For the past four weeks, Sports World News has taken a division-by-division approach to preview and predict the upcoming NHL season. The journey ends today when we delve into the Pacific Division.
2014-15 Preview And Predictions For NHL's Atlantic Division
The Pacific Division sent three teams to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2013-14 and the competition is only expected to get steeper this season.
2014-15 Preview And Predictions For NHL's Metropolitan Division
Note: All projected line and defensive combinations courtesy of NHL.com.
2014-15 Preview And Predictions For NHL's Central Division
Anaheim Ducks (54-20-8, 116 points in 2013-14): The Ducks were the best team in the Western Conference last season, but their playoff hopes fizzled out when they fell to the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings in seven games last season in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The main addition this offseason was Ryan Kesler, which will help aid the team in one of its biggest weaknesses a year ago -- the center position. Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf provide a 1-2 punch down the middle for Anaheim this season.
Getzlaf was a Hart Trophy finalist a year ago and he ranked second in the league with 87 points and fifth with 56 assists. Getzlaf's linemate Corey Perry also had a big season in 2013-14 for the Ducks, ranking second in the NHL in assists (43) and fifth in points (82).
Getzlaf and Perry will once again be on the top line for Anaheim and Devante Smith-Pelly (2-8--10 last season) is projected to play on the left of them.
Kesler (25-18--43) is slated to center the second line that will likely consist of Patrick Maroon (11-18--29) on the left and Kyle Palmieri (14-17--31) on the right.
Players like Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg add depth up front for Anaheim. The offense will look to improve on a 22nd-ranked power play from last season.
On defense, Cam Fowler and Ben Lovejoy make up the top pair while Francois Beauchemin, who struggled a bit last season, and Sami Vatanen will likely round out the top-four on the blue line.
In net, with the Ducks opting to not re-sign Jonas Hiller, John Gibson and Frederik Andersen are slated to split time in net. Gibson, 21, has just seven games of NHL experience but the highly touted netminder impressed in those contests while Andersen is coming off of a strong rookie season.
It may be hard for the Ducks to repeat the same success they had last season, but adding Kesler to create center depth and boasting a solid top line combo of Getzlaf and Perry provides a lot of reason for optimism. The goaltending duo is young, but if they continue to play like they did last season there's a good chance that Anaheim will be a top team in the division again. Defensive depth could be the thing that curtails this team from making a deep run. There are a lot of reasons to expect the Ducks to have a solid season in 2014-15.
San Jose Sharks (51-22-9, 111 points): After another promising regular season for the Sharks, it was yet again a disappointing postseason as San Jose blew a 3-0 opening-round lead against the Los Angeles Kings and ended up losing their first-round series in seven games.
Adding salt to the wounds, their division rival ended up hoisting the Stanley Cup.
The Sharks then opted to vacate all the letters from the team's leaders and go in with a vacancy at captain and the alternate captain positions as part of a fresh start as the team looks to move on.
Despite the fact that the Sharks had a devastating collapse last season, they are returning many familiar faces and didn't add too many key pieces in the offseason.
The Sharks' top line is set to be anchored by Joe Thornton centering Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl. Thornton was second in the league with 65 assists last season while adding 11 goals for 76 points. Pavelski, meanwhile, was third in the league with 41 goals and led San Jose with 79 points while notching 38 assists.
Hertl showed some flashes of brightness in his first season last year, going 15-10--25 in 37 games.
The top-six is projected to be rounded out by Matt Nieto (10-14--24), Logan Couture (23-31--54) and Patrick Marleau (33-37--70) on the team's second line. Couture will look to bounce back from an injury-plagued season in 2013-14 and hopes to revert back to his old dependable, solid ways.
Forward depth could be a problem for the Sharks, especially with Raffi Torres slated to miss a good part of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic is the anchor of San Jose's defense and as one of the best blue liners in the NHL the Sharks' defense will run through him. Jason Demers is slated to pair up with Vlasic on the top unit while Justin Braun and Brent Burns, who returns to defense after playing forward last season with the loss of Dan Boyle, round out the top-four.
Between the pipes, the Sharks turn to Antti Niemi, who had a solid start to the 2013-14 campaign but faltered down the stretch. Niemi was tied for second in the league with 39 wins last season along with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage, but he allowed 19 goals in seven games against the Kings in the playoffs last spring.
If Niemi stumbles again, there is a good possibility that Alex Stalock will step up as the new No. 1 goalie.
The Sharks as always come in with a solid core and a nice mix of veterans and young players, but this group has consistently turned cold when April comes around. The Sharks will likely have a new captain once everything is determined, but their core needs to stick together for them to go deep. This team has continuously failed to live up to its talent, but there is a great chance it makes the postseason for an 11th straight season in 2014-15. What they do after that is what matters most.
Los Angeles Kings (46-28-8, 100 points): The Kings were the kings of the comeback last season, bouncing back from a 3-0 series deficit to the Sharks en route to a Game 7 Round 1 victory before going all the way to the Stanley Cup and winning the second title in franchise history -- and second in three years.
On the heels of a successful season, the Kings were very quiet in the offseason and focused mostly on locking up the lineup that brought another Cup to L.A. Marian Gaborik, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored 14 goals for the team in the playoffs, was rewarded with a seven-year $34.125 million extension.
Gaborik (11-19--40 with L.A.) developed instant chemistry with Anze Kopitar last season, who led the team with 29 goals, 41 assists and 70 points. Those two will comprise the top line again this season along with captain Dustin Brown (15-12--27), who is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2013-14 campaign. Kopitar finished tied for fourth in the league with a plus-34 ranking.
Tanner Pearson (3-4--7), Jeff Carter (27-23--50) and Tyler Toffoli (12-17--29) will round out the top-six for the Kings, who have plenty of depth at center as Jarrett Stoll and Mike Richards, who is looking to have a bounce-back year, round out the group down the middle. Stoll's line, which is slated as the third unit, can still go up against top talent.
On defense, Los Angeles is flanked by superstar Drew Doughty, who is arguably the best d-man in the league and will be anchored by partner Jake Muzzin. Rounding out the top-four is the pair of Robyn Regehr and Slava Voynov. Los Angeles was unable to hang onto Willie Mitchell, who departed for the Florida Panthers in free agency. Alec Martinez showed his knack for big goals with a pair of huge overtime playoff goals last spring and could find himself in a top-four role at some point.
In net, the Kings once again turn to Jonathan Quick, who went 27-17-4 last season and was fifth in the NHL with a 2.07 GAA while notching a .915 save percentage and adding six shut outs to rank second in the league. Quick has recovered from offseason wrist surgery.
The Kings have a strong chance to repeat as Stanley Cup champions despite how hard that is to do. With depth down the middle, a potent combo in Gaborik and Kopitar on the first line, a deep defense that stacks up against anyone else in the league and a superstar goaltender, there just may be another party in Los Angeles come June. The only question that remains is if Los Angeles will actually play well for a complete regular season.
Arizona Coyotes (37-30-15, 89 points): The Coyotes finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division for the second straight year, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, this time by just two points, and the team will look to bounce back in 2014-15.
The Coyotes signed former Edmonton Oiler Sam Gagner, but lost Radim Vrbata to the Vancouver Canucks and bought out Mike Ribeiro in the team's major offseason moves.
Captain Shane Doan (23-24--47) is slated to play on the right wing of the team's first line that will also feature Antoine Vermette, who led the team with 24 goals a season ago, at center and Mikkel Boedker (19-32--51) on the left. Doan will hope to stay healthy this season after injuries hampered him in 2013-14.
Gagner (10-27--37) is slated to play on the right wing of the second line, which is projected to be centered by 2014 NHL Draft pick Max Domi and will have Lauri Korpikoski (9-16--25) on the left.
The strength of Arizona this season looks to be its defense as Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle are two of the best offensive defenseman in the league. Yandle led the team with 53 points and 45 assists last season. Ekman-Larsson is slated to skate on the top pair along with Zbynek Michalek while Yandle will anchor the second pairing alongside Michael Stone.
While the defense boasts two strong offensive weapons, it will have to cut back on the amount of shots and goals it gives up after it struggled in both categories last season.
In net, the Coyotes turn to Mike Smith, who hasn't been as elite as he once was in 2011-12 and was limited to 61 games due to injury last season. Smith went 27-21-10 in 2013-14 with a 2.64 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
The Coyotes lost some of their offensive weapons and will have to stay healthy this season if they have a shot of competing in a tough Pacific Division. The defense should once again be solid on the offensive side of things, but will have to limit the opponent's chances if the team is to succeed. Arizona will also have to hope that Smith can return to his past form and be solid in the crease for them again. This is a team that barely missed the playoffs last season, so there is room for hope that the two-year drought will end.
Vancouver Canucks (35-35-11, 83 points): After a nightmarish 2013-14 campaign under John Tortorella, the Canucks revamped their approach by firing Tortorella along with general manager Mike Gillis and replaced them with Jim Benning (GM) and Willie Desjardins (coach) after Vancouver missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
The Canucks made several depth moves this offseason and the most notable departure is that of Ryan Kesler, who was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for new arrivals in center Nick Bonino, defenseman Luca Sbisa and a second-round draft pick. Other key arrivals to Vancouver are goal-scoring winger Radim Vrbata and goaltender Ryan Miller.
Vrbata (20-31--51) is projected to be thrust into a big role on the top line with the Sedin twins, who are aging but still control the offense for the Canucks. Henrik Sedin was first on the team with 39 assists and 50 points last season while Daniel Sedin was second with 31 helpers and 47 points, but the two combined for just 27 goals in their worst offensive season in a decade.
Chris Higgins, who finished second on the team with 17 goals a season ago, is slated to play on the left side of the second unit that is slated to be centered by Bonino (22-27--49) and Zack Kassian (14-15--29). Alexandre Burrows (5-10--15) is also in the mix for a top-six role despite his struggles last season.
The Canucks will try to build on a power play that was ranked 26th in the NHL with a 15.2 conversion rate last season.
Alexander Edler and Kevin Bieksa are slated to hold down the top pair on defense while two-way defenseman Dan Hamhuis will slot alongside Christopher Tanev to round out the top-four. Edler will look to bounce back from a season where he had a minus-39 rating. Sbisa will likely have a third-pair role.
In net, Miller is coming off of a campaign where he went 25-30-4 with a 2.64 GAA and a .918 save percentage after being the Buffalo Sabres best player, but becoming inconsistent following his trade to the St. Louis Blues. Eddie Lack has potential to overtake him, but the last thing the Canucks need is more drama in the crease this season.
The Canucks are coming off of a very forgettable year and will be eager to put the woes of 2013-14 behind them. The team boasts a solid top-six, but there is the question of whether age will begin to slow the Sedin twins or not. Vancouver is solid on defense and has two viable options in net, but the team will need to avoid any kind of dramatic distractions like the ones that have plagued it in the past. Vancouver could very well get back in the playoffs and prove that 2013-14 was just a misstep.
Calgary Flames (35-40-7, 77 points): It was another rebuilding year for the Flames in 2013-14 as the team missed the postseason for the fifth straight season, and Calgary is hopeful that the rebuilding process will take it to the next step in 2014-15.
Key offseason changes saw the Flames lose Mike Cammalleri and T.J. Galiardi to free agency while forward Mason Raymond and goalie Jonas Hiller are the key arrivals in Calgary.
Mikael Backlund, who set career-highs with 18 goals, 21 assists and 39 points last season, is slated to center the top line that will be anchored by Curtis Glencross (12-12--24) and Jiri Hudler -- who led the team with 37 assists and 54 points in 2013-14 -- on the right.
Sean Monahan (22-12--34), who burst on the scene as a rookie last season, is slated to round out the top-six by centering the second line that will have 21-year-old rookie Johnny Gaudreau on the left and Devin Setoguchi (11-16--27) on the right. Raymond is slated to fill a bottom-six role in Calgary this season while Matt Stajan is also in the mix.
On defense, the Flames turn to a top unit of T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano, who had a career-season in 2013-14 by putting up 14 tallies and 33 helpers to finish second on the team with 47 points. Ladislav Smid and Dennis Wideman are slated to round out the top-four on the blue line.
In the crease, Calgary turns to Hiller, who went 29-13-7 with a 2.48 GAA and a .911 save percentage last season in Anaheim.
The Flames have some impressive young guns in guys like Monahan and Backlund, who really came into his own on offense last season. The defense still runs through Giordano while Hiller could prove to be a great last line of defense in between the pipes. Still, the rebuilding seems far from over for Calgary and it appears more likely they'll miss the playoffs for a sixth straight year and garner a high draft pick to continue to help the rebuilding process.
Edmonton Oilers (29-44-9, 67 points): The Oilers enter 2014-15 with a growing young core that is waiting to burst through the NHL and end a playoff drought that extended to eight seasons in 2013-14. Edmonton is an up-and-coming team, but still may not be ready to take that next step.
It was a busy offseason for the Oilers as they lost center Sam Gagner, leaving their depth at the center position a little weak. Edmonton made several additions to its roster, bringing in forwards Teddy Purcell and Benoit Pouliot along with defenseman Keith Aulie, Mark Fayne and Nikita Nikitin.
The Oilers top-six at forward has plenty of youth around it. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (19-37--56) is projected to center the top line that will have Taylor Hall, who led the team with 53 assists and 80 points last season, on the left and 2013-14 Edmonton goal-scoring leader Jordan Eberle (28) on the right.
Given the team's lack of center depth due to the trade of Gagner, 2014 NHL Draft pick Leon Draisaitl (No. 3) could very well center the second line that is projected to be anchored by David Perron (28-29--57) on the left and Nail Yakupov (11-13--24) on the right.
Pouliot and Purcell are slated to slot in the third line in their first season with the team.
On defense, Martin Marincin and Jeff Petry are slated to be looked upon as the top pair while Nikitin and Fayne will round out the top-four.
In net, Edmonton turns to the combo of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth and will hope that the tandem will help them climb higher in the standings this season. Scrivens went 16-16-4 last season with a 2.55 GAA and a .922 save percentage while Fasth went 5-5-2 in 12 games with a 2.82 GAA and a .903 save percentage.
The Oilers still have a very young team that is on the rise, but the lack of depth will likely mean the rebuilding phase won't quite reach the playoffs yet this season. The team's top-six and goaltending tandem should be solid, but the lack of depth up front and inexperience on the blue line will likely mean a ninth season with no playoffs in Edmonton.
Breakdown: It seems as though the Kings, Sharks and Ducks will once again be the top-three in the division again and will all make the playoffs, but in what order they finish is up in the air. The Coyotes and Canucks will likely come closer to making the postseason and could even clinch a wild-card berth while the rebuilding period will show improvments in the Flames and Oilers, but not enough for them to make the playoffs.
Here is the Sports World News projected standings for the Pacific Division in 2014-15:
1) Kings
2) Ducks
3) Sharks
4) Canucks
5) Coyotes
6) Oilers
7) Flames
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