The West

The Western Conference is a much different picture than the East. There is more definition, more separation between the teams at the top and the ones at the bottom. The West has a much smaller blob of teams in the middle, but those teams are all fighting for three playoff spots. Last year, Minnesota, LA and St. Louis got those spots. This year, St. Louis will likely hold it down in the basement with Calgary and Nashville, but of those three, they would be the most likely to surprise, though I don’t think they will. The West has four teams ready and primed to make some noise but there’s only going to be three spots to fight over. Anaheim, San Jose, Utah and Chicago are knocking on success’ door, and I see only one of them scooping up a playoff spot. Here is my best guess to how the West will look at the end of the season:

1. Colorado- The best team in the NHL and it isn’t really close. McKinnon and Makar are the best at their positions, and they have a well-constructed line-up in support. Solid D and secondary scoring with strong third and fourth lines. The big X-factor for them is goaltending. Wedgewood has yet to prove he can help take the team to the next level. One long playoff run is what he needs to put that to bed.
2. Winnipeg- I like this team a lot. One of the deepest rosters in the league. I think Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the league, but he needs to carry this team through a long playoff run to cement it. Connor and Scheifele are TST (top shelf talent) and they have a solid group of defenders playing in front of Hellebuyck. They have a solid third line, but their biggest need is for secondary scoring. I liked it when they signed Toews because I assumed he would be a depth player on their third line and second power play unit, but he’s centering their second line. It’s easier said than done, but they need another scorer that can pick them up when the top line needs the support.
3. Dallas- Another deep roster that can make some noise in the playoffs. They have TST throughout the line-up and have a good mix of young and veteran talent. It isn’t obvious to me where they would upgrade to make a serious playoff push as they have depth throughout, but shoring up their third defense pairing with an established winner and sprinkling in more secondary scoring without disrupting chemistry would be my goals for their GM.
4. Edmonton- Someday, their slow starts to games and seasons will bite them in the ass, but this isn’t the year. The young up-and-coming teams in the West aren’t quite ready to squeeze out a perennial contender from the playoff picture, but it could happen next year, and Edmonton is primed to be that team that gets displaced as they insist on starting slow annually. They are still a very deep team, but McDavid won’t sign another short-term deal with them, unless he has a Cup.
5. Las Vegas- Getting Marner was huge and they have another deep, well-constructed roster in the West that should threaten to go on a deep playoff run. They absolutely need a goalie. Schmid is good, not great. He isn’t the answer for them but finding that answer isn’t easy. I’m not sure what the teams’ salary cap structure looks like, but I suspect they may have too much capital committed to Marner and Eichel and the others and they don’t have the wiggle room needed to add a true #1 goalie.
6. Minnesota- This team is top heavy like Toronto, but they have something Toronto doesn’t. Gustavsson is a very good goalie and when a bubble team has goaltending they can rely on, they play a little more confident and a little looser which is why I’m picking them to grab one of three playoff spots available in the West. They could use an offensive minded defender like Gostisbehere but lacking that won’t keep them out.
7. Anaheim- This is the team I think is legit and ready to push their way into the playoff picture this year. Carlson, Terry and Gauthier have arrived and they are surrounded by and supported with high quality veteran leaders. Kreider, Killhorn and Trouba stabilize this team and Dostal is showing everyone he has the chops to carry a team and steal the occasional game. Watch out for this team. I wouldn’t want to draw them in the first round.
8. L.A.- The NHL has a little-known by-law that requires a team to be in the playoffs when they sign Corey Perry to a one year contract. That’s the reason I’m picking the Kings to scoop up the final spot. They have above average everything and they have the experienced players needed to push their way in.

Utah is the trendy pick to make some noise in the West, but I don’t see it. Their young talent isn’t good enough to carry them in the deep Western Conference and there isn’t enough secondary scoring or depth at D to put them over the top. They remind me of Seattle when I watch them play. A boring, defensive obsessive structure that doesn’t unleash the potential firepower the young players have. If they loosen up their style, they have a better chance. Seattle is overrated and is also the most boring team in the league to watch. They’re trying to be the Devils from the mid 90’s, except they don’t have Brodeur, Niedermeier, or Stevens so trapping their way through the season will fail. Vancouver is intriguing and is my pick to upset the above listed playoff list if they figure out they’re better than they’re playing. San Jose is close and Chicago needs a lot of help on the blue line before they can contend.