Offseason Review and Season and Roster preview for all the Pacific division teams as well as my predictions for the Pacific division standings.
Anaheim
Last years record 31-37-14 76 points
Significant UFA losses: Sonny Milano, Sam Steel, Zach Aston Reese, Dominik Simon, Vinni Letteri, Gerald Mayhew, Jacob Larsson
Significant UFA additions: Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, Glenn Gawdin, John Klingberg, Nathan Beaulieu
Significant trades:
To ANA: Dmitry Kulikov
To MIN: Future Considerations
Anaheim’s 2022 Draft results:
1RD #10 LD Pavel Mintyukov
1RD #22 C Nathan Gaucher
2RD #42 RD Noah Warren
2RD #53 RD Tristan Luneau
4RD #107 C Ben King
5RD #139 LW Connor Hvidston
5RD #154 RW Michael Callow
6RD #178 G Vyacheslav Buteyets
Season and Roster preview: the Ducks have done a great job this offseason in improving their team as they were able to improve via free agency and after they moved so many bodies out of their lineup after the trade deadline it seems that they are trying to make another run at making the playoffs but even with all of this talent like Strome, Vatrano and Klingberg who cam in and good young players like Zegras, Terry and Drysdale still there I would expect them to be better then last year and more competitive but I still think that the playoffs may be a bit of a reach right now.
So in Net the Ducks should have a good duo again as they still have their all start starter and one heck of a backup. So their starter will most likely be Gibson again as he is coming off a bit of a down season and had some injuries he was dealing with last year but should be a lot healthier this year and be a better goalie then in the past few seasons with a improved blueline on the team and they have Anthony Stolarz as their backup as Stolarz ended up playing a lot last season due to the fact that Gibson kept on getting injured and should that he could be a 1B if needed and he should be a great backup and improve off of one of his better seasons and they even have goalie of the future Lukas Dostal waiting in the wings as he has shown that he could be a good NHL goalie but will probably have one more year in the AHL to continue to Grow while he would probably be called up if they run into injury trouble again but I think not touching the goaltending was the best move they could make as they have a great starter, good backup and a young up and coming goalie and if they can stay healthy I think they should be better then they were last year.
With the Ducks defence they were able to replace all of the players they traded at the trade deadline last year and bring in some good veterans to try and help stabilize the defence after it was a bit shaky last year. On pair 1 I would have John Klingberg on one side as he is a very good offensive defensemen who couldn’t find a long term deal anywhere so he should be able to come into Anaheim and prove he is still a lethal top 4 defensemen and take over the role that Lindholm held last year and Fowler should play with him as Fowler has been a pretty consistent defensemen in Anaheim for the past few years but coming off his most productive season in his career he should be able to help that defence be stable this season, on pair 2 I would have had Vaakanainen play on one side but he will be injured to start the year so I for the time being would put young Simon Benoit there as Benoit is more of a 3rd pair defensemen and should probably play there if he doesn’t do to well but I think that Benoit could do well as a 3rd pair stopgap and actually do well there while I would have Jamie Drysdale on the other side as he had a outstanding first full season in the NHL putting up 32 points in 81 games and he is a solid top 4 defender for the Ducks and I think that he should be able to build off his rookie year, and on pair 3 I would have veteran Beaulieu and Shattenkirk who should make up a very good 3rd pair as Beaulieu had to show in camp he is still able to pave a good 3rd pair defensemen after ending last year injured and being the good physical depth defensemen he is I think he can play well in that position and
Shattenkirk has been great in his two seasons in Anaheim and has proven to be a good and productive veteran for the Ducks but with a yet again deep right side I would probably keep him on the 3rd pair as he has thrived in that spot and should remain there and I would have Kulikov be the 7th defensemen as he is a valuable player who won’t produce much but is good defensively and should be able to come into the lineup if Beaulieu of Benoit need a break or if there is injuries but he is a really good veteran to have and I think this Ducks defence is more experienced then last years group as the team added a lot of good vets this year and should be a ton tougher to play against although I am not sure how there back end on the left side will do as it is a lot weaker but I still think their defence will be slightly better then last year.
And with the forward group the Ducks were able to get two great free agent additions to add to a young core that really took some steps this past year.
So on line 1 I would have Zegras be the Center as he is a very dynamic top 6 Center and he showed it last year when he did absolutely fantastic and was one of the best Ducks on the Ice and with his amazing skill set I would expect him to once again improve and grow into maybe the Ducks best player, then on one wing I would have Henrique who has consistently hit 40 points since coming over to Anaheim and while I am not sure he is the best player to play with Zegras, he did do well last year with guys like Terry and Getzlaf so I think he could produce on that line, and on the other wing have Ryan Strome come in as the offseason acquisition is coming off some of his best seasons of his career in New York and knows how to play with a superstar after playing with Panarin in NYR so even though he would have to shift back to the wing I think he makes a fantastic partner for Zegras, on line two I would have Mason McTavish who has a good early season stint with the Ducks last season and tore it up in the world Juniors this past year and he looks like he is not only ready for a middle six role but also looks like the Calder front runner right now and I could see him put up maybe 40 points or better this season, on his wings I would have Terry and Vatrano as Terry had been a good bottom six forward for Anaheimuntil last season when he blew open the doors and nearly scored 40 goals and I think he should be able to challenge for 40 goals again especially playing with a guy like McTavish and Vatrano had a very productive time in NYR after being acquired at the deadline and since signing a few years back with the Panthers he has become a underrated middle six forward and with his quickness he would make a great partner for McTavish, on line 3 I would have Lundestrom who showed last year that he can be a productive middle six forward and play up and down the lineup and I think starting him as 3rd line Center this year would be the best for him and I would have Comtois play on one side as he was the best Ducks forward two years ago but had a bad season last year where he couldn’t get into the lineup on a consistent basis so I think if they put him on the 3rd line and hope he is able to find his form from two years ago and have Silfverberg play on the other side as he is a good forward and is coming off finishing last year injured but I think he can still be a good point producer and putting him on a line with two younger players may be able to help him be the more dominant Silfverberg, and on line 4 I would have had Carrick but he is injured to start the year so I would have Derek Grant be the fourth line Center to start as he has been a really good bottom six forward and penalty killer for Anaheim and I think that he should be able to be a solid contributor on that 4th line for the Ducks this year, and the young wingers on that fourth line should be Brayden Tracey who was a good young prospect and had a decent season in the AHL and I think he could be a good forward in the Ducks bottom six this year while Brett Leason who split time between the AHL and NHL with Washington last year should be able to help the Ducks and produce in a bottom six role as he does have some offensive upside and is a good young player and I would have guys like Glenn Gawdin and Max Jones who are both good young players with some NHL experience should be the Ducks spares and come into the lineup if the Ducks run into injury troubles and they should play in bottom six roles relatively well and I think that this offense should be around the same as last year as they were able to replace two top 9 forwards with two others and I think that this team won’t be lethal on the offensive side but if the new acquisition play well and Terry, Zegras and Lundestrom continue to grow they could be better then last year and have a really good future in front of them.
Rating C+: the Anaheim Ducks I think were able to improve their team this offseason as the Kulikov, Beaulieu and Klingberg additions on the blueline really helped this team in my opinion to be more competitive this year and have some veteran players who could help the young guys learn and possibly be moved at the deadline while the did lose Milano and Steel on the offensive side they were able to replace this two with Strome and Vatrano who I think will be really good additions to this young blueline and I definitely feel this team has gotten better in the offseason maybe even better then last year but I still think they have another year or two to go before they make the playoffs and I do think they will wind up missing again this year.
Anaheim
Projected lineup
A.Henrique-T.Zegras-R.Strome
F.Vatrano-M.McTavish-T.Terry
M.Comtois-I.Lundestrom-J.Slifverberg
B.Tracey-D.Grant-B.Leason
C.Fowler-J.Klingberg
S.Benoit-J.Drysdale
N.Beaulieu-K.Shattenkirk
J.Gibson
A.Stolarz
G.Gawdin-M.Jones-D.Kulikov
(IR S.Carrick, U.Vaakanainen)
My Projected point total and record for the Ducks
34-36-12 for 80 points
Calgary
Last years record: 50-21-11 111
Significant UFA losses: Johnny Gaudreau, Calle Jarnkrok, Ryan Carpenter, Glenn Gawdin, Erik Gudbranson
Significant UFA additions: Nazem Kadri, Kevin Rooney, Clark Bishop, Nicholas Meloche,
Significant trades:
To CAL: Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt, Mackenzie Weegar, 2025 1RD (FLO)
To FLO: Matthew Tkachuk, 2025 4RD
(CAL)
To CAL: Future Considerations
To MON: Sean Monahan, 2025 1RD (CAL)
Calgary’s 2022 draft results:
2RD #59 C Topi Ronni
5RD #155 LW Parker Bell
7RD #219 C Cade Littler
Season and Roster Preview: the Calgary Flames had two parts to their offseason this year, the first apart where they wound up losing Gaudreau and Gudbranson to free agency while Matthew Tkachuk asked for a trade out of Calgary and things looked like they were heading to a rebuild, and part 2 where they got a prospect and 1RD pick as well as Huberdeau and Weegar who they signed both to 8 year extensions in exchange for Tkachuk and they were able to sign Nazem Kadri to a 7 by 7 deal and grew back into playoff contenders and I think that given the situation they were in this is a amazing piece of work by the Flames to remain competitive and in the playoff race and while I think they should do well again this year I think they could still be a tad bit worse and may even not win the Pacific this year.
In Net the Flames have the same tandem that helped them win the Pacific last season. The starter is most likely going to be Markstrom again as He is a top 5 goalie in the NHL at this point and looks like he is going to be a good goalie again this year after he a lot of shutouts last year and was able to have some great numbers last year as he played in more games then his first year and had better numbers so I expect him to play outstanding again this year while they have backup Vladar who since coming over from Boston has been a really solid back up for the Flames as he played his first year in Calgary last year and in 23 games had the best record of his career and while he was playing in front of a good team he is also a really good backup goalie and I would expect him to be good in 20-30 games this year while they have Dustin Wolf as their 3rd string goalie as Wolf seems like he may be the backup of the future for the Flames and should be a good 3rd string goalie again as he will develop in the AHL some more and could come into the NHL lineup if there is any injuries but this team is pretty good in the goaltending position and I think with these guys as their goalies they should do great as Markstrom and Vladar both did outstanding and I think they are set up to be great again this year.
With the D-Corp it looks much improved off a very good defence from last year and I think this team will be a good defending team once again for the upcoming season. On pair 1 i would keep the Flames best pair from last year in Hanafin and Andersson as both players are coming off their best point totals of their career after playing together as Hanafin his a career high of 48 points while Andersson blew his previous total out of the water by reaching the 50 point plateau and with maybe a bit weaker forward group the defence will still need to help out offensively so I think keeping these two as partners so they can continue to produce would be smart, on pair two I would have newly acquired Mackenzie Weegar who showed last year that he can be a productive top pair defensemen in Florida but with that first pair probably not wanting to be broken up I think that he will make a outstanding second pair player in Calgary as he is a really good offensive defensemen but can also help defensively and I think that will make the backend better and I think to start I would put him with Tanev as Tanev is still a good top 4 defensemen and JVR knows how to play with a offensive defensemen after he was Kylington’s partner last year and should be able to play well with Weegar, and on pair 3 I would put Nikita Zadorov on one side as Zadorov was a good physical defensemen who should be able to help shutdown teams in a similar role and his partner was probably going to be Kylington as I had him be either Tanev or Zadorov’s pair but he is injured to start the year so I would have young rookie Connor Mackey be the pair for Zadorov as Mackey is a good young defensemen and showed that he can play well in training camp and while he probably won’t put up the offense like Kylington is capable of but he should be able to be solid defensemen and be a good partner for Zadorov while Meloche would be my 7th defensemen to start as he did well last year when he came into the Sharks lineup and showed he could be a good 3rd pair defensemen if they needed him to be so of they run into injuries he should be able to take a 3rd pair role, but I definitely like the Flames new look defence as it seems like they should probably get more offense from the defence this year and with all their moves they should still be a good defensive team and the team will improve even more once Kylington is healthy again.
With their forward group I think they may have declined a bit as their depth is a bit weaker but I also think that this team shouldn’t drop off from where they were before. On line 1 I would have a new replacement for the Gaudreau line from last year as I would put offseason acquisition Jonathan Huberdeau on one wing as he should be able to take Gaudreau’s place on the team and they shouldn’t miss a beat as both Gaudreau and Huberdeau are playmaking wingers around the same age and are coming off 115 point seasons so both players are extremely similar and it should be real similar in production, and I would have Lindholm play Center as he centered last year top line and had a career high 82 points and reached 42 goals and while I am not sure he stays at a point per game pace I do think he should at least hit 70 points this year and Toffoli on the other side as Toffoli came over before last years trade deadline and fit in well with Calgary 23 points in 37 games and his point total with Montreal and Calgary combined was his highest point total since 15-16 so I think that Toffoli who almost hit 30 goals in the shortened season should be able to play well with those two, on line two I would have Nazem Kadri be Center as he brings experience and what it takes to win a cup but also a really lethal offensive game as he is coming off the best season of his career online Colorado last year and with the line mates he could play with he could be over a point per game again this year, and I would put him with young forwards Mangiapane and Dube as Mangiapane had a breakout year last season nearing the 40 goal mark but coming up just short and with a playmaker like Kadri I think that Mangiapane should have another shot at 40 goals and prove he belongs in the top six while Dube has play most of the last few years on the 3rd line but I think he is ready to play higher in the lineup as with the losses to their offensive depth I think Dube could emerge as a lethal top six forward, on line 3 I would have Backlund be the Center as he had been the 2nd line Center the past few years but with Kadri he moves down to like three where he should be able to become a really good depth scorer and I think Coleman would also be on line 3 as he has plenty of experience being a key contributor on a 3rd line from his time in Tampa when he helped them win a cup and he should be able to put up 30-40 points this year and I would have young rookie Pelletier as he has showed in camp that he looks ready for the NHL and that he could add some more youth to this team and help with Terri lack of offensive depth so I think putting him on line 3 would be best, and on line 4 I would have physical veteran Lucic who is a very good 4th line forward and while he isn’t as offensive as he used to be he can still help a bit with the offense and be a good 4th line bruiser, and I would have Rooney Center it as the offseason acquisition can do what Carpenter did last year and that I’d be a good 4th line penalty killing forward who can play well as Center and help win tough battles and I would also have Brett Ritchie play on the 4th line as he can also help put some depth offense forward and I think he could also be a good piece for the Flames and if anyone gets hurt then a guy like Ruzicka or Lewis who I have as spares could come in and play really good 4th line minutes but that offense is pretty similar to last years offense as the top 6 I think should be as productive maybe a bit less then last season and I don’t think the depth will be as good as it was last year but all in all this is going to be one of the better offenses this season and they should still be able to show their goal scoring prowess this season.
Rating A-: the Flames get one of the highest offseason grades in my opinion for how they were able to flip the script this offseason to go from possibly having to rebuild to keep being one of the better teams in the Pacific and the addition of Weegar is especially great because it will take that defence to a whole other level but the one thing that bugs me with this team is that they have depleted depth in the forward group and that may make them a tad worse then they were last year but I still see them hosting a first round matchup I just think that they may end up 2nd instead of 1st this season.
Calgary
Projected lineup
J.Huberdeau-E.Lindholm-T.Toffoli
A.Mangiapane-N.Kadri-D-Dube
J.Pelletier-M.Backlund-B.Coleman
M.Lucic-K.Rooney-B.Ritchie
N.Hanafin-R.Andersson
M.Weegar-C.Tanev
C.Mackey-N.Zadorov
J.Markstrom
D.Vladar
T.Lewis-A.Ruzicka-N.Meloche
(IR O.Kylington)
My Projected point total and record for the Flames
48-26-8 for 104 points
Edmonton
Last years record: 49-27-6 104 points
Significant UFA losses: Josh Archibald, Colton Sceviour, Derrick Brassard, Kris Russell
Significant UFA additions: Mattias Janmark, Greg McKegg, Ryan Murray, Jack Campbell
Significant trades:
To EDM: 2022 1RD (COL)
To ARI: Zack Kassian, 2022 1RD (EDM), 2024 3RD (EDM), 2025 2RD (EDM)
To EDM: Klim Kostin
To ST.L: Dmitri Samorukov
Edmonton’s 2022 Draft results:
1RD #32 LW Reid Schafer
5RD #158 G Samuel Jonsson
6RD #190 LD Nikita Yevseyev
7RD #222 C Joel Maatta
Season and Roster preview: the Edmonton Oilers were able to replace some of their depth forwards and defensemen that they lost in free agency and were able to offload the Kassian contract to Arizona that allowed them to bring in a good starter in Campbell and I think that with a actual starter in Edmonton the Oilers should be able to be a lot more lethal this year as I think with a starter and good defence as well as that potent offense I think this team is ready to take another step this year and I could see them challenge their pacific rivals for the division.
In Net the Oilers let Koskinen go via free agency and Smith has a season ending injury so they had to get a completely new duo for the upcoming season and I think they were able to do that. So as the starter they will probably have Jack Campbell who had done well in Toronto since coming over from LA and showed the past few years that he is starter material and has been able to have a nice job growing from backup to starter and I think he should be a great upgrade on Mike Smith and I think that while he isn’t a elite goalie he sure is one of the better starters in the league and I think he should be able to help Edmonton shutdown offenses, while the backup role will be taken by young goalie Stuart Skinner who played a little bit at the NHL level when the Oilers were going through some injury trouble and played quite well getting into 13 games and having a .913 SV% and I think he can be a good backup playing 20-30 games for Edmonton and I definitely think this tandem will be better then last years tandem as Smith was getting up their in age and while he would play okay he wasn’t a starter while Koskinen was streaky and couldn’t be consistent so I think to good stabilizing pieces in Skinner and Campbell should help this team be better defensively then they were last year and could be the missing price to the puzzle.
The Oilers lost a good player to retirement from last year in Duncan Keith but they were able to keep most of the D-Corp intact from their west final run last year. On pair 1 i would keep Bouchard and Nurse as these two have played extremely well together and I think they should remain as Nurse is coming off another 30 point season this past year and can play a lot of minutes per night and is a good and reliable defensemen who is trusted in big moments while Bouchard finally burst out into the top 4 offensive defensemen everyone thought he would be as he surpassed 40 points last year and he is only going to get better so I think that he should hit maybe 50 points this year and should continue to prove he is a great offensive defensemen, on the 2nd pair I would put Brett Kulak who was a really good defensemen in Edmonton and Montreal last year and while he won’t put up too ment points he will help in both sides of the puck and the Oilers were able to keep him this offseason so I think that for the time being he should be the bet fit for the 2nd pair and I would have Ceci be his partner as he had a great first season in Edmonton and showed he can be a big piece of that top 4 for the Oilers as he played really well and with the loss of Keith he will have to prove even more this year that he can handle top 4 minutes for Edmonton, and on pair 3 I would have the Oilers play Barrie with Broberg as I think Barrie is a good dynamic offensive defensemen and can be really productive to putting him on pair three should help the Oilers balance their point producing defensemen and I think that Barrie fits best on pair 3 while Broberg looks ready to enter the NHL and it seems that after a pretty productive season in the AHL he is ready to take a step into the NHL and while I think he has top 4 potential I believe starting him one the 3rd pair with a guy like Barrie makes the most sense and they even have Ryan Murray who came in the offseason and after helping the Avs to the cup in a depth role he should be able to wait on the sidelines and come in if there is a injury and I think that he should be a good depth defensemen and I like how the Oilers defence stacks up right now as I am not sure it is a s good as it was last year with Keith but they still have a very good D-Corp and they keep on adding youth to the blueline which I think is going to be a big win for them this year.
With the Oilers forward group they basically just were able to replace all of the depth that they lost in free agency and they were able to bring in some young kids to help their team. So on the top line it comes as no surprise that I have McDavid centering the top line as the guy is a beast and consistently hit the 100 points mark and I think that he is outright the best player on the planet right now and this is his team so he remains there, and I would have Kane and Puljujarvi his wingers as Kane came in last season and playing with McDavid scored 22 goals which was impressive but even more so that he missed the first have and would’ve had over 40 goals so I think playing with McDavid for a full season could lead to 40 goals and Puljujarvi had a okay season last year but when the Oilers were trying to trade him in the offseason no one was biting so I think having him re up his stock by playing with McDavid is the right move and if he can be productive for them then maybe he doesn’t go, on line two I would keep a line that has been producing well since being put together and that is Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and Yamamoto as all three have played well, Draisaitl is another top 10 player in the NHL right now and also gets good points totals year after year but has put up 50 goals in a couple recent seasons and he should continue to be a goal scoring monster while Yamamoto is coming off of his best season putting up 41 points last year and I think he could reach the 50 mark this year as he is continuing to get better and has very good line mates while Nugent-Hopkins didn’t have one of his better years last year but had some injuries last year and still put up a good amount of points but if he can stay healthy I think he could be able to get to 60 points again this year and even though he is a Center I like him best on that line, on line 3 I would have Hyman on one wing as I think with that top six and where everyone is at I think putting him on the 3rd line to start makes the most sense and if someone isn’t playing well or there is injuries then he can go into the top six, but his line mates should be McLeod and Holloway to start the season as McLeod is a very good 3rd line Center and showed it last year and while he still needs to grow to become a lethal NHL forward he should be a good player for the team while Holloway hasn’t played a NHL regular season game yet but after a good year in the AHL and a stellar trading camp he looks NHL ready and I think slotting him in the top 9 should help the Oilers, while on line 4 I would have Center Derek Ryan play in the middle as he is a good 4th line veteran and while he won’t produce much points he will help on the penalty kill and should still play a impactful role with the Oilers while his two wingers should be Savoie and Foegele as Savoie is coming off a great college season and has never played a NHL game but starting him on the fourth line to give him a taste of NHL action wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world while Foegele has plummeted to the 4th line in the depth charts as Holloway passing him kicks him out of the top 9 and he will have to show that he can still be a good NHL forward for the Oilers and I would have veterans like Malone and Janmark who could come in if there is any injuries to the forward group and play on the 4th line as both could be good 4th line forwards and that is the Oilers forward group, I really do like how their top 9 would be set up as having a lethal offense like this will make any team playing the Oilers have a difficult night and I think that they should do just fine.
Rating B-: i think the Oilers have done a fine job this offseason in improving their team as they will miss Kassian’s physicality and Keith veteran leadership on the blueline but they were able to keep Kulak and Kane in the fold after they played really well after the Deadline and the addition of Campbell and Skinner to replaced Smith and Koskinen in Net which always seemed to be their one weakness makes this team a lot strong and having young players like Holloway and Broberg should make them better and after finishing 2nd in the division last year and going to the West final I see the Oilers taking a step this season and winning the Pacific Division leapfrogging their Alberta rivals.
Edmonton
Projected lineup
E.Kane-C.McDavid-J.Puljujarvi
R.N Hopkins-L.Draisaitl-K.Yamamoto
Z.Hyman-R.McLeod-D.Holloway
C.Savoie-D.Ryan-W.Foegele
D.Nurse-E.Bouchard
B.Kulak-C.Ceci
P.Broberg-T.Barrie
J.Campbell
S.Skinner
M.Janmark-B.Malone-R.Murray
(IR O.Klefbom, M.Smith)
My Projected point total and record for the Oilers
50-25-7 for 107 points
Los Angeles
Last years record: 44-27-11 99 points
Significant UFA losses: Andreas Athanasiou, Vladimir Tkachev, Martin Frk, Olli Maatta, Troy Stecher, Christian Wolanin
Significant UFA additions: Phoenix Copley
Significant trades:
To LA: Kevin Fiala
To MIN: Brock Faber, 2022 1RD (LA)
Los Angeles 2022 Draft results:
2RD #51 C Jack Hughes
4RD #103 C Kenny Connors
4RD #116 LD Angus Booth
5RD #148 RD Otto Salin
6RD #169 C,LW,RW Jared Wright
6RD #180 RD Jack Sparkes
Season and Roster Preview: the Los Angeles Kings wound up losing a few good players in free agency like Athanasiou, Maatta and Stecher but won’t have a completely healthy blueline as their injuries are gone and they went out and got a huge piece of their puzzle to help on the offensive side in Kevin Fiala who should be able to bring out the best in his teammates and improve off of last year and I think that the King a have done enough to try and nail down a playoff spot for the second year in a row this year but I don’t think it will be easy for them.
In Net the Kings are rolling with the same tandem that played extremely well last season and help them get back to the playoffs. Now I would have Peterson as the 1A goalie this year as Quick sort of took the starters Net away from Peterson last year with his play and while Peterson didn’t play terrible he also didn’t do great and I think having him grow into the starter this year is important because Quick has one year left and Petserson may need to be the starter new year so giving him more playing time could help him be primed for the role and show that he can still be a starter, while the backup position would be with Jonathan Quick as Quick looked like the goalie that helped LA to the Stanley Cup final years ago and I think he plays a bit less then last year because he is getting up their in age and he should be able to play 1B in LA this year after his brilliant season last year and be able to play more games if Peterson falters but I still really like this duo in Net as they have two capable 1A goalies if Peterson plays well this year who can backstop the team back to the playoffs this year and I would think that goaltending will be one of the Kings strengths this year.
With the D-Corp they are healthy and crowded on the blueline and look to have a great defence this year with Doughty back and they now have a lot of defenders who they could put into the lineup. On pair 1 I would keep last years top pair of Drew Doughty and Michael Anderson together as Doughty isn’t what he uses to be but he is still a great NHL defender and is still able to dominate offensively and he has had good chemistry with Anderson since he was put on that line as Anderson isn’t the most offensive of defensemen but is pretty good at playing with one like Doughty and they compliment each other well so I would leave them together, on pair 2 I would have Bjornfot on the left side as he didn’t get much points last year but had a career high 8 so I think there is still some serious room for improvement with him this year and I think he should be able to show that he can carry a heavy load while Roy should be his partner as last year with Walker and Doughty injured he stepped up and proved to the Kings that he can be a legit top 4 defensemen for this team and should be able to play well with Bjornfot and continue to put up some points while on pair 3 I would have Edler play with Durzi as Edler was resigned this offseason and he is more of a depth defensemen right now and I believe he would do well playing with a younger player so I think pairing him with Durzi would be good for him while Durzi came in during the year with the injuries and showed just how much of a lethal offensive defensemen he could be by putting up 27 points in 64 games and I think that if he can put up similar numbers this year it won’t be long before he is a top 4 powerhouse for the Kings and I think with the deep right side that Walker will probably start as a spare and come in when there is a injury or two for the team or he could just get into game action and be a good 3rd pair defensemen but I really like the Kings blueline this year as they look lethal and with the two guys in Net this year again I think that this team could be one of the better defences in the league and should get lots of points from their backend.
For the Kings offense they are coming off a year where they had to score a lot to win games due to their banged up defence and I thinkthat they actually got better with the forward group this year. So on line 1 I would have Kopitar and Kempe remain there as that duo really took off last year as Kopitar was his old productive self putting up over 60 points in yet and other season and I could see him end up breaking 70 points this year and Kempe had a amazing season breaking out for a career high in points lead by a 35 goal season and I could see him end up pushing 40 goals this year cause I would put newly acquired Kevin Fiala on that line as well as he is coming off a 85 point season with Minnesota last year playing on the 2nd line and I could very well see him get at least 90 points this year as he will get more minutes n’a shave better line mates so he should be a added price to this top 6 they didn’t have last season, on line 2 I would keep last years great line of Arvidsson, Moore and Danault as that line did great last year as Moore doubled his previous career high last year and should be able to hit 40-50 points again on this line, Arvidsson in his first year with LA did have some injury trouble especially last in the year and in the playoffs but he also was productive and was a good addition to this team and now that he has found a home I expect him to do well this year as long as he stays healthy and Danault was also in his first season with LA and also had a great season as he looked like the number one Center in Montreal who was good at being a two way forward who could also put up points and I expect him to continue to improve this year, on line 3 we have Alex Iafallo who I think has become a luxury for LA as 2 seasons ago he would’ve been a top 6 forward but now I think his best fit is the 3rd line as he still had a pretty productive year and I think he could be a good depth forward for LA and I would also have two young Center’s in Vilardi and Byfield play on the 3rd line as Vilardi spilt time between the AHL and NHL last year and it looked like he was going to be traded due to falling out of favour but he played well enough in camp to get back on the 3rd line in my opinion while Byfield had a okay rookie year going in and out of the lineup getting 10 points in 40 games and I think that he will be able to solidify himself as a middle six Center this year and get consistent minutes, with the 4th line being made up of Carl Grundstrom who was a really good bottom six forward last year and especially in the playoffs with injuries and I would also have Turcotte on that line as I truly feel that after a bad injury history he should be able to make the lineup as the 4th line Center and be productive and on the other wing I would have Arthur Kailyev as he played quite well last season for LA and looks like a decent middle six forward but with the Kings depth I think him starting on line 4 would be the best for this season and then they would also have a few players be spares like Lemieux and Lizzotte who should be able to regularly rotate in and play 4th line minutes if there is a injury but this LA offense looks way better and deeper then last season as they now have a guy in Fiala who will be a lethal playmaker and if young guys like Turcotte, Byfield and Vilardi take more strides this year then the Kings would be a team I would not want to face.
Rating B-: the Kings had to go through some cap gymnastics to get this roster good but they were able to do so as they were able to keep their fantastic duo in Net from last year, they have a now healthy, young and deep blueline and also got Fiala and a few young players who are going to help this team and I think that the offence and defence should both be better then last year and they should be able to at least finish where they were point wise last year and should do well and while I am not convinced right now that the Kings can upend either of the Alberta team I do think they should still be a top 3 team in the Pacific still this year.
Los Angeles
Projected lineup
A.Kempe-A.Kopitar-K.Fiala
V.Arvidsson-P.Danault-T.Moore
A.Iafallo-Q.Byfield-G.Vilardi
C.Grundstrom-A.Turcotte-A.Kailyev
M.Anderson-D.Doughty
T.Bjornfot-M.Roy
A.Edler-S.Durzi
C.Peterson
J.Quick
B.Lizzotte-B.Lemieux-S.Walker
My Projected point total and record record for the Kings
43-28-11 for 97 points
San Jose
Last years record: 32-37-13 77 points
Significant UFA losses: Jonathan Dahlen, Ryan Dzingel, Nicholas Meloche, Alex Stalock
Significant UFA additions: Nico Sturm, Oskar Lindblom, Evgeny Svechnikov, Matthew Benning, Markus Nutivaara, Scott Harrington
Significant trades:
To SJ: Luke Kunin
To NAS: John Leonard, 2023 3RD (SJ)
To SJ: Steven Lorentz, Eetu Makiniemi, 2023 3RD (CAR)
To CAR: Lane Pederson, Brent Burns
To SJ: 2024 4RD (VGK)
To VGK: Adin Hill
San Jose’s 2022 Draft results:
1RD #27 C Filip Bystedt
2RD #34 C Cameron Lund
2RD #45 RD Mattias Havelid
3RD #76 RD Michael Fisher
4RD #108 G Mason Beaupit
5RD #140 LD Jake Furlong
6RD #172 RW Joey Muldowney
7RD #195 RD Eli Barnett
7RD #217 C Resse Laubach
Season and Roster preview: the San Jose Sharks were able to improve their team this year as they got rid of Burns and got a few depth pieces to replace him and they were able to get a better bottom six on the offensive side but while they have been able to make strides this season to be a better team I still think they would be closer to the basement then to making the playoffs this year and even though I think they got better in the offseason I don’t think they got too much better.
In Net the Sharks had a logjam of three quality goalies so they wound up moving one and now have their duo for the upcoming season. So the Sharks needed to move a goalie and they wound up trading Adin Hill to Vegas as he would’ve likely been moved to the minors so they now have their duo for this years and I would have 1A be Kaapo Kahkonen as he came over at the deadline from the Minnesota Wild and really looked good with the Sharks in his short stint and was a really good goalie the past few seasons in Minnesota so while I view him as a tandem goalie right now I think he definitely has starter upside and I think that he could easily prove that this year as I think he could be a great goalie for San Jose, while in the 1B slot I have Reimer as Reimer was probably the Sharks best goalie last year before being injured and looked really good and I think if Kahkonen struggles then Reimer could be 1A for the Sharks as I think while he is more of a 1B now he is still a really good goalie and should give the Sharks a chance to win night in night out but this is definitely a good duo in San Jose and I think it is better then last years duo and if Reimer plays well again and Kahkonen takes strides then this goaltending tandem could be amongst the best in the league.
For the Sharks D-Corp they traded a big piece of their blueline in Brent Burns but weren’t able to have a good solid replacement and in stead got a few other good defensemen from them. So on pair 1 I would have Erik Karlsson who will be the main offensive weapon now on the blueline now that Burns is gone but I definitely see him being a great point producer this year as long as he stays healthy, and I would pair him with Ferraro who did great as a 2nd pair defensemen mostly playing with Burns but now that he is gone I think he could handle top pair minutes with another offensive defensemen in Karlsson and they should make a good pair, on pair 2 I would put Vlasic on one side as with no more Burns, Vlasic is going to have to find his old game as he is coming off a bad year and is definitely not living up to that contract but if he can play like a top 4 defensemen again the Sharks should be better and I would have young defensemen Ryan Merkley with him as I think Merkley did good last year in his few games he got in and I think he is more a 3rd pair defensemen right now but I do think that playing with Vlasic he should be able to show that he belongs in the NHL, and on pair 3 I would have offseason acquisition Benning play on one side as he seems likely to make the team although I don’t think the 2nd pair is the best spot for him and Megna who came into the Sharks lineup last year due to injuries and played very well and I think he has deserved a 3rd pair spot for this year and then they would have Simek be their spare as he hasn’t been the best defender but could be a good 3rd pair option if they run into injury trouble and I am not sure how to feel about this offense as they don’t have too many good defensemen and also don’t have too many who can help offensively and I think they will really miss Burns productive ness so while I do think the Sharks blueline is deeper I also think that it is probably worse then last year.
With the forward group they swapped in a lot of new faces and should have some good young talent this year that should be able to improve this Sharks offense. So on line 1 I would have Timo Meier on one wing as he is entering a contract year with the Sharks and has been really explosive lately especially during last season when he put up a career high 76 points and 35 goals and if he has another dominant season like this I have no doubt they would be willing to pay his qualifying offer, I would have Couture Center that line as he isn’t playing to the extent Couture is known to play at as he is still the teams number one Center and the teams captain but while he is still producing it isn’t at the level when the Sharks were making the playoffs so if he can play a bit better it would help the Sharks and I would have Elkins on the other wing as Elkins was a great draft selection last year and did get a early season stint last year and looked good so I think a productive rookie like that should make the team and I wouldn’t be surprised if he started on that top line to help him start producing quickly, on line two I would have Tomas Hertl Center the line as he was able to get a contract extension last seasons and had one of his best seasons and I think if he can have another year like last season it would really help out this offense, and on his wings I would have Luke Kunin who was a decent bottom six forward in Nashville before being moved to San Jose this offseason and I think that with a bit of a weak middle six that Kunin could play on the second line and help the Sharks produce some offense while on the other side I would have Kevin Labanc who had a down year last season and had lots of injuries last year but I think if he can play in the middle six this year and prove he can still be a good offensive force then I think the Sharks would be a lot string them him being a bottom six winger, on line 3 I would have Bordeleau and Gregor as two of them as those two had good chemistry when Bordeleau came over in a late season stint but I think Bordeleau showed last in the season that he was queasy for a NHL role and I think working him in by placing him on 3rd line to Center or would be the best for him while I think that Gregor who had a breakout year last season deserves to be on the 3rd line and I think he could really help Bordeleau and I would have Bonino on the other wing as he could be a good veteran partner for these two and could help Bordeleau become a effective 3rd line Center so I definitely think that they will do great on the 3rd line, and on line 4 I would have 3 new faces to this lineup as I would have Oskar Lindblom on one side as he signed with San Jose after being bought out and was a pretty productive bottom six forward in Philly and I could even see him playing on line 3 at some point but to start I would have him on line 4, Sturm should center the 4th line as he was the 4th line Center in Colorado and Minnesota last year and helped Colorado for to the cup final and can be a very productive bottom six forward for the Avalanche this year while on the wither wing I would have Steven Lorentz who is a good bottom six forward and showed it last year in Carolina and I think he could be a useful and speedy depth player for the Sharks and should be a good player to have on the ice and then they also have decent players as spares in Matt Nieto and Evgeny Svechnikov as both have shown in the past few seasons they could be productive bottom six forwards and they should be able to get t’hérita chance but to start with I think that they will be spares and that is the Sharks group now I do think they did a good job adding some bodies to the offense but this offense does seem to have a few holes in it and I think that they could have some trouble getting some depth scoring from this lineup so I am a bit worried that this team won’t have what it takes to be a lethal scoring team.
Rating C: I think the Sharks weren’t able to improve as much as I would’ve liked them as they were able to get better depth players like Kunin, Lorentz, Lindblom, and Sturm while guys like Dahlen, Dzingel, Pederson and Leonard all left and they did move Burns and replaced him with Benning and Nutivaara and they do have a good goalie tandem but I just don’t see how this team can kick out some of the more competitive Pacific division teams this year and I seriously think they have a year or two to go to being back to a playoff team and I think this year should be about getting younger and faster.
San Jose
Projected lineup
W.Eklund-L.Couture-T.Meier
K.Labanc-T.Hertl-L.Kunin
N.Gregor-T.Bordeleau-N.Bonino
O.Lindblom-N.Sturm-S.Lorentz
M.Ferraro-E.Karlsson
M.E Vlasic-R.Merkley
J.Megna-M.Benning
K.Kahkonen
J.Reimer
M.Nieto-E.Svechnikov-R.Simek
(IR A.Barbanov, N.Knyzhov, M.Nutivaara)
My Projected point total and record for the Sharks
31-39-12 for 74 points
Seattle
Last years record: 27-49-6 for 60 points
Significant UFA losses: Riley Sheahan, Victor Rask, Dennis Cholowski,
Significant UFA additions: Andre Burakovsky, John Hayden, Jesper Froden, Michael Kempny, Justin Schultz, Martin Jones
Significant trades:
To SEA: Oliver Bjorkstrand
To COLU: 2023 3RD (CAL), 2023 4RD (WIN)
Seattle’s 2022 Draft results:
1RD #4 C Shane Wright
2RD #35 RW Jagger Firkus
2RD #49 LW,RW Jani Nyman
2RD #58 G Niklas Kokko
2RD #61 C David Goyette
3RD #68 RD Ty Nelson
3RD #91 C Ben MacDonald
4RD #100 LD Tyson Jugnauth
4RD #123 C Tucker Roberson
6RD #164 C,LW,RW Barrett Hall
7RD #196 C Kyle Jackson
Season and Roster preview: the Kraken were able to do a great job to their offense by improving it a ton this year as they bring in offensive wingers via trade and free agency and draft a top prospect that fell into their lap but besides those guys that really will add firepower to their offense they didn’t do much on defence and their goaltending is a bit weaker this year so while they should no doubt improve off of their first ever season I do have a hard time seeing my favourite team making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
In Net the Kraken still have their starter from last season but due to a injury they were forced to go out and grab a backup for this year. The starter will once again be Grubauer who after having a few good seasons in Colorado had a down year in Seattle last year and it was his first year in Seattle so there may have been growing pains and I think that even if it isn’t a drastic improvement that he should be able to improve some this year and go back to being the dominant starter who can play 50-60 games, while last years back Chris Driedger will be out until March due to injury so the Kraken brought in Martin Jones to backup as Jones had one of his better seasons last year in Philadelphia and should be able to help the Kraken as backup as I think he should be able to give the Kraken a chance to win and play 20-30 games this year and I do think that the Kraken downgraded at the goalie position as I was expecting a bounce back season from Dreidger and I think Jones should do well enough to help the Kraken be competitive this year but I really think that Dreidger injury will hurt Seattle.
On the Blueline for the Kraken they were able to add a few veteran bodies to this team this year but this D-Corp doesn’t look quite as good as last years did. On pair 1 I would have one of last years pairs as I would put Dunn and Larsson on the top pair as Larsson is a good defensive defensemen and had a okay first season in Seattle but I think he should be able to improve this year and show he belongs as a top 4 defensemen while Dunn tied his career high in points last year with 35 and I think he was probably the best Kraken defender last season and I think he should be able to maybe set a new career high for points this year, on pair 2 I would have Jamie Oleksiak on one side as Oleksiak actually for in quite well with the Kraken last year and playing mostly on pair 2 put up a career high 17 points last year and I think he could challenge the 20 point mark this season if he is able to continue to improve and I would have offseason addition Justin Schultz be his partner as Schultz isn’t the offensive defensemen he was a few years ago but is still a pretty productive defender and I think playing with Oleksiak he should be able to continue to produce while on pair 3 I would have Carson Soucy on one side as Soucy showed last year that he can be a very good defender as he put up a career high in points and was good on both sides of the puck and I think he can continue to grow this year and maybe show he can be a top 4 defensemen while on the other side I would have young defender Borgen who was in and out of the lineup last year as he was the 7th defensemen but with the lack of other options and him growing I do think he can be a god 3rd pair defensemen as he did put up 8 points in 35 games and if he can keep up that production he should be able to be a consistent 3rd pair defensemen and they should have Michael Kempny as spare because he is a good veteran and can easily play 3rd pair minutes so if someone were to go down dut to injury I think he could be able to be a good replacement but this D-Corp isn’t that much different then last year and it may be a bit worse and I think that while they should be able to hold the fort while their offense goes to work I also think that this defence could cost them a few games and that could be costly.
And with their forward group they were able to heavily improve the team in my opinion as they should be a much more offensive team this year. So on the top line I would have Eberle on one wing as Eberle had a very good first season with the Kraken putting up 20 goals and having his best point total in the last four seasons and I think with better and healthy line mates he should be able to play even better this year, on the other wing I would have Burakovsky who the Kraken brought in the offseason and should help make this a lethal offensive team as he is coming off a year where he put up over 60 points for the first time in his career and helped Colorado win the cup and I think that experience should help Seattle and in the Center position I would have Matty Beniers who was the Krakens first ever draft selection and had a late season stint last year and was almost a point père game and I think this kid could have 50-60 points this year and should be able to grow into being a lethal top line Center for Seattle, on line 2 I would have Jard McCann play on one wing as he was probably the best Kraken forward last year putting up over 50 points for the first time in his career and I think he should be a good point producer on the second line and centering that line should be Yanni Gourde who didn’t have too bad of a first year in Seattle hitting 48 points and I think he should be able to play well with McCann and push 50 points in a season for the first time in the last 5 years and offseason acquisition Oliver Bjorkstrand should play on the other wing as he showed last year in Columbus that he can be a lethal goal score in the NHL and with line mates like these I could see him hit the 30 goal plateau this year be a really lethal scorer for them, on line 3 I would have Brandon Tanev who had a pretty good early part of the season last year and then got injured and didn’t play again but he is healthy now and should be able to be a good top 9 forward who can help on the PK for Seattle and on the other wing I would have Jaden Schwartz who didn’t have a great first year in Seattle and with the offseason additions I think he has fallen to the third line for right now but I think he could be a top 6 forward again if there is a injury while centering that line I would have Shane Wright who was drafted 4th overall in this past years draft and I think that he will make the team as their 3rd line Center and work his way into being a top 6 Center for this team in a few years, while on line four I would have Ryan Donato who did great in his first year with Seattle getting a career high 31 points although with their depth I think he starts in the 4th line but should be a interesting call up option while centering that line should be Alex Wennbete who I think is more of a top 9 forward but with their strong depth at Center I think he will find himself on the 4th line to start and I think he will need to show that he is still a good forward to get back into the top nine and on the other wing I would have Kole Lind who I think is still a good bottom six NHL forward and after a pretty good NHL stint last season I think he will do pretty well in a full time role this year and then they have guys like Sprong and Geekie who would be great bottom six forwards if the team ran into injury troubles and needed to put some players in but this lineup will be a whole bunch better then last year as the Additions of young Centers Beniers and Wright make their Center depth lethal and the Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand add will help this team score goals right away and I feel that the Kraken offense should be the strength of this team and help them out the most in a tight game.
Rating B: the Kraken have done a amazing job adding to the forward group and the offense should make strides this year with guys like Beniers, Burakovsky, Bjorkstrand and Wright in the lineup now but with the defence lacking in firepower and the goaltending situation still a bit murky I think that this team is still at least a year if not two from making the playoffs as I do expect some big improvements from this team and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were top 15 in goal scoring this year but they still have too many flaws to make a playoff run and that really pains me as they are my favourite team.
Seattle
Projected lineup
A.Burakovsky-M.Beniers-J.Eberle
J.McCann-Y.Gourde-O.Bjorkstrand
J.Schwartz-S.Wright-B.Tanev
R.Donato-A.Wennberg-K.Lind
V.Dunn-A.Larsson
J.Oleksiak-J.Schultz
C.Soucy-W.Borgen
P.Grubauer
M.Jones
M.Geekie-D.Sprong-M.Kempny
(IR J.Donskoi, C.Dreidger)
My Projected point total and record for the Kraken
37-35-10 for 84 points
Vancouver
Last years record: 40-30-12 92 points
Significant UFA losses: Brad Richardson, Brandon Sutter, Matthew Highmore, Juho Lammikko, Alex Chiasson, Brad Hunt, Jaroslav Halak
Significant UFA additions: Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev, Curtis Lazar, Dakota Joshua, Wyatt Kalynuk
Significant trades:
To CHI: Jason Dickinson, 2024 2RD (VAN)
To VAN: Riley Stillman
Vancouver’s 2022 Draft results:
1RD #15 RW,C Jonathan Lekkerimaki
3RD #80 LD Elias Pettersson
4RD #112 C Daimon Gardner
5RD #144 G Ty Young
6RD #176 LD Jackson Dorrington
7RD #208 LD Kirill Kudryavtsev
Season and Roster preview: the Vancouver Canucks were looking to remain competitive this offseason but also to free up some cap space and they did so by adding a couple of top 9 forwards and moving out some money in Dickinson and they were able to work out a Miller extension to keep him around but I do wonder that while this offense could be one of the better units in the NHL does the defence have enough to help carry this team to the playoffs and that is the biggest determination as to if they will make the postseason or not this year.
In Net the Canucks have their starter still locked up for a long time and they also have a new backup coming in who should be able to help take some of the load off of Demko. Now the starter will once again be Demko and I don’t think anyone should be surprised by that as Demko has been a elite level starter since eating the job in Vancouver and should definitely be a top 10 goalie in the NHL right now and he should be able to put together a 50-60 game performance and help stabilize this Canucks defence game while in the backup role should be Spencer Martin who had a bit of a showing last year late and did quite well putting up some outstanding numbers and I think that he should be able to be the backup this year that will be able to relieve Demko some nights as I think he played too many games last year and giving him some nights off should help him be ready but I do like this tandem as Demko can play most of the season but I think Martin should be able to be a decent backup and those two should help this team defensively.
On the D-Corp they have a lot of injuries to start the year and even if they didn’t start the year injured I would be worried about that D-Corp. now on pair 1 I would probably have the Hughes and Schenn pair who did well last year as Hughes is coming off a career high in points last year and I think he could have 70-80 points this year and further the fact that he is the Canucks best defender right now and a top defensemen in the NHL and Schenn paired with him nicely last year as he is more of a defensive defensemen and a physical one at that and they seem to have great chemistry playing together so I would keep that pair intact, on pair 2 I would have had Myers play on the right side but with him being injured I would start the season having Poolman on the right side as his first season in Vancouver was riddled with injuries as Poolman can be a good 2nd or 3rd pair defensemen when healthy and the Canucks are going to have to count on Poolman bouncing back to be better defensively and I would have OEL play with him as Ekman-Larsson had a good first season in Vancouver putting up 29 points in 79 games but I do think that he should have a better season as he hasn’t played like he did in his best seasons in Arizona so I think if he has a good year this season the Canucks would be better, and on pair 3 with Dermott injured to start I would have Rathbone and Stillman play on that pair as Stillman came over in a trade with Chicago and should be able to work on a 3rd pair as he is actually a really good 3rd pair defender and showed that last year in Chicago so I believe he will play well there and Rathbone who has been trying to nail done a consistent NHL role over the past few years could get a opportunity to finally do that this season as he seemed poised to get a 3rd pair spot this year and I think that he should be able to be a good good defensemen and a injection of youth that this team desperately needs and I would have Kyle Burroughs as the 7th Defensemen to start as he played well when he went into the lineup last year and I think he could come in and be a good defensemen if there was any injuries but this Canucks blueline does seem to be their weak point as the Canucks could definitely have improved this defence as I think it does have a few weak points especially if they are injured and I definitely see the defence as the factor that could lead them to missing the playoffs.
With their forward group they have a ton of top nine talent that should help this team become a top 10 team in scoring this year. So on the top line ke would bring back the top line that has been there some time now and that is the Miller, Pettersson Boeser line as I think that line should be great again as Miller has an extension in place now and nearly had a 100 point season and looked like the best Canucks last year so I would expect another solid year from him, Boeser had a lot of office issues to deal with last year but I believe he will be back to his old self as he did have a good year last season but not to be point where his potential lies so I think he could be a 30 goal scorer this year and Pettersson got off to a rough start last season but later on in the season he found his stride and I think that if he can find his late season form from last year he should be good and help this Canucks team, on line two I would have Horvat Center as he is a really good second line Center for the Canucks and really helps that offense go so I think that he should be able to lead the second line, and on his wings I would have Garland and Kuzmenko as Garland was one of the best 5v5 players in the league last year and should be able to improve off of that while Kuzmenko has just come over from Europe and hasn’t played a NHL game yet but he looks like he will fit in well with the Canucks offense and be a good point producer for them so I definitely like his fit on a line with Horvat, on line 3 I would have newly acquired Lazar be the 3rd line Center as I think the penalty killing forward fits best on this line and he seems like a player who could step into that role and run with it so I think he deserves that role while his wingers should be Podkolzin and Hoglander as both players seem to have top six forward written all over their futures as Hoglander was sounding like he might start in the minors but after a strong camp and good season last year I believe he has earned a 3rd line spot and should be a productive top nine forward and while Podkolzin had a great year last season and looks like he is ready for a top 6 role right now I think the other wings are just two deep and he will have to start on the
Third line this season, while on line 4 I would have Pearson as he is a good Middle 6 winger for the Vancouver Canucks and had a decent year last year, but due to the fact that the Canucks have such a deep roster, he may have to be buried on the fourth line at least start the year, at Center I would have Nils Aman play as Aman showed during training camp that he could carry the weight of being the fourth line centre for the Vancouver Canucks, and they seem to have some good upside and I think the young rookie will do well there while on the other wing I would have Dakota Joshua who should be a good physical forward for the Vancouver and while he won’t produce much he can be a very tough guy to play against and the Canucks could certainly use that grit in their game and they also have spares like Dries or Lockwood who could come in and play in the bottom six if they run into injuries but this Canucks offense looks a lot better then last season and I think they should be able to score their way out of trouble if they need to.
Rating B-: I think the Canucks did improve this offseason as I really like the Mikheyev and Kuzmenko additions and the Miller extension that keeps him in the fold but in my opinion that defence might cost them a few game as they do have a few good pieces there but unless they are able to get the best from everyone I just don’t think that is happening and I think that their offense will lead them close and Demko will snatch a few games for the team but in my eyes they should finish within a handful of points and wind up just ever so slightly missing the playoffs.
Vancouver
Projected lineup
J.T Miller-E.Pettersson-B.Boeser
A.Kuzmenko-B.Horvat-C.Garland
V.Podkolzin-C.Lazar-N.Hoglander
T.Pearson-N.Aman-D.Joshua
Q.Hughes-L.Schenn
O.E Larsson-T.Poolman
J.Rathbone-R.Stillman
T.Demko
S.Martin
S.Dries-W.Lockwood-K.Burroughs
(IR I.Mikheyev, T.Myers, T.Dermott)
My Projected point total and record for the Canucks
42-34-6 for 90 points
Vegas
Last years record: 43-31-8 for 94 points
Significant UFA losses: Mattias Janmark, Gage Quinney, Jack Dugan
Significant UFA additions: Phil Kessel, Byron Froese
Significant trades:
To VGK: Shea Weber
To MON: Evgeni Dadonov
To CAR: Max Pacioretty, Dylan Coghlan
To VGK: Future Considerations
To SJ: 2024 4RD (VGK)
To VGK: Adin Hill
Vegas 2022 draft results:
2RD #48 C Matyas Sapovaliv
3RD #79 C Jordan Gustafson
4RD #128 G Cameron Whitehead
5RD #145 LW,C Patrick Guay
6RD #177 RW Ben Hemmerling
7RD #209 LD Abram Wiebe
Season and Roster Preview: the Vegas Golden Knights made some minimal moves this offseason as they had to being in a goalie due to injury and then made a few tweaks to their offence as they had to ship out Pacioretty and Dadonov due to cap reasons and brought in a few guys but they should have some more youth in this lineup this year and I think that should be Abel to help them become a productive team again as they are mostly healthy this year and a healthy Knights team is a lethal one and I think they should work there way back into the playoff conversation this year.
In Net the Golden Knights had to go out and get a goalie to work with their young goalie as the two players who probably would’ve started the year are injured right now. So Lehner who was the Golden Knights starter a last year and probably would’ve been this year and Brossoit who was a decent backup last year are both injured Brossoit at least for a few months and Lehner for the year so they have a new tandem for this year. The Knights will probably have Logan Thompson as the 1A option as he showed last year he can be a very good tandem goalie at least and put up some good numbers with the other two injured and while I wouldn’t put him as a starter right now I do think he could play enough to maybe get more of the starts this year then his tandem counterpart who is Hill who the Knights acquired in a trade with San Jose this offseason and Hill had a pretty good year in San Jose putting up some good numbers and he was injured last season too but I think that while he still needs to grow that he should be able to be a good goalie for the Knights this year and while he isn’t the best choice I think he should do well and I think that with Lehner not playing the goaltending has definitely downgraded and will probably be worse then what they were last year but I also think that this tandem should be able to hold down the fort for long enough so that they can make a run at the playoffs.
On the defence the team is not to much different from last season as they were able to keep most of the team from last year. On pair 1 I would have Pietrangelo and Martinez as both are really good defensemen and Pietrangelo should continue to be the Knights best defensemen and help offensively while the Knights definitely missed Martinez presence last year so putting him back on the top pair is a smart thing to do on pair two I would have McNabb who had been a great top 4 defensemen since going over to Vegas in the expansion draft and should continue to help out the team while Theodore us still a really good offensive defensemen and should help the beat up forward group get back on track while I would keep The Hague and Whitecloud pair together from last year as both aren’t too offensive right now but have should real maturity playing together and I think I’d they continue to be productive they should continue to have a good pairing and Hutton should be a serviceable spare to come in if there is a injury but I see this defence as being a strength as the offense could do a little worse so having a amazing defence like this should help this team a lot.
On the forward group they get a little weaker with Pacioretty gone but should have enough youth to still be a lethal offensive team. On the top line I would have Mark Stone who is healthy again and after a good season playing through injury the captain should be back to being dominant, and I would have Marchessault on one wing as he played quite nicely last season putting up 30 goals last year and I would expect the same from him and Eichel should center the line as he is now healthy and after being quite productive following his recovery last year I think that he should be able to return to being a dominant top line Center, on line two I would keep Smith and Karlsson together as they play well together and Smith played a pretty productive season last year and keeps on being productive and I think he will be a good second line player again this year while Karlsson hasn’t been living up to his contract Lately and a isn’t being the best top 6 forward but I do think he should go back to being a good 2nd line Center and I would add Phil Kessel to that line as he consistently plays and has a good Ironman streak going and continues to be a solid point producer so I like him on that line, on line three I would have Chandler Stephenson and Nick Roy as two of the forwards as both are underrated players who can into Vegas as depth pieces and are now guys who can be put in the middle six if there is injuries but I think that to start the season they should remain on line 3 with Brendan Brisson who had a good season in college last year and is definitely a good young winger for Vegas and I think his speed and playmaking abilities could help replace Pacioretty production so I think having him on that line is smart and on line 4 I would have Carrier who has been a great bottom six forward and can help whenever the team is in need Howden who came to Vegas last year and proved that he can still be a good bottom six forward while I would also have Kolesar who is a good penalty killing bottom six forward and should be able to help the Knights out and they also have spares like Cotter and Leschyshyn who are both good bottom six forwards and can be productive if called upon but I like this Knighs forward group as they will definitely miss Pacioretty but they should be a good offensive team going forward.
Rating C+: I don’t like the Pacioretty trade as I think that trade was awful and they should’ve got something for him and the goalie injuries will hurt this team as well but I also like how they were able to rebound and acquire Hill to solidify their D-pairing for this season how they were able to not touch their defence and then bring in Kessel while having a good young group of players who could come into the NHL this year and I think that if the healthy Golden Knights can play like they did the year before last year then this team could be scary and while I can’t see them getting a top 3 spot right now I do see them making it back into the playoffs most likely as the number 2 wildcard team.
Vegas
Projected lineup
J.Marchessault-J.Eichel-M.Stone
R.Smith-W.Karlsson-P.Kessel
B.Brisson-C.Stephenson-N.Roy
W.Carrier-B.Howden-K.Kolesar
A.Martinez-A.Pietrangelo
B.McNabb-S.Theodore
N.Hague-Z.Whitecloud
L.Thompson
A.Hill
P.Cotter-J.Leschyshyn-B.Hutton
(IR N.Patrick,R.Lehner, L.Brossoit)
My Projected point total and record for the Golden Knights
44-33-5 for 93 points
2022 all star pacific division logo
My Projected Standings for the Pacific division
Edmonton 50-25-7 for 107 points
Calgary 48-26-8 for 104 points
Los Angeles 43-28-11 for 97 points
Vegas 44-33-5 for 93 points
Vancouver 42-34-6 for 90 points
Seattle 37-35-10 for 84 points
Anaheim 34-36-12 for 80 points
San Jose 31-39-12 for 74 points
Now I think that it will probably be a toss up between the Flames and Oilers for top spot but due to the goalie changes in Edmonton and the maybe lack of depth scoring in Calgary I would give Edmonton the edge, LA is probably going to be 3rd again this year but should be a lot more lethal with the addition of Fiala and a healthy blueline, Vegas and Vancouver I think will be the two teams to fight over the last playoff spot on the west but with Vegas experience and Vancouvers defensive troubles I definitely fell that Vegas should narrowly beat out Vancouver for that last playoff spot, while Seattle, Anaheim and San Jose should all just miss the playoffs this year as I think Seattle improves and doesn’t finish to far out of it, Anaheim also improves thank s to their more experienced D-Corp but also finish out of a playoff spot while San Jose winds up not improving much and should be one of the teams in the race for Connor Bedard.
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