NHL Northwest Division Preview

With the 2008- 2009 NHL season drawing closer, I figured I would jump on the bandwagon and do a division prediction. I’m going to do a Wild team prediction as well, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

I’ve seen a bunch of season predictions, most namely from The Hockey News, and they barely have anything in common.

That said, here are my predictions for how the Northwest division will shake out this year:

1. Edmonton Oilers
2. Calgary Flames
3. Colorado Avalanche
4. Minnesota Wild
5. Vancouver Canucks

Before you start bashing me (and you know you will), let me defend my predictions, or at least try to:

1. Edmonton Oilers

They are the epitome of the term "solid." The Oil are set from the first line all the way through the fourth. You really can’t find a glaring hole on this team, and they have Potulny, Strudwick, and Schremp waiting in the wings.

You could argue that they might have problems in goal with Garon and Roloson, but I think they’ll be all right. They’re really well balanced—they kind of remind me of the ’03 Wild, to an extent.

2. Calgary Flames

The Flames are a one-line team, maybe two. Iginla’s still one of the best in the league, Bertuzzi’s fading, then guys like Langkow and Lombardi are solid. And then there’s Andre Roy? 

Their defense is pretty solid, with Phaneuf headlining, as always. They could fill out two good defensive pairings, but you’ve got to score goals to win games. Plus, they’ve got one untested backup, Curtis McElhinney.

3. Colorado Avalanche

Too many questions surround the Avalanche this year. Their success hinges on Sakic and Forsberg—Sakic returning to the Avalanche, and both of them staying healthy. T

he question marks are even bigger in goal. Budaj is a solid backup—but just that—and Raycroft is a mystery. If they can get the Raycroft that played in Boston and not the one that played in Toronto, then the Avs will be way better off.

If everything breaks right for Colorado, this could be a breakout year for them. I just don’t see it happening though—they’re too old.    

4. Minnesota Wild

The Wild are my team, but the moves they've made this offseason make no sense to me.

The ownership took a mediocre team and made it worse. Yes, they have an okay team on paper, but they’re one major injury away from disaster.

I won’t go into the Wild situation too much here, but keep your eyes peeled for my Wild preview.

5. Vancouver Canucks

I’ve heard people call this a rebuilding year in Vancouver, but I don't buy into it. Yes, I picked them last, but that doesn’t count for much—the Canucks are still going to be competitive this year.

The Canucks still have the Sedins (at least this year), a solid defensive corps, and any team that has Luongo in net will always be competitive.