There is nothing set in stone just yet, in fact we are still a good week and a half before teams have “officially” clinched a playoff spot. It is still fair to assume that at least the top five spots in the Western Conference playoffs have been reserved, though the order has yet to be determined.
Here is where eDraft has the season finishing up out west.
1. St. Louis Blues: Not only will the Blues win the conference, but they’ll push for a President’s Trophy as well. Ken Hitchcock’s focused crew will pull away from the pack and have a considerable gap between themselves and second place in the division and the Western Conference. As much as I initially poo-pooed the Ryan Miller trade initially, he seems to bring a ton of confidence to an already elite defensive corps.
2. San Jose Sharks: The Sharks just keep winning and look almost as strong as the Blues. The Sharks seem to have a sense of urgency about them that suggests that they are keenly aware that the window for the core of this team is on its way down. There is still a little tread left on the tires of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, but the postseason failures of the San Jose franchise could help motivate them.
3. Chicago Blackhawks: Don’t think for a second that the defending champs won’t head into the home stretch with a little chip on their shoulder. The Hawks will gladly defer the gushing and praise heaped upon everyone else and “quietly” enter the playoff fray looking for a repeat. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane look as good as any one-two punch in the NHL right now and the loaded Hawks roster will be focused on a return trip to the Final.
4. Anaheim Ducks: As good as the Ducks looked in the regular season to date, they have fumbled and bumbled over the last 40 days. They are plugging along with a share of the Pacific Division lead at this point, but will need to shift gears to keep up with San Jose and Chicago as the season winds down.
5. Colorado Avalanche: There is no question that the Avs have had an unbelievable season. The team is in a bit of uncharted territory now with their young leadership bringing some glory back to Denver. The Avs hopped over Chicago for a spell, but they won’t be able to hold them off down the stretch. The playoff series with the reigning champs promises to be amazing.
6. Los Angeles Kings: I struggled with the notion that the Kings will actually get their stuff together in time for the playoffs. Just when they seem to be a legit contender, winning seven straight, they start blowing leads at home and drop their next three. I think they’ll be able to right their ship long enough to grab the sixth seed, but the streakiness translates to early playoff exit.
7. Phoenix Coyotes: It might make some scratch, shake or pound their heads to conceive that the Coyotes could end up in the seventh spot, but I believe in Dave Tippett and the group he has in Phoenix. The redheaded franchise of the NHL has battled up hill for everything they have gotten over the past decade. This season they actually have an ownership group and some stability. They spent the first four months shooting themselves in the foot, but will gel in time for a legitimate playoff run.
8. Minnesota Wild: It will come down to the wire, but the Wild hang on for the last playoff spot in the west. Their reward is a first round playoff date with the St. Louis Blues, but getting into the postseason at least gets them into the conversation. While any playoff series can be a roll of the dice, the Wild will need all the luck they can get against the St. Louis steamroller.
9. Dallas Stars: A late season injury to Kari Lehtonen could very well have cost the Stars a shot at the playoffs. Tim Thomas seemed like a better option than Dan Ellis at the trade deadline as an insurance policy, but it hasn’t worked out. After a huge win in St. Louis, two terrible losses to Calgary and Winnipeg will be the difference in the season.
10. Vancouver Canucks: The dumpster fire burns while the Canucks miss the postseason. It will be interesting to see how Vancouver handles the postseason. They just inked the Sedin twins to extensions, but then what? Is Eddie Lack the answer? Does Mike Gillis keep his job as GM? Does John Tortorella keep his job as coach? What do they do with Ryan Kesler?
11. Nashville Predators: The Predators seemed like they were primed to make some noise for a wild card spot. Pekka Rinne has been rock solid in his return but the Preds don’t have enough offense to go on a sustained run.
12. Winnipeg Jets: Sadly the Jets will miss out on the postseason dance. They have some of the best fans in hockey, but until they address their issues in goal and add more depth on defense, they will be spectators for the playoffs.
13. Calgary Flames: The Flames can be interesting if they add the right pieces this summer in free agency. Sean Monahan will be a star in this league. At age 18, he already knows how to score. Hopefully he’ll get some help this summer.
14. Edmonton Oilers: Better luck next year Edmonton. I like that they have added some good goaltending, but the Oilers need defensemen in exchange for some apathetic and underperforming forwards. I’m wondering how many people noticed that Nail Yakupov has a plus/minus (-33) that exceeds his point total this year (24). He’s not quite at Alexandre Daigle bust level yet, but he is looking at real estate in Daigle’s neighborhood.