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Todd Cordell
1. Colorado Avalanche - Top to bottom I think they’re the best team in the league this season. Their firepower up front is almost unmatched and they have so much speed throughout the lineup. The Avs almost boast perhaps the deepest blueline in the NHL. Oh, and their goaltending tandem is a lot better than it gets credit for. I love this team.
2. Vegas Golden Knights - I’m interested to see if there is another shoe to drop here but, as constructed, I see Vegas as one of a few real Cup contenders. Their top-6 is fantastic and Cody Glass might be ready to give the B6 a jolt. VGK have the ability to ice a true No. 1 D – either Alex Pietrangelo or Shea Theodore – for ~48 minutes on any given night. Robin Lehner gives them some stability between the pipes as well.
3. St. Louis Blues - Losing Pietrangelo hurts but this is still a very good team. They play with a ton of structure and, even without Vladimir Tarasenko, I still think the top-6 is good enough to score consistently. If youngsters like Robert Thomas, Vince Dunn, and Jordan Kyrou can take the next step, the Blues will be a problem.
4. Minnesota Wild - I think the Wild are sneaky good. At least compared to other teams in the division. The forward core doesn’t pop off the page but there is some nice balance there (especially if Marco Rossi is ready to play when healthy). Led by Kevin Fiala and Kirill Kaprizov, they should score enough to be competitive. The Wild have an awesome top-4 on the back end, which will make Cam Talbot’s life a lot easier.
5. Anaheim Ducks - John Gibson struggled last season but, for my money, he is still one of the best goaltenders in the league. He’ll give them a chance most nights. If Trevor Zegras is NHL ready (he sure looked it at the WJC), and some of their younger players take steps forward, the Ducks could surprise.
6. Arizona Coyotes - This team is very meh. Their names don’t produce as much as they’re expected, or paid to, and a lot of their younger guys have failed to take the next step; at least so far. Their goaltending will keep them in games but I don’t see a lot to get excited about here.
7. San Jose Sharks - They have no depth – John Leonard(!) is practicing on their 2nd line – and most of their stars are past their prime. Their goaltending tandem of Devan Dubnyk and Martin Jones is also flat-out terrible. This team will be bad.
8. LA Kings - Simply put, the Kings are punting on this season. It’s all about developing young players and boosting the value of random veterans so they can flip ‘em for more assets at the deadline.
Sean Maloughney
1.) Colorado Avalanche - The Avs last season were one of the best teams in the league and that was considering long stretches with top players injured. MacKinnon still produced elite numbers and will continue to do so with the extra help.
2.) St Louis Blues - Could be neck and neck with Colorado for the top spot. Will be without Pietrangelo but Krug will help replace at least his point production. Binnington was solid but dropped off from where he was a year before. If he returns to his previous status the Blues will be tough to beat.
3.) Vegas Golden Knights - I do have some questions about the centre depth for Vegas this season but a very strong defensive group and Lehner as the starter will still make this one of the top teams in the West.
4.) Anaheim Ducks - My darkhorse pick for this season. Gibson will remind everyone that he is one of the best goalies in the league and help the Ducks claw into the last playoff spot. Look for Zegras to make the team right out of camp as well.
5.) San Jose Sharks - An odd team in transition. Not rebuilding but not strong enough to bump out the teams ahead of them. One of Jones or Dubnyk needs to play far better than they have the past couple of years in order to carry this team forward.
6.) Minnesota Wild - One almost has to feel for Minnesota...for about 5 seconds until we all forget they are a team once more. Kaprizov should be fun to watch but this is still a group missing a real established high end player. Talbot needs to be consistent all year long for this to be a playoff team.
7.) LA Kings - Still some question marks on how many of their young prospects they will try to graduate to the NHL level this season. Could be in a similar boat as Ottawa, a team that will excite you with it's growing pool of talent but wildly inconsistent on a nightly basis.
8.) Arizona.
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