and that will go a long way to helping you win games. A solid D core and a very deep forward group means that the Kings will be very hard to play against from top to bottom. Maybe I'm underselling them just a bit by placing them at 8th, but they definitely have the tools to prove me wrong.
Players to Watch[/u]
Drew Doughty (D), Jonathan Quick (G), Travis Zajac (C)
6. MINNESOTA WILD
Last Season: 9th
After shoring up big over UFA last summer, the Minnesota Wild looked poised to take a run at their division championship but fell short of even the playoffs, finishing 9th at the end of the regular season. Now, this year, coming off another exciting offseason, it's once again a chance for the Wild to prove that they have what it takes to be a top team in not only the Western Conference, but also in the entire league. I believe that this year may be the year that this may happen.
The biggest addition to the Wild in this offseason was the addition of one of the best two way forwards in the league and one of the most skilled, centerman Pavel Datsyuk. Not only does it give the Wild one of the biggest offensive threats in the league to supplement Parise and Heatley, but it also gives them an amazing one-two punch down the middle alongside captain Mikko Koivu. If Josh Harding can prove that he can hold his own as a starting goalie, expect to see the Wild finally making noise in the post season.
Players to Watch[/u]
Pavel Datsyuk (C), Mikael Granlund (LW), Josh Harding (G), Ryan Suter (D)
5. Vancouver Canucks
Last Season: 5th
The Canucks have been on the cusp of greatness for several seasons now, with a Stanley Cup finals appearance and a graceful bow out in the third round of last season's playoffs. The addition of scoring winger Martin Havlat may be the remedy to some of the problems that the Canucks have been having, mainly, someone to play along side and contribute at the same level as, the Sedin twins.
With Havlat on board, the majority of the core from that Cup final visit still intact, one of the league's best goaltenders and a promising young threat in Brendan Gaunce, the Canucks once again have all the tools to capture Lord Stanley's Cup. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Canucks fight for first in their division and maybe even have a shot at taking it.
Players to Watch/
Robert Luongo (G), Martin Havlat (RW), Brendan Gaunce (C)
4. St. Louis Blues
Last Season: 2nd
The St. Louis Blues spent a large portion of last season sitting near the top of the Western Conference before injuries took a toll and dropped them a bit. This season, look for a healthy Blues squad to try to get back to the top. The drop in standings really has nothing to do with any mistakes made by the GM or players lost, but rather how I feel some of the other teams in the West improved. And unfortunately, being in the same division as last year's cup winner means that the highest they can go standings wise is 4th. The Blues should be a post season lock with a great shot at being a serious contender for Lord Stanley's Cup in May.
The Blues are a tough team to play against with large, strong forwards who make teams pay both physically and on the socre board. Add in a great defense core with the addition of one of the league's best defensemen in Zdeno Chara and a great goaltending tandem and you have the recipe for a team that should be in every single game of the season. Poised and ready to prove that last season wasn't a fluke, look for a healthy Blues team to cause turmoil at the top of the standings in the west this season.
Players to Watch[/u]
Zdeno Chara (D), Jaroslav Halak/Brian Elliott (G), Jarome Iginla (RW)
3. Anaheim Ducks
Last Season: 3rd
The Ducks were a bit of a surprise last season when they captured the Pacific division championship. This season, I think they have the parts to repeat despite losing gritty center Mike Fisher to UFA, but they'll be pressed hard by the San Jose Sharks in the meanwhile. The Ducks strength comes from their back end which features a pair of top defenders in Shea Weber and Cam Fowler, and the ever-solid Jack Johnson. Up front, the charge is led by young phenom Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and a talented cast with Thomas Fleischmann, Vincent Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn helping to carry the load.
The Duck success will come if they play their same game as last season and Jonas Hiller once again provides solid goaltending. If their hard working gameplan fails, the team might find themselves facing some heavy fire from the Sharks, who will be close behind chomping at their heels for the Pacific Division title.
Players to Watch[/u]
Jonas Hiller (G), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C), Shea Weber (D)
2. Edmonton Oilers
Last Season: 1st
The Edmonton Oilers are built to win after a season that saw them ship out the entirety of it's young core. Built around a great defense core and franchise center Jonathan Toews, the Oilers have great depth in all positions, making them a hard team to play against in all areas of the ice. Combined with spectacular Vezina winning Jonathan Bernier, the Oilers are built to make another huge playoff push this season. The addition of Mike Fisher only serves to prove that.
With so many threats, the Oilers push opposing defenses hard while holding their line strong with some of the league's best defensive defensemen in Brent Seabrook, Tyler Myers and Jakub Kindl. The Oilers are the clear cut favorite to take the Northwestern title and expect them to contend heavily to repeat their President's Trophy victory again this year.
Players to Watch[/u]
Jonathan Bernier (G), Jonathan Toews (C), Brent Seabrook (D)
1. Chicago Blackhawks
Last Season: 6th
The Chicago Blackhawks had a bit of a disappointing regular season but made up for that by capturing the Stanley Cup at the end of the last season. Another team built around it's tremendous depth, the Hawks roll four lines that are all defensively and offensively solid with the ability to make you pay anywhere on the ice. The acquisition of Michael Del Zotto further proves to solidfy a great defense that provides ample cushioning for netminder Corey Crawford.
A pair of ex-Oilers lead the way in Eberle and Hall, who will carry alot of the offensive burden alongside Marian Hossa. The Hawks will also be starting with top prospects Colin Wilson, Mark McNeill and Ryan Strome in their starting lineup. If they turn into the bonafide NHL stars they are expected to be, the Hawks may have a dynasty growing before them. The Blackhawks are a top favorite for defending the Stanley Cup and taking home the President's Trophy this season.
Players to Watch[/u]
Jordan Eberle (C), Taylor Hall (C), Michael Del Zotto (D), Colin Wilson/Mark McNeill (C)