NHL: All-Pacific Division Team

Chris Hoeler by Columnist Written on August 10, 2008
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Ken Armer and myself have worked together to try and make one team out of the many great players here in the Pacific Division.

Out of the five teams in the division, each one has players that are great now, and guys that everyone should watch out for in the near future as they reach for stardom in the NHL:


Forwards
Line One: Morrow (A) - Thornton (C) - Doan (A)
A tough line that will certainly wear the opposing defense down. These three big guys aren't afraid to get nasty and would certainly make a formidable line in the NHL. All three are leaders on their respective teams, and would lead this all-division team.

Line Two: Ribeiro - Getzlaf - Perry
Ken says, "The chemistry that Perry and Getzlaf have at a young age makes this line dangerous immediately. Ribeiro will certainly be able to keep up with these two young guns, while his playmaking abilities will certainly only make this line much more potent". 

Line Three: Marleau - Jokinen - Kopitar
These three guys, like the first line, are big forwards who aren't afraid to get nasty. Marleau and Jokinen are veterans who would be able to help Kopitar to reach his potential as an elite forward in the NHL. Jokinen is new to the division, but he is belongs on this team.

Line Four: Carcillo - Avery - Ott
What is there to say about this line? This would be the most annoying line to play against in all of hockey. Sean Avery alone is a handful. Adding in Carcillo and Ott just sweetens the pot.

Honorable Mention
Watch out for Dustin Brown and Peter Mueller, two young guys who have been turning it on lately. Brown, seemingly out of nowhere, has found his scoring touch on LA, while Mueller showed tremoendous goal-scoring skills in his first year. Look for these two to continue in their successful ways.

Defense
First pairing: Niedermayer - Pronger
These two have been great defensemen throughout their careers. Niedermayer is a player with good offensive abilities who knows how to defend against the best players in the game. Pronger can lay down the physicality, and his shot from the point is one of the best. 

Second paring:  Zubov - Morris
Zubov has been one of the best offensive defenseman in the league his whole career, but has been stuck in the shadow of Nick Lidstrom. He still has plenty of offensive touch and could run a power play blindfolded.
Derek Morris would be a great compliment to Sergei. He isn't afraid to get physical, and would be a great defensive partner for Zubov, even if he isn't flashy.

Third pairing:
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written on August 10, 2008 Opinion

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