Tim Sassone's NHL Western Conference preview

Western Conference

1. San Jose

Is this the year the Sharks finally get over the hump to the Stanley Cup Finals? Defenseman Brent Burns was a great pick up from Minnesota, and many believe Martin Havlat is more of a gamer than Dany Heatley. Great group of core players led by Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle and goalie Antti Niemi.

2. Vancouver

The Canucks claim to be motivated after their Game 7 loss to Boston in the Finals. They've lost some grit and will miss Christian Ehrhoff on defense, but the Canucks still have a top offense led by the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows. How far the Canucks go will again be dictated by which Roberto Luongo shows up in goal.

3. Blackhawks

The Hawks must prove they are as quick on defense without Brian Campbell, which means Nick Leddy needs to step up. The offense is as good as there is in the league, with the addition of Andrew Brunette expected to help. The Hawks need help at center, although Patrick Kane will start the season there on the second line.

4. Detroit

The Red Wings are getting older but show no signs of slowing down. You wouldn't know defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is 41 by watching him play. Center Pavel Datsyuk might be the most underrated superstar in the NHL, but he needs to stay healthy for the Wings to contend in the West. There are questions on defense, too.

5. Los Angeles

Consider the Kings legitimate Cup contenders, though some will argue Jamie Quick is still a question in goal. Getting Mike Richards from Philadelphia and Simon Gagne from Tampa Bay only enhances a group strong on character. A big year on defense from Drew Doughty could lead to big things happening in Los Angeles.

6. Anaheim

The Ducks could be a good as anyone in the West if goalie Jonas Hiller can play a full season. The line of Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and MVP Corey Perry might be the best in the NHL, and 41-year-old Teemu Selanne is back for another season. The defense is led by Lubomir Visnovsky, who had 68 points last year.

7. Nashville

The Predators will find a way to slip into the playoffs thanks to Barry Trotz's coaching and a top-end defense led by goalie Pekka Rinne and defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. The offense was 22nd last season and will need to generate just enough to win the close games. The Preds were 18-10-11 in 1-goal games in 2010-11.

8. St. Louis

Injuries crippled the Blues last season after a 9-1-2 start. David Perron still is iffy for the start of the season because of the concussion he suffered. Veterans Jamie Langenbrunner and Jason Arnott were added for leadership to help new captain David Backes. On defense, Alex Pietrangelo is a rising star in the eyes of many.

9. Calgary

The Flames didn't make the playoffs despite a 27-11-9 finish. Can they pick up where they left off after finally “buying into” coach Brent Sutter's system? The offense still revolves around Jarome Iginla, but he is 34 now and needs help. Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff remains the team's backbone defensively.

10. Colorado

The Avs have some very good forwards starting with Matt Duchene, and they are bigger on defense finally with Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda, but goaltending remains a big question. Semyon Varlamov and J-S Giguere were brought in during the off-season and now the ball is in their court with Varlamov the No. 1 guy.

11. Phoenix

Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov won a lot of games for the Coyotes the last two season – 78 to be exact, but he is in Philadelphia now. The Coyotes have a decent enough roster to compete without Bryzgalov, but they won't make the playoffs. Mike Smith is the new No. 1 goalie and has a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

12. Minnesota

If you're looking for a surprise team in the West, maybe it's the Wild. Offensively they should be more fun to watch with the additions of Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi, but will Heatley be motivated playing on a team that could be average? New coach Mike Yeo will need to find a way to make a questionable defense work.

13. Columbus

The Blue Jackets traded for 40-goal scorer Jeff Carter to center their big line for Rick Nash, and he will definitely make an impact. But the Jackets were 26th defensively last season and won't be better. James Wisniewski was signed as a free agent to help, but he foolishly got himself suspended for the first eight games.

14. Dallas

It could be a long season for the Stars. They've missed the playoffs three years in a row, interest is lagging and ownership is unstable. No wonder Dallas' best player, Brad Richards, couldn't wait to beat it out of town as a free agent, landing with the Rangers. Goalie Kari Lehtonen is a bright spot.

15. Edmonton

The Oilers continue to stockpile good young forwards with first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins the latest rookie to watch. His poise and skill had everyone talking at Oilers camp. Defensively the Oilers were 28th and they did little to improve the group. Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is aging and will play behind Devan Dubnyk.

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