The departure of former starting goaltender Manny Fernandez speaks volumes about the Wild’s faith in Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom posted a sensational 1.97 GAA and a .929 save percentage in his 36 starts; don’t be surprised if he has similar numbers this year.
Prediction
The Wild will have every chance to come out on top in the Northwest provided Gaborik can stay healthy. Backstrom and the defense will give the team a chance to win every game.
A second place finish in arguably the league’s toughest division would be admirable.
3. Vancouver Canucks
After a successful campaign under head coach Alain Vigneault, the Vancouver faithful will be looking for an even better result this season.
Riding on the shoulders of goaltender Roberto Luongo, the Canucks will be contenders in the Northwest.
Offensively, the Canucks—save for the Sedin twins and Taylor Pyatt—were unable to produce a year ago. Vancouver will count on captain Markus Naslund to regain his scoring touch after he put up only 60 points last season. Brendan Morrison will also be looking for a better year after posting only 51 points.
One could argue that the absence of former teammate Todd Bertuzzi had an impact on Morrison and Naslund in '06-'07; they'll need to be better this year for their team to succeed.
Defensively, the Canucks have a talented and underrated core led by Kevin Bieksa and Mattias Ohlund. Behind them are steady veterans Sami Salo, Willie Mitchell, and Aaron Miller.
These blueliners will be looking to support star netminder Roberto Luongo, whose arrival from Florida gave the Canucks exactly what they didn’t get from Alex Auld.
Luongo's dazzling 2.28 GAA stole games for Vancouver down the stretch. Expect nothing less than a fantastic season from the Vezina candidate.
Prediction
The Canucks have to improve their offense. Luongo can compensate for some offensive incompetence—but if the Canucks can't score consistently, a third place finish is more than likely.
4. Colorado Avalanche
After shelling out for Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan, the Avalanche will be looking for big things in '07-'08.
Coach Joel Quenneville leads a team that finished ninth in the Western Conference a season ago—just barely out of the playoffs.
Future Hall-of-Famer Joe Sakic heads a dangerous Colorado offense. In his 18th season, Sakic managed to put up an astounding 100 points. He's currently signed to a one-year contract.
Behind Sakic are two excellent scoring lines. After rediscovering his offensive prowess, Milan Hejduk lit the lamp 35 times. Phenoms Paul Stastny, Wojtek Wolski, and Marek Svatos provide excellent depth. The arrival of the grinder Smyth will give the Avalanche a mixture of flair and grit up front.
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