Pacific Division Preview

 Simon B

The Western Conference had to undergo a few renovations now that the Seattle Kraken are ready to take the ice as the NHL's 32d franchise. The Kraken is part of the Pacific Division and the Arizona Coyotes have made the move to the Central. 

Division by division, I'm taking a look at what each division in the NHL might have in store for us now that we're back to the regular alignment. 

The Pacific Division is clearly the weakest division in hockey this season but that definitely won't mean it'll be a boring one. Any division that has the Vegas Golden Knights, a franchise that's having its inaugural season, and Connor McDavid all in one is definitely going to grab our attention. Team by team, here's how I think this division will be lined up and why.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

When Vegas built their team 4 seasons ago, they weren't your typical contender. They didn't have first-line players, but instead, they had 4-second lines that could beat you in any way possible. They've added star power over the years but the style of play remains the same: physical, rough but extremely skilled when needed. They have two of the top 5 defensemen in the league in Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo. Put that with the scoring touch of Jonathan Marchessault and Willam Karlsson and the leadership and skill of both Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone and that's a Stanley Cup favorite any day of the week

Question mark: Will the shocking trade of reigning Vezina winner Marc-Andre Fleury prove to be a mistake or can Robin Lehner carry the load with an unproved Laurent Brossoit as his backup?

2. Edmonton Oilers

Last year's playoffs were basically a disaster for Edmonton. Getting swept in the first round by the Jets was another loss on the long line of recent Oiler disappointments. But this year's team is better and is now in a weaker division so expect Edmonton to be much better. Of course, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will lead the way for the Oil' but there are a few other parts of this team that are really strong. Darnell Nurse is locked up and confident in his top-line role, and they've added probably the best winger McDavid could ask for in Zach Hyman who will do all the dirty work for Connor.

Question Mark: Once again in goal, a 40-year-old Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen will be the tandem both coming off down seasons. How will they respond?

3. Calgary Flames

This is the team I'm expecting to have the biggest turnaround in all of hockey. If they can stay healthy, Calgary's office is as strong as can be. Now that they've added defending cup champion Blake Coleman via free agency, they've got a guy who's been there to help lead. On defense, Chris Tanev is continuing to get better as the team's top defenceman and GM Brad Treliving bolstered the blue line by adding 6'4 Nikita Zadorov. In goal, Jackob Markstrom did what was expected of him. He was solid every night and although the defense last season wasn't much help, he stood his ground.

Question mark: Who will become the leading voice in the locker room after the departure of long-time captain Mark Giordano? 

4. Vancouver Canucks

A tough year in Vancouver last year as they had injuries to top players and they were plagued with COVID and missed a month of the regular season. That said, with a healthy Elias Petterson back in the fold and the addition of Conor Garland on the second line, Vancouver is reading strong. On defense, they've added two high-caliber players in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tucker Poolman. They, along with Tyler Myers Travis Hamonic, and one of the most dynamic d-men in the game, Quinne Hughes should provide solid play. Thatcher Demko and newly added Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes to start the season.

Question Mark: Can Elias Petterson and Brock Boser take their line to the next level by connecting with each other as a duo?

5. Seattle Kraken

The newest fish on the frozen pond. I'm not expecting another Vegas Cinderella story with this expansion. But is still think that the Kraken will make noise and possibly be in the hunt for a playoff spot. The way GM Ron Francis built his team, it's obvious that cap space is the priority. He's not aiming to win this year or next I don't think since he passed on Cary Price, Vladimir Tarasenko, and James Van Riemsdyk.  Most of their scoring will come from their top line of Yanni Gourde (who will miss the start of the season after surgery), Jordan Eberle, and Jaden Schwartz. On defense, the Kraken is huge. The biggest average size for a defensive group in the entire NHL so I can imagine they'll be hard to score against. In goal, I think they're set with Veniza finalist Phillip Grubauer.

Question Mark: Will the offense score enough to get them ahead in tight games?

6. Los Angeles Kings

Locker room leader Drew Doughty declared the rebuild over and that LA will be contending this year. I don't think that's outside the realm of possibility but it's definitely a long shot. Los Angeles is a young and inexperienced team. They've made some good additions in Philip Danault and Victor Ardvinsson on forward. Those two will have to mesh well with young guns like Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, and Quinton Byfield. On defense, there's the aforementioned Drew Doughty and free-agent signing Alex Edler. Young Cal Peterson will lighten the load for veteran Jonathan Quick in the net.

Question Mark: Can the young players take the steps needed to speed up the path to contention?

7. San Jose Sharks

This is a team that is still at least a season away from being any good. No significant changes in San Jose compared to last season with their biggest offseason acquisition being goaltender Adin Hill. They lost longtime netminder, Martin Jones, as well. On forward, they still have the players who can score consistently in Logan Couture, Timo Mier, and Tomas Hertl. Defense is probably their strongest spot as they have veterans Erik Karlsson, Brend Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic still going strong. This season is going to be a long one for the Sharks but for good reason as they will take this opportunity to give prospects some highly-valued NHL action.

Question Mark: Will Evander Kane be able to produce the way he used to after it came out that he's had multiple addiction problems going on?

8. Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim will also have a very young and inexperienced team this year just like their California counterparts. They've been in a rebuild for a few years now and they are definitely in the last stages of it. They've got top prospects at both the NHL and AHL levels and they will be a fast and skilled team very soon. But the Ducks aren't quite there. Upfront, their leaders are Ryan Getzlaf and Rikard Rakell but they also have an amazing young talent in Trevor Zegras. The other top-tier prospect that they've got at the NHL level is defenceman Jaime Drysdale who will hopefully see his minutes go up this year as well.

Question mark: Is this finally the year where the veterans step back and the young guns take over?

The Wrap

Central Division to come tomorrow.

If you have any other sports topics you'd like to read about, let me know in the comments or send me a message in the "Contact me" section in the sidebar! 

Thanks for reading! I'd love your comments and questions.  Please share with friends and take a moment to subscribe (head to the sidebar and sign up under the "subscribe" section) so you can read all my post-game pieces on the Leafs as well as my takes on the big news in Toronto sports and more. It would mean a lot.

You can also follow me on Twitter @sports_slaw to get updates and opinions on sports news as it's breaking.

#NHL #2021-22 #Seasonpreview