NHL Pacific Division Preview

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West!

A lot of us on the East Coast don’t stay up late enough to see the great hockey action that happens on the West Coast, so don’t forget that the President Trophy team came from the Pacific last season.

The Stars are two years removed from a Western Conference Finals run and the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007.

Then, there is the bottom of the division: the Hamilton/Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles-two-years-away-Kings.

So here we go in our exploration of the Pacific Division

1. San Jose Sharks

Rear View Mirror: The good for the Sharks was a President Trophy run and the bad was a first-round exit. The team was lead by a balanced scoring attack that led by their captain Patrick Marleau and sophomore sensation Devin Setoguchi.

Last year, also saw a resurgence of both 30+ defenseman Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. Even with a franchise-record 117-point season and all the talent in the world, the Sharks bowed out disappointingly in a six-game series to the Anaheim Ducks.

Offseason Ins: C Scott Nichol, D Derek Joslin, RW Jed Ortmeyer, G Thomas Greiss

Offseason Outs: D Christian Ehrhoff, RW Mike Grier, C Jeremy Roenick, G Brian Boucher, LW Travis Moen, D Alexei Semenov, C Tomas Pilhal

What Makes Them Tick: Up front this team is fast, deep, and excels in scoring the difficult goals, exemplified by their top scorer Joe Thornton (86 points).  Big Joe has been dynamic since his trade to the Sharks and will once again be asked to be the team leader, especially on the power play.

The team will also expect bigger things from their improving young guns, Setoguchi and Joe Pavleski, who are both restricted free agents at the end of the season and both coming off career seasons last year.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Their former captain, Marleau, had a career high in goals and was responsible at both ends (career-best +16 rating) but had a disappointing playoff and with only one year left on his contract rumors will fly about the end of his 11-year run in San Jose.

Another player on the last year of a long-term contract and on the long list of Sharks who disappointed in the playoffs, is goalie Evgeni Nabokov. 34-year-old Nabokov was clearly outplayed by Jonas Hiller vs. the Ducks and missed significant time with two separate injuries last season.

With Brian Boucher, Nabokov’s back up for the last two seasons, gone off to Philadelphia, the backup duties are now held by former third-round pick Thomas Greiss.

Greiss played in the 2006 Olympics for his home country Germany but has only seen action in three NHL games, so Nabokov’s health and stability will be counted on more this season.

Player to Watch: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the man they call “Pickles,” will be counted on heavily on the back line this season. The 22-year-old signed a big four-year, $12.4 million contract extension and will be elevated to the top defensive line.

Vlasic already saw significant minutes on the penalty kill and, with the recent trade of Christian Ehrhoff, will see his power play minutes increase.  “Pickles” who once scored 73 points in QMJHL, is primed for a big offensive season for the Sharks.

Prediction: Once again, this team will be evaluated on the playoff success.  We all know they are talented and should win the Pacific Division for the third straight year. 

If they come out slowly, or are not meeting expectations, don’t be surprised if Doug Wilson pulls the trigger on trading Patrick Marleau or Evgeni Nabokov, as the GM has said change is needed a team that consistently does not live up to their potential.

I predict another great regular season followed by disappointing playoffs, but that seems like an easy prediction.

2. Anaheim Ducks

Rear View Mirror: The Ducks were inconsistent for most of last season, but turned it on to upset the top seeded, and division rival, Sharks and even took the Red Wings to a seven-game series in the second round.

Offensively, they are led by the dynamic duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and Calder Trophy candidate Bobby Ryan. Defensively, they relied heavily on their two pillars, Chris Pronger and Captain Scott Niedermayer.

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