2018 NHL Western Conference Preview

By Ben Gotz

Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette talks to his players during NHL hockey training camp Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Calgary Flames left wing James Neal (18) looks back after scoring a goal past San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones during the second period of a preseason NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

The Golden Knights won the West in their inaugural season, and the conference appears to be loaded yet again. Here’s the projected order of finish in each division and a playoff bracket:

Pacific Division

1 San Jose Sharks (45-27-10): The Sharks became division favorites when they added Erik Karlsson to an already formidable blue line. Depth could be an issue, but how is anyone going to stop their power play?

2 Golden Knights (51-24-7): Adding Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty to this forward group should result in another high-scoring season for the Knights. But how will they respond to having real expectations?

3 Los Angeles Kings (45-29-8): Defenseman Drew Doughty got his mega-deal this offseason, but the Kings’ only other big move was signing 35-year-old Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk. Will they have enough scoring in the playoffs?

4 Anaheim Ducks (44-25-13): The Ducks made a few tweaks this offseason but nothing major after getting swept by San Jose in the first round. Has the rest of the division passed them by?

5 Calgary Flames (37-35-10): There’s a new coach (Bill Peters) and plenty of new players, including ex-Knight James Neal. Can they jell right away after missing the playoffs last year?

6 Edmonton Oilers (36-40-6): The Oilers are an intriguing bounce-back candidate because each night they play they have the best skater on the ice (21-year-old Connor McDavid). Do they have enough around him, though?

7 Arizona Coyotes (29-41-12): The Coyotes are in the midst of a rebuild but should escape the conference’s cellar this season. Can they climb any higher than that?

8 Vancouver Canucks (31-40-11): No more Henrik and Daniel Sedin for the Canucks, and they will be missed. Can young forward Brock Boeser do it all himself?

Central Division

1 Nashville Predators (53-18-11): The Predators should be extremely hard to score against and remain tough up the middle. Can goaltender Pekka Rinne bounce back after struggling in the playoffs?

2 Winnipeg Jets (52-20-10): The Jets lost Stastny, but this remains a loaded forward group that could lead the conference again in scoring. Can goaltender Connor Hellebuyck repeat his career year after signing a $37 million contract?

3 St. Louis Blues (44-32-6): The Blues were the offseason’s champion after adding centers Ryan O’Reilly and Tyler Bozak and forwards David Perron and Patrick Maroon. Can they translate that to wins?

4 Minnesota Wild (45-26-11): After an injury-plagued year, the Wild have a new general manager and return a core that has been to the playoffs six straight seasons. Is there enough upside for Minnesota to be a true contender, though?

5 Colorado Avalanche (43-30-9): The Avalanche made the playoffs by a point last year over St. Louis, but they didn’t keep pace this offseason. Still, what will center Nathan MacKinnon do for an encore after a 97-point season?

6 Dallas Stars (42-32-8): Jim Montgomery steps in as coach, replacing Ken Hitchcock, but he isn’t inheriting a roster that screams playoffs in a competitive division. Do the Stars have enough to make a run at a wild-card spot?

7 Chicago Blackhawks (33-39-10): There’s little depth behind stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, which will make it hard for the Blackhawks to compete every night. Plus, who knows how goaltender Corey Crawford will perform?

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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.