Looking at the West after free agency

[CaptainCrunch]

Just making initial predictions, I know the season is a ways away, but for the most party from July until the start of camp we don't see a lot of activity. It also feels like most GM's have blown their loads.

Pacific

Anaheim - Still incredibly strong and well balanced. Didn't really get hurt in the expansion draft at all. The team is aging and the window might be closing, but they should still own the Pacific this year.

Calgary - No team was more active then Calgary in fixing their holes. Picking up Hamonic while resigning Stone creates a very strong blueline. Up front they could still use that strong skilled Right Winger, but I think they're also banking on Monahan and Gaudreau not going through extended slumps. Mike Smith should provide more consistent goaltending and his puck handling really works well with the Flames defense.

San Jose - They're still fairly strong up front, they have a strong blueline as well, They still need to pick up a couple of forwards, But they have about 9 million in cap space to do that. Their goaltending should continue to be strong.

Edmonton - They're weaker then they were at the start of the off season, Strome isn't an adequate replacement for Eberle's offense, and Sekera being out until December of Jan is going to hurt a lot. They are basically a house of cards team, Their blueline really won't provide much offense. They're fairly incomplete up front after McDavid and Draisaitl. Talbot will have to continue to excel. With their contract situation they can't be aggressive on the market and their window might just close after this year. McDavid and Draisaitl are a great duel, but they won't be enough

Arizona - Their GM continues to be baffling. But he has done a lot of moves to show that he's trying to be more competitive. Bringing in Stephan and Hjalmarsson were strong moves. Raanta could be a real gamble, but if it works out Arizona becomes one of those bubble teams thats not an easy two points.

LA - Just a utter mess, they won't be an easy out, They just look slow, but their blueline is tough to play against. Quick needs to be on his game, like Arizona I think they're a bubble team.

Vancouver - They're like that joke that your drunk uncle tells you that you don't get. I guess they want one more run for the Sedin's but their moves are bringing in also rans.

LV - they look like a typical expansion team so I don't expect much.


Central

Nashville - Just a strong blueline adding Emelin makes them more difficult to play against.

Minnesota - I don't think the loss of Hanzel will hurt all that much. Solid lineup

St Louis - picking up Schenn is a nice little move, Solid all around team.

Dallas - Going for it, but their blueline is still bad, Ben Bishop should turn this team around though. The Radulov signing is dangerous as it makes him too secure

Chicago - Yeah, I said it sue me. I think that this team has been cap eroded, and I think that their blueline is going to struggle. I think the window has closed.

Winnipeg - I think Kulikov is a bad signing overall. I like Mason, but at the same time the Central is a murderers row, that first line should be spectacular.

Colorado - The quest to trade Duchene and Mckinnon continues, their future hinges on the return for those two players

Western standings

x-Nashville
x-Calgary
x- Anaheim
x - Minny
x - St Louis
x- San Jose
y - Dallas
y - Edmonton/Chicago
Winnipeg
Arizona
LA
Vancouver
Colorado
LV

[Caged Great]

Personally I think the standings as of now

1. Calgary
2. Dallas
3. Anaheim
4. Nashville
5. Minnesota
6. Chicago
7. San Jose
8. St. Louis
9. Edmonton
10. Arizona
11. Winnipeg
12. LA
13. Colorado
14. Vegas
15. Vancouver

[N-E-B]

I don't think we're the best team in the west quite yet, but I do think they'll be up there. My picks would be:

1. Anaheim
2. Nashville
3. Calgary
---------------
4. Minnesota
5. Dallas
6. Edmonton
7. Chicago
---------------
8. St. Louis
9. San Jose
10. LA
---------------
11. Winnipeg
12. Arizona
---------------
13. Vancouver
14. Colorado
15. Vegas

The lines separate the groups into tiers of teams I think are around the same skill level. It was tough for me to place Winnipeg a tier higher and Arizona a tier lower so I made them into their own tier. Arizona I think improved a bit and Winnipeg still remains the most overrated team in the league in terms of their young players (in my opinion).

Dallas was another hard team to place. I definitely think they're playoff bound but I don't know if they've improved enough to be one of the elite teams in the conference, so I have them third in the central.

[Brodieyouevenlift]

1) Calgary
2) don't care
3) don't care
4) don't care
5) don't care
6) don't care
7) don't care
8) don't care
9) don't care
10) don't care
11) don't care
12) don't care
13) don't care
14) don't care
15) Edmonton

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Brodieyouevenlift

1) Calgary
2) don't care
3) don't care
4) don't care
5) don't care
6) don't care
7) don't care
8) don't care
9) don't care
10) don't care
11) don't care
12) don't care
13) don't care
14) don't care
15) Edmonton

Bang,bang.


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[White Out 403]

one of two things will happen for the Jets this season that will make me happy. Either they will make the playoffs and Chevys moves (finally buying out stuart and getting LHD help and getting goaltending help) will pay off. or he will get fired. Ill take either at this point.

[TheScorpion]

Pacific:

1) Anaheim
2) Edmonton
3) Calgary
4) San Jose
5) Arizona
6) Los Angeles
7) Vegas
8) Vancouver

Central:

1) Nashville
2) Dallas
3) St. Louis
4) Minnesota
5) Chicago
6) Winnipeg
7) Colorado

Western Conference:

1) Anaheim
2) Nashville
3) Dallas
4) Edmonton
5) Calgary
6) St. Louis
7) Minnesota
8) Chicago
9) San Jose
10) Arizona
11) Winnipeg
12) Los Angeles
13) Vegas
14) Vancouver
15) Colorado

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Pacific:

1) Anaheim
2) Edmonton
3) Calgary
4) San Jose
5) Arizona
6) Los Angeles
7) Vegas
8) Vancouver

Central:

1) Nashville
2) Dallas
3) St. Louis
4) Minnesota
5) Chicago
6) Winnipeg
7) Colorado

Western Conference:

1) Anaheim
2) Nashville
3) Dallas
4) Edmonton
5) Calgary
6) St. Louis
7) Minnesota
8) Chicago
9) San Jose
10) Arizona
11) Winnipeg
12) Los Angeles
13) Vegas
14) Vancouver
15) Colorado

Looks about right. Edmonton and Calgary will battle for second the whole season, could go either way

[Strange Brew]

Maybe I'm stuck in the past but I'm not writing Blackhawks off yet. Top 3 in the division is a must for Flames to call the regular season a success.

[bubbsy]

Flames basically have 2 major question marks in my mind.

1) will the goaltending be solid enough to at least not lose them games

2) can they get sufficient secondary scoring after the top line (can the 3M line continue at last year's pace, can Bennett bring some offense, etc)

If they have good results for these items they easily get into a divisional playoff berth. If not, they're fighting for a wild card.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Personally I think the standings as of now

1. Calgary
2. Dallas
3. Anaheim
4. Nashville
5. Minnesota
6. Chicago
7. San Jose
8. St. Louis
9. Edmonton
10. Arizona
11. Winnipeg
12. LA
13. Colorado
14. Vegas
15. Vancouver

The meltdown would be fabulous

[topfiverecords]

I see a tight battle at the top of the Central between Chicago, Nashville and Minnesota. St.Louis, Dallas, and Winnipeg with chances at wild card spots.

In the Pacific it will be Calgary, Edmonton, Anaheim at the top. San Jose & LA will be in tough, because I see the Central getting both wild cards this year.

[topfiverecords]

Pacific:
1) Anaheim
2) Calgary
3) Edmonton
4) San Jose
5) Los Angeles
6) Arizona
7) Vancouver
8) Vegas

Central:
1) Nashville
2) Chicago
3) Minnesota
4/5) Dallas/St. Louis
6) Winnipeg
7) Colorado

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

I see a tight battle at the top of the Central between Chicago, Nashville and Minnesota. St.Louis, Dallas, and Winnipeg with chances at wild card spots.

In the Pacific it will be Calgary, Edmonton, Anaheim at the top. San Jose & LA will be in tough, because I see the Central getting both wild cards this year.

Yup, my thoughts exactly. Calgary Edmonton and Ahaheim take the division playoff spots (Not necessarily in that order) and San Jose might get a wildcard spot, but as usual the central is stacked and a Pacific team in a WC spot might be tricky

[Yrebmi]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Just making initial predictions,

Great write up.
Little off that you write Ducks will own pacific but then list the Flames higher.
I really wonder if more slashing ect is actually called how much it will affect teams.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Emelin doesn't make anyone more difficult to play against. Losing him in the expansion draft was addition by subtraction for Montreal, and given how thin the Habs blue line is, that's saying something.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

The meltdown would be fabulous

I figure that the Oilers only got to where they were because Draisaitl, Talbot and McDavid were awesome. As a team, they are worse after the offseason, probably 3-4 points overall worse than a year ago. If any of those guys either gets hurt or regresses.... It could be very ugly. Mind you, they'd probably go on to win the draft lottery again and get another uber prospect because it's Edmonton.

[FireGilbert]

Tough call, the West will be very close this season and there are still trades to come (Vegas defence and Duchene). So far it looks like Dallas, Calgary, and Arizona are stronger, Edmonton, San Jose, and Chicago are weaker and the other teams are about the same. I'll take a stab at the standings:

Pacific:
1. Anaheim
2. Calgary
3. Edmonton
4. LA (WC)
5. San Jose
6. Arizona
7. Vancouver
8. Vegas

Central:
1. Nashville
2. Minnesota
3. Dallas
4. Chicago (WC)
5. St. Louis
6. Winnipeg
7. Colorado

[Greybeard]

Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, SJ, LA, AZ, Van, Vegas
Minn, Nash, Chic, Dallas(WC), St L (WC), Winn, Colorado

[Corral]

Hard to see Chicago drop that much so quickly. Last time I looked they still have Toews, Kane, Seabrook and Keith - all of whom are better than anything the teams in front of them put on the ice.

The Flames are not going to go from bubble playoff team to second in the West with the signing of Travis Hamonic and Mike Smith. Lets get real.