2016-17 NHL Pacific Division Predictions

Shawn Medow

1st: Anaheim Ducks

After a strong regular season in 2015, the Ducks could not manage to make a run in the playoffs which resulted in a coaching change that sees Randy Carlyle return to Anaheim and replace Bruce Boudreau. The Ducks have a lethal offense and strengthening defense, which no longer includes goaltender Freddy Andersen but now has Jonathan Bernier with John Gibson. The Ducks have some magnificent scorers and with good goaltending to help when the team is short on goals, Anaheim can still win games where they play poorly offensively. They are looking like a top team in the league, even with the new head coach. Carlyle knows how to win in the postseason, which is what Boudreau lacked,  and Anaheim just has to pick up where they left off at the end of last year’s regular season.

2nd: San Jose Sharks

The Sharks surprised a lot of people when they made the deepest run in the franchise’s history after they made it to the Stanley Cup final but came out second. It is difficult to get to the promise land two years in a row but the Sharks have not made too many changes. It will be hard for the players to pick up their heads after such an inspired run to only lose when they could nearly touch Lord Stanley’s cup. With experienced players like Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton, there should be enough leadership to pick up where they left off but will once again have to require another stellar year from goaltender Martin Jones.

3rd: Los Angeles Kings

The Kings can be simply described in one word: consistent. They will make the playoffs but will have some bumps along the way. It is all about coming into the postseason hot or not. If they come in hot, they are unstoppable, but if they do not, they risk an early exit from the playoffs. There are tons of talented players on the ice in the City of Angels, and similar to the Sharks, the Kings will need a big year from Jonathan Quick to continue to roll on.

4th: Calgary Flames

The Flames are, and excuse the pun, hot. With Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau getting better and better, Calgary could be in store for a good season in the Pacific Division. The youngster will have to take control of the Flames this year, which he has done in recent years. The Flames can form a team around the youngster and make a push for the postseason, but will face a tough task against a strong Pacific Division yet again.

5th: Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes will win some games that they are not expected to compete in, but will certainly lose too many to elevate them beyond 5th place in the division. There is talent down in the desert but the team is not quite clicking yet to make a charge into the playoffs with the current strength that the Western Conference and Pacific Division hold.

6th: Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers could be on the way up but it might be just a little early. While Connor McDavid looks like the next Wayne Gretzky, the youngster is not prepared to carry a team. He will have plenty of help in the offense from Milan Lucic and others but will not be able to outscore opponents because the team lacks fluidity that is seen from many other franchises in the NHL. The Oilers can be contenders in a few years, but after a dull season last year, it is extremely difficult to see a spark sustained in Edmonton.

7th: Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are struggling and cannot find a rhythm. Time is slowly catching up with the Sedin brothers and it will soon be a complete overhaul in British Columbia. The team is disconnected and look disorganized last season. From what was recently a strong team that was always difficult to play against, home or away, has become a walkover for most teams and will probably finish bottom of the Pacific Division.

Stanley Cup Final

For the Stanley Cup final, I will predict what I felt was going to be the matchup last season heading into the playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks will play the Washington Capitals and in an exciting 6-game series, the Ducks will come out on top. It will be a heartbreaker for Alexander Ovechkin, who is one of the best players in the game who is yet to win a Cup, but the Ducks look eager to win again and returning head coach Randy Carlyle looks like the perfect man for the job. The Ducks were just missing that final step before but could have it with Carlyle. There is speed, strength and skill in this Anaheim team. Along with great goalies, the Ducks have a good defense to block shots and kill penalties along with a lethal attack to score goals. It has taken time to get the team tweaked just right, and it might be under Carlyle where everything clicks perfectly into place for the Stanley Cup to return to Anaheim.