Part 2: A Festive Wish for Every Western NHL Team
Following up on the East, let’s take a look at the wide-open Western Conference. Fresh off of the gigantic Quinn Hughes trade this weekend, here is what every Western Conference team is wishing for as the holidays approach:
Central Division
Colorado Avalanche (23-2-7, 1st place): For life to continue as normal
With two losses in 32 games, things are great nowadays if you’re a member of the Avalanche. If you really want to be picky about their performance, you could ask for more from their 28th place powerplay. However, the team is clicking up and down the lineup and looks unbeatable on most nights. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Dallas Stars (22-7-5, 2nd place): A bit more from Thomas Harley
Harley has been outstanding for the Stars, especially after stepping up during Miro Heiskanen’s injury last year. With 11 points through 22 games and a slide in xGF%, this year has been a minor downbeat. Luckily, there’s still lots of runway for course correction, and the Stars have won enough early to experiment with where Harley fits best to help him find his top form again.
Minnesota Wild (19-9-5, 3rd place): A playoff run
With the Quinn Hughes acquisition, the Wild have officially joined the dance for supremacy in the stacked Central. Having only surpassed the first round once in franchise history, this year will be considered a major disappointment (and make resigning Hughes more difficult) if they don’t at least reach the Divisional Finals.
Utah Mammoth (16-15-3, 4th place): More stability
The Utah Mammoth have had a boom or bust season. They had a 7-game winning streak, then proceeded to win 4 of their next 17. They’re a young team in a new market, so this is expected to an extent, but consistency is crucial in the NHL. They need to find a mid-season groove to keep pace in the playoff hunt.
Winnipeg Jets (15-15-2, 5th place): Hellebuyck to stay healthy
Hellebuyck returned to the lineup earlier this week after a 12-game absence, during which the Jets only won 3 times. Now that he is back in the lineup and the Jets are looking like their old selves again, the holiday wish is simple: keep the former-Vezina winner/MVP healthy to drag them back into the playoff race.
Chicago Blackhawks (13-13-6, 6th place): A healthy Connor Bedard
Unfortunately, it looks like Connor Bedard will be on the shelf until January as he heals from a shoulder injury suffered earlier this week. While this puts his Olympic bid into question, the Blackhawks main concern is his speedy return to health so that he can continue torching the league as the playoff race heats up. Shoulder injuries can be difficult, so let’s hope he is able to play hockey at 100% after he returns.
St. Louis Blues (12-15-7, 7th place): Move on from Kyrou
Jordan Kyrou and the Blues have had a tumultuous relationship, and he is currently on the IR with only 16 points in 28 games. With the team trending towards a potential lottery pick, the Blues should look to move his significant contract before his value craters further, allowing them to jumpstart their re-tool.
Nashville Predators (13-15-4, 8th place): A strong sellers market
Despite a recent hot streak (seemingly fueled by a Barry Trotz quote), it’s looking all but certain that the Predators will be sellers come the deadline. With veteran assets like Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault available via trade, their wish is for a robust sellers market to drive up their value before the deadline.
Pacific Division
Las Vegas Golden Knights (16-6-9, 1st place): A spark in the bottom 6.
The Knights are cruising, but their bottom-six has seen meaningful dips in production and play-driving metrics. William Karlsson, Keegan Kolesar and Reilly Smith have seen a significant step back in their play quality this year. Vegas has the star power, but it is hard to win in the playoffs if an entire line of forwards is getting outscored consistently.
Anaheim Ducks (20-12-1, 2nd place): A playoff push
The Anaheim rebuild looks to be bearing fruit. Led up front by Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, the upstart Ducks are causing problems for teams all across the league. Successful rebuilds aren’t common in the NHL, and many young teams falter when the grind of a long season begins to set in. It's imperative for the Ducks to continue banking points now to ensure they are playing meaningful, high-stakes games deep into the season.
Los Angeles Kings (14-9-9, 3rd place): A better powerplay
The Kings are playing sound defensively, but their powerplay is weak with only 10 goals in 155 minutes at 5-on-4. Seemingly everyone other than Kempe is having a down-year on the offensive end. While they are keeping pace in the West, they need to improve on the man advantage if they want to avoid a fifth straight first-round exit. They need to make an acquisition that can help put the puck in the net (Kyrou?).
Edmonton Oilers (15-12-6, 4th place, 1st wildcard): Depth scoring
Now that the Oilers have made their move in net, their focus will shift to underperformance in their bottom six. Players like Frederic, Mangiapane and Henrique have largely disappointed this year. McDavid and Draisaitl have put this team on their back time and time again, but they need more depth if they’re finally going to break through and win the Cup.
San Jose Sharks (16-14-3, 5th place, 2nd wildcard): Macklin on Team Canada
A 2nd year NHLer in a best-on-best tournament is unheard of, especially on a roster as deep as team Canada. Celebrini has been lights out since he was drafted and sits 3rd in league scoring as I write this. He has earned the spot on merit, but Team Canada brass traditionally favors "strong two-way players". Sidney Crosby didn't make the cut in 2006! 20 years later? The wish is for Doug Armstrong and co to acknowledge the young superstar’s talent and give him a roster spot.
Seattle Kraken (12-12-6, 6th place): An identity
Outside of the Colorado upset a few years ago, the Kraken haven’t made much noise since they entered the league. They’re devoid of star players, they don’t play a particularly entertaining brand of hockey and their lack game-changing talent in their otherwise strong prospect pool. I don’t really know what they are as a team. In the new year, I hope they begin posting better results, or look to the Francis/Botterill GM tandem to create a more inspiring vision.
Calgary Flames (13-16-4, 7th place): Commit to a retool
As constructed, the Flames aren’t going to win any cups. However, they have a nice mix of young talent, contributing veterans, and pending UFAs. With the right set of moves, they could take big strides towards building around a new core deadline and offseason. If I were in Craig Conroy’s shoes, I’d be looking to maximize value on Andersson, Coleman and Kadri in order to push my young players up the lineup.
Vancouver Canucks (12-17-3, 8th place): Zeev Buium to pop
The Canucks lost the Quinn Hughes trade as soon as it happened, but they acquired good assets in the deal. Marco Rossi looks like a he’ll be a strong 2-way C, and the jury is out on Liam Ohgren. Historically, I believe this trade will be judged based on how Zeev Buium turns out. He has sky-high potential, and is now playing in a market that will give him top pairing minutes if he shows he is ready for them. The wish for the Canucks is for Buium to show elite offense and defensive awareness in the second half of the season.
