Following up on last weeks article, when I made my predictions on who the top 5 teams in the Eastern Conference will be, now I will discuss who the top 5 teams in the Western Conference will be.
Predicting the top teams in the West is like picking out of a hat. It is going to be tough and it is going to be a battle, but in the end it will be the San Jose Sharks. I could have easily picked four other teams, but I am going with my gut on this one. San Jose managed to finish second in the West last year, despite a terrible start. They made some considerable moves this off-season by getting rid of Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi. They did however; bring in Martin Havlat and stud defenseman Brent Burns. Add that talent to a roster that includes Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture and Dan Boyle and the Sharks will be at the top of the Western Conference.
My pick for the second spot in the West is the Vancouver Canucks. Despite finishing one win shy of a Stanley Cup, the Canucks will once again have a good shot at trying to win that elusive trophy. Led by the Sedin twins, goals should not be a problem the Canucks have to worry about. The duo will most likely be at the top of the NHL scoring list for another season. Ryan Kesler will be looking to build off of his phenomenal 10-11’ season. Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider will prove to be an outstanding goalie tandem once again, and the Canucks will once again be in the playoffs.
Finishing third in the conference will be the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings will be lead by the core group of veteran All-Stars that have brought the organization years of success. Nick Lidstrom is arguably still the best NHL defenseman and the smooth, lethal combo of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will provide plenty of offense. If Jimmy Howard can continue to develop into the goalie everyone thinks he can be, the Red Wings will give the conference a run for its money.
The Chicago Blackhawks, loaded with talent and youth, will finish fourth in the West. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane will be leading the Hawks offensively, again. The trio will provide plenty of goals and are always dangerous on the PP. Sean O’Donnell is going to be a key piece of the puzzle, as he comes in the help Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook take care of the defensive zone. Cory Crawford, the young talent between the pipes, will have to elevate his game even more if the Hawks want another crack at the Cup.
Rounding out the top 5 will be the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings added a leader in Mike Richards to their roster in the off-season. Richards brings talent and grit to the Kings lineup. Pairing him with Anze Kopitar will be the solution to offensive question marks the Kings had in the past. Jon Quick, a Vezina caliber goalie, will dominate the pipes again for the Kings. The Kings will have one of the top defensive units in the NHL, led by Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi. Watch out for this team come playoff time too!!
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