The Northwest is one of the most interesting divisions this year, and probably the most improved across the board of any in the league. Here is how I see it shaking out:
Calgary
Flames
2011/2012 Rank: 9 (5
points out)
Offseason Moves:
In- Dennis Wideman,
Roman Cervenka, Jiri Hudler
Out -Olli Jokinen, David Moss, Scott Hannan, Brendan
Morrison
The Calgary Flames
remind me of the pre-Brian Burke Toronto Maple Leafs - a team with false hope
of making the playoffs that will continue to end up on the wrong side of the
playoff bubble. And that is exactly where I see this team finishing next
season. They should have traded Iginla and/or Kipprusoff in one of the last 2
seasons, but instead of cleaning the slate and starting the re-build, they keep
signing overpriced unrestricted free agents and handing out no-trade clauses
like candy on Halloween. That being said, Calgary does not have a terrible
lineup, just an aging core that is on the decline. They do have some nice depth
up front, but the gaping hole right now is at the center position with the loss
of Olli Jokinen. All signs point to Cammalleri starting the year at center
because their only other capable top 6 center is Roman Cervenka - and no one
can predict how he will make the transition from the KHL (though in the past,
most have struggled). Kipprusoff will take the team on his back once again,
although his time is running out as a top goaltender. On D, Calgary will be anchored by Jay
Bouwmeester and Giordano, but will have to count on some youngsters in Brodie
and Butler to perform well if they are to contend for a spot. I think they come
up short once again, and for their fan's sake I hope they ship out some pieces
at the deadline and focus on the future.
Why they'll make it
- Iginla, Kipper & Tanguay refuse to decline, Sven Baertschi has a strong
rookie campaign, Bob Hartley gets team to buy in to his system
Why they'll miss -
Serious lack of depth at center position, best players continue to decline
Colorado
Avalanche
2011/2012 Rank: 11
(7 points out)
Offseason Moves:
In - PA Parenteau, John Mitchell, Greg Zanon
Out - Jay McClement,
Peter Mueller, Kevin Porter
The Colorado
Avalanche finished out their season on a high as they stayed in contention for
the last playoff spot in the West until the last week of the season (a spot that was eventually taken by the Cup
winning L.A. Kings). They hope to continue that late season success in the
upcoming year. The Avs were ranked 25th
in the league last year for goals per game, a stat that should improve with a
full season of Jamie McGinn, Steve Downie and the addition of PA Parenteau on
the wing. On the back end, the Avs are riddled with defensive defenseman,
making the Zanon signing a little curious. With the lack of puck moving
defensemen after Erik Johnson, look for Stefan Elliott or Tyson Barrie to
impress and possibly earn a spot out of camp. It will be hard for John Mitchell
to replicate what Jay McClement brought to the ice, but in a fourth line role
the effect should be minimal. Between the pipes, the Avs will counting on
Semyon Varlamov to continue his strong play post all star break and at the
World Championship, where he won gold for Russia posting a 8-0 record with a
1.77 GAA and .939sv%. With the youngest
roster and lowest payroll last season, all signs point to the Avalanche
improving on their finish last year.
Why they'll make it-
Gabriel Landeskog breakout year, Matt Duchene bounce back year
Why they'll miss
-Shallow defense, young players inconsistent play
Edmonton
Oilers
2011/2012 Rank: 14
(21 points out)
Offseason Moves:
In - Justin Schultz,
Nail Yakupov
Out - N/A
The only thing the
Oiler's have won lately is the draft lottery the last three years. These three
1st overall picks have given them an abundance of young talent at the forward
position. However, that is only one part of a hockey team. Although the Oiler's
had an amazing start to the year, they crashed and burned down the stretch
which began with a horrendous road trip after the Christmas break. Not
surprisingly, this stretch coincided with an injury to star rookie Ryan Nugent
- Hopkins. The Oiler's will go as far as their offense will take them, as their
all around team defense and goaltending remain far below average. The
development of their youngsters should lead to an improvement in the standings,
but I think that it will be another rough year for Oilers fans. While they will show flashes of
brilliance, Nail Yakupov is, so far, an
unproven commodity in the NHL; and him, Nugent - Hopkins and Hall all have an
injury history. If one or all go down at any given time, they do not have the
overall depth in their roster to carry the weight. The Oiler's have a very
bright future, but until they shore up their D and goaltending, they will
continue to finish out of a playoff position.
Why they'll make it
- Offense stays healthy, and more than one of they're young stars have a
breakout year. Dubnyk and defense play consistently solid.
Why they'll miss -
Inconsistent youngsters, Nugent-Hopkins sophomore slump, lack of skill on D and
depth up front.
Minnesota
Wild
2011/2012 Rank: 12
(14 points out)
Offseason Moves:
In - Zach Parise,
Ryan Suter, Zenon Konopka, Torrey Mitchell
Out - Guilamme
Latendresse, Erik Christensen
The Minnesota Wild
landed to two biggest names on the free agent market in Ryan Suter and Zach
Parise, making them the most improved team (on paper) heading into next season.
Both players will have an immediate impact on the Wild's success - I mean how many
times do you get to add a number one defenseman and top line winger without
giving up any assets? Perhaps more importantly, I think the Parise signing will
provide a huge boost to the profile of Mikko Koivu. Already a premier 2-way
center, being on a line between Parise and Heatley will finally give him
quality wingers and people will begin to recognize just how good this guy is.
The success of the Wild will rely on the play of their defense. After Ryan
Suter, there are few to none established names and the play of these young,
unrecognizable players will dictate where the Wild finish in the standings.
Health will also be of huge concern for the Wild this season. After starting
the year in first place in the West come December, injuries to Koivu, Bouchard
and Backstrom contributed to a slide out of playoff contention. Top prospect
Mikael Granlund will also be counted upon to have a strong rookie campaign and
provide secondary scoring.
Why they'll make it
- Top players play like they can, avoid injury bug
Why they'll miss -
Lack of depth on defense, lack of secondary scoring
Vancouver
Canucks
2011/2012 Rank: 1
(President's Trophy Winners)
Offseason Moves:
In - Jason Garrison
Out - Aaron Rome,
Sami Salo
The back-to-back
President Trophy Winner Vancouver Canucks have another exciting season to look
forward to. They did not lose any significant parts of their lineup and
Garrison may prove to be an upgrade on Salo on the blueline (especially when it
comes to durability). Up front, the Canucks will continue to be led by the
Sedin twins, and although their best seasons are behind them, they should still
produce near a point per game pace. Ryan Kesler's absence early in the year may
lead to a slow start, but it's likely that Mike Gillis is not finished tweaking
his roster. There are rumours abound that the Canucks are on Shane Doan's short
list and there has been more than enough speculation about a Luongo trade in
the near future. It will be interesting how these two scenarios play out, as I
believe the Canucks would really benefit from adding more leadership and
scoring (Doan) and another skilled defenseman to help them rebound from a
disappointing playoffs.
Why they'll make it
- Consistency, staying the course, solid depth at all positions
Why they'll miss -
Luongo trade happens, Scheider can't handle the pressure
Final
Predictions:
The standings in the
Northwest will be:
Vancouver
Minnesota
Colorado
Calgary
Edmonton
With the top 3 all
making the playoffs.
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