Ryan Cowley’s 2018-19 NHL Pacific Division Predictions
- Updated: October 5, 2018
Perhaps it was the short playoff stay of the Kings and Ducks or maybe it was just the astonishment of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights representing the southwestern United States last spring. Whichever way you look at it, something just didn’t feel right about California’s representation — or lack thereof — during last season’s playoffs. Conversely, the Golden Knights’ historic run showed just how unpredictable and exciting the NHL can be at its most important time of the year. But, that was then, and this is now.
It felt like a long summer but the NHL season is upon us and, with that said, it is time for my predictions for this season’s version of the NHL’s Pacific Division.
1) San Jose Sharks
We can look at Joe Thornton and say that the Sharks are too old, but there’s more to the San Jose Sharks than that.
This time last year, the Sharks were deemed by some to be on the downturn, mostly due to the departure of Patrick Marleau. That was not the case as the Sharks finished the 2017-18 campaign with 100 points, just one point behind second-place Anaheim and nine behind the expansion Knights.
Last season, the Sharks were led in scoring by Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, and Brent Burns — with the latter capable of producing both as a defenseman and as a forward. In fact, don’t be surprised to see Burns see more action up front this season with the acquisition of star blueliner Erik Karlsson, whose presence solidifies his new team’s place in the division.
2) Calgary Flames
Many of you may be scratching your heads at this one. Why would I pick the Flames to go from fifth in the Pacific last season to second this season? Well, going back to what I said about how unpredictable the NHL can be, there’s no reason why the Flames cannot contend for a top playoff spot this season. After all, with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan leading the way, the boys from southern Alberta could be capable of similar success as they had in 2014-15.
With Dougie Hamilton having left for Carolina, however, there are question marks surrounding Calgary’s defense. Even Mike Smith, who put up decent numbers last season (2.65 GAA, .916 save percentage), could have been better and, as a result, enters the season wondering if he is capable of keeping the Flames’ No. 1 job between the pipes.
3) Vegas Golden Knights
The dreaded sophomore slump may affect the Vegas Golden Knights, but don’t expect the second-year club to be completely bogged down by it. The Knights, after all, still have a resurgent Marc-Andre Fleury in goal and have stocked up with the off-season addition of Max Pacioretty. The biggest questions in Sin City, though, is whether last season’s breakout stars William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault are more than one-year wonders. This writer believes that they are and that the Knights, in spite of losing key players like James Neal and Tomas Tatar, will continue to contend.
4) Los Angeles Kings
Their Stanley Cup days seem further away than we think, but the Kings certainly appear to be on the right track.
On paper, the Kings are formidable, mixing veteran leadership from Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty to youngsters like Adrian Kempe and Alex Iafallo. The silver-and-black, however, will need to be healthy if they hope to seriously contend this season. Jeff Carter missing a good chunk of time last season definitely hurt and Dustin Brown‘s finger injury does not leave the Kings with an auspicious start to this season. But, this is an opportunity for some rookies to step in. Speedsters Austin Wagner and Jaret Anderson-Dolan will both start the season with the big club and for a team notorious for not emphasizing youth in recent years, this roster is a breath of fresh air.
5) Edmonton Oilers
After a breakthrough 2016-17 season, this writer penned the Oilers to finish first in the Pacific Division last season. That didn’t happen. Not even close. Worse, the Oilers had to watch their former star Taylor Hall nab the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player last spring.
Connor McDavid will continue to be, well, Connor McDavid, so the orange-and-blue definitely have that working in their favour. A healthy Leon Draisaitl will also help, but the rest of the club is up in the air.
Milan Lucic and goaltender Cam Talbot, to name just two, had disappointing seasons last year, leaving coach Todd MacLellan and even GM Peter Chiarelli on the hot seat. If these two thrive under pressure, the Oilers will rebound after last year’s disastrous showing, but don’t expect them to leave many with their proverbial jaws to the floor.
6) Anaheim Ducks
No matter the circumstances, the Anaheim Ducks always seem to find a way to succeed in the regular season. Yet, while the likes of Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell will continue to deliver, the absence of Corey Perry may resonate more than the Ducks are hoping. Ducks fans are at least hoping captain Ryan Getzlaf, who potted 61 points last season, can stay healthy.
7) Vancouver Canucks
The Sedin era is over in Vancouver and, while the likes of Brock Boeser gives this franchise hope for the future, don’t expect a breakout so soon.
Boeser shared last year’s team lead in points but missed 20 games due to injury. The Canucks need both him and Bo Horvat to be healthy. There is a lot of promising youth on this club with Elias Pettersson and Markus Granlund integral to the team’s future. Again, though, don’t expect breakout success this fast.
8) Arizona Coyotes
A couple of years ago, Anthony Duclair and Max Domi appeared to be the two most prominent pieces to the Coyotes’ future. Both are now gone and while Oliver Ekman-Larsson is certainly worthy of more critical attention, the overall look at Arizona’s roster doesn’t stand out. Even off-season acquisition Alex Galchenyuk won’t see ice time yet due to injury.
Last season, the Coyotes made the most headlines from their infamous woeful start to the season and despite having reliable names like Alex Goligoski and Niklas Hjalmarsson on their blueline, don’t expect the Coyotes to make much noise.
This season in the desert, expect new faces to fill the voids while the goaltending duo of Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta will do their best to keep the club at bay.
Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time
Related Posts
About Ryan Cowley
