Ken's Western Conference Standings Projection for the 2008-09 NHL Season

The Ducks will start the season slow, speed up, and skid into the final games of the season. Regardless of Teemu Selanne, this is the same basic team we saw last year. Scoring will still be an issue, and the Ducks will find better Pacific teams in the playoffs. Anaheim will likely beat the Wild and lose to the Sharks.

7. Phoenix Coyotes

Yep, the 'Yotes make it. Bryzgalov and the youth movement in Phoenix will boost one more Pacific Division team into the postseason. A hard-fought, bloody series between San Jose and Phoenix will see the Coyotes limp home licking their wounds.

8. Nashville Predators

I would love to put Columbus here. But in the Central—where it is Detroit, and then everyone else—Nashville will be neck-and-neck with Chicago. The Predators will win their final couple of games to leapfrog Columbus into the playoffs, only to be swept by the Wings.

9. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Jackets will make a push for the playoffs, but still fall short. The motivation is there, but late-season losses will keep the team short. Rough guess is the Jackets miss the playoffs by four points or less.

10. Colorado Avalanche

With or without Joe Sakic, this team doesn’t impress me. Sakic alone can’t carry the team, and I see no defense to really prevent me from giving Colorado this low of a position. I truly hope I am wrong here.

11. Edmonton Oilers

A couple of changes in the Oilers lineup doesn’t yield more success, sadly. This team needs a year or two more to really shake things up, and will likely be another team that barely misses the playoffs.

12. Calgary Flames

The Northwest is by no means terrible, but the playoffs need room for the loaded Pacific Division. The ninth through twelfth spots will likely miss the playoffs by six to eight points.

Calgary’s defense and goaltending are good, but they have no real impressive forward-scoring, aside from Iginla.

13. St. Louis Blues

A small jump up in improvement, but St. Louis should still miss the playoffs by quite a bit. The youth movement here needs a few more years. The scoring and goaltending are there, but the defense is a little too green.

14. Los Angeles Kings

A great team with no goaltending, in the tough Pacific Division. The Kings will be like a nerd at a high-school dance—every time they pull themselves out of the locker, they'll face another Pacific bully. If anyone finds a lost goaltender with talent, please call the Kings.

15. Vancouver Canucks

Pavol Demitra won’t help, and a team that struggled greatly will only sink further down after losing some great players this offseason and adding very little. The Canucks will be beaten like a drum most of the year, until a late-season surge to make them appear “okay.” Likely not the worst team in the NHL, but there’s no bragging in the basement.

Western Conference beast: Dallas Stars

Marty Turco, Brenden Morrow, Steve Ott and Sean Avery all have chips on their shoulders. The right motivation can push any team deep in the playoffs. Dallas will make jaws drop in the postseason. 

Western Conference bust: Columbus Blue Jackets

So much work to make the playoffs, but they'll stumble due to poor choices at the end of the season.

Team(s) to watch: St. Louis and Chicago

Both of these teams will be fun to watch this season.

Ken Armer is a Senior Ducks Writer and a Community Leader for the NHL and Anaheim Ducks. You can contact him on his profile or via e-mail at karmer@bleacherreport.com

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