Pacific Division: Harder or Easier in 2015/16?

[Shivakamini]

While a number of teams did become worse next year, it doesn't look like the Pacific is one of them. Do you think the Pacific Division got harder to move up the standings or easier?

Anaheim
Subtract: Beleskey, Beauchamin, Fleischmann, Etem
Add: Horcoff, Stewart, Bieksa, Hagelin

I’d say better mostly on internal growth of Lindholm and Vatanen

Vancouver
Subtract: Bieksa, Kassian, Lack, Matthias
Add: Prust, Baertschi

I think worse for sure. Lack carried a heavy load for them and they gave Bieksa away.

Calgary
Subtract: Baertchi
Add: Hamilton, Frolik, healthy Giordano & Smid

I think they are a better team but at best can hope for similar results in the regular season due to out performance last year.


Los Angelas
Subtract: Richards, Williams, Stoll, Regher
Add: Lucic

I think they are better if they get Voynov back and canceling Richards contract sticks

San Jose
Subtract: Niemi, Hannan
Add: Jones, Martin, Ward

I think they are better so long as Jones preforms

Edmonton
Subtract: Roy, Nikitin (hopefully), Aulie, Marincin, Fraser
Add: McDavid, Sekera, Talbot, Reinhart, Gryba, Letesu, Korpikoski

To paraphrase MacT we are better, the question is how much

Arizona
Subtract: Crombeen, Moss, Erat, McGinn, Camplbell, Yandle, Korpikoski, Gagner, Arcobello.
Add: Pronger, Scott, Vermette, Gordon, Lindback

Pronger is really on the downside of his career so I’m going to go with wors on the fact that this isn’t even a cap compliant team imo.

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[5 14 6 1]

While a number of teams did become worse next year, it doesn't look like the Pacific is one of them. Do you think the Pacific Division got harder to move up the standings or easier?

Anaheim
Subtract: Beleskey, Beauchamin, Fleischmann
Add: Horcoff, Stewart, Bieksa

I’d say better mostly on internal growth of Lindholm and Vatanen

Vancouver
Subtract: Bieksa, Kassian, Lack, Matthias
Add: Prust, Baertschi

I think worse for sure. Lack carried a heavy load for them and they gave Bieksa away.

Calgary
Subtract: Baertchi
Add: Hamilton, Frolik, healthy Giordano & Smid

I think they are a better team but at best can hope for similar results in the regular season due to out performance last year.


Los Angelas
Subtract: Richards, Williams, Stoll, Regher
Add: Lucic

I think they are better if they get Voynov back and canceling Richards contract sticks

San Jose
Subtract: Niemi, Hannan
Add: Jones, Martin, Ward

I think they are better so long as Jones preforms

Edmonton
Subtract: Roy, Nikitin (hopefully), Aulie, Marincin, Fraser
Add: McDavid, Sekera, Talbot, Reinhart, Gryba, Letesu, Korpikoski

To paraphrase MacT we are better, the question is how much

Arizona
Subtract: Crombeen, Moss, Erat, McGinn, Camplbell, Yandle, Korpikoski, Gagner, Arcobello.
Add: Pronger, Scott, Vermette, Gordon, Lindback

Pronger is really on the downside of his career so I’m going to go with wors on the fact that this isn’t even a cap compliant team imo.

His career has been over for years. He just got inducted to the hhof.

Anyway, I think we have a decent chance to finish anywhere from 6-3 Anaheim and LA I put 1+2

 

[Diamondillium]

His career has been over for years. He just got inducted to the hhof.

Anyway, I think we have a decent chance to finish anywhere from 6-3 Anaheim and LA I put 1+2

To be fair, that is still technically within the boundaries of "downside of his career".

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

For Anaheim I think it's important to add Hagelin and Subtract Etem.

 

[Shivakamini]

His career has been over for years. He just got inducted to the hhof.

Anyway, I think we have a decent chance to finish anywhere from 6-3 Anaheim and LA I put 1+2

should have added the

For Anaheim I think it's important to add Hagelin and Subtract Etem.

Good point. Done.

 

[McDrai]

This is how I think the Oilers will fair against the Pacific:
Anaheim- Lose all
San Jose- Split
Vancouver- Split
Calgary- Lose all (Maybe win 1 or 2)
LA- Win 1 or 2
Arizona- Win all

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

On paper we are the most improved team. However, we were so bad last year i'm not quite sure what that means in terms of our positioning in the division.

 

[ItsTheBGB]

Anaheim - basically the same, will finish first.
LA is worse.
San Jose is about the same.
Calgary is markedly improved where they'll stay the same, even with the PDO regressing.
Edmonton is improved.
Vancouver is going to be markedly worse.
Arizona is awful again.

So it'll be easier.

 

[K1984]

I think San Jose got worse. Jones is incredibly overrated, I still can't believe they traded a 1st for him. If he flops (which I think he will) they are going to have some serious problems.

 

[McDoused]

Well, I definitely think it's possible to pass Vancouver, San Jose, Calgary and Arizona in the standings. If we do that, we are a playoff team. Arizona is a gimme and Vancouver is on the downfall. The Sedins can't keep producing forever. Calgary and San Jose will be harder to pass but San Jose still has locker room issues and Calgary overachieved last year.

 

[McGhostbuster]

The only givens in this conference is Anaheim 1st and Arizona 7th.

2nd-6th will be up for grabs.

The coaching change is huge alone.

 

[McBaevid]

Vancouver will fall a few spots, Calgary will stay the same, San Jose stays relatively the same, and LA might climb but they could also be worse.

Overall I think Oilers have a better shot this year.

 

[Mowzie]

Lasy year:
Ducks - 109
Blues - 109
Predators - 104
Blackhawks - 102
Canucks - 101
Wild - 100
Jets - 99
Flames - 97
-------
Stars - 92
Avalanche - 90
Kings - 95
Sharks - 89
Oilers - 62
Coyotes - 56

My prediction for this year:
Ducks - 112
Kings - 104
Blackhawks - 102
Predators - 102
Jets - 98
Blues - 96
Wild - 96
Flames - 94
-----
Stars - 92
Oilers - 88 (40-36-8)
Avalanche - 86
Sharks - 84
Canucks - 74
Coyotes - 63

 

[Blue And Orange]

The only team I have confidence we'll finish ahead of is Arizona.

And for the love of God, let's hope we can at least win 5 games against this pathetic franchise. It was disheartening to watch us get swept by them.

 

[stratedge]

Pronger is really on the downside of his career

 

[Mr Positive]

you can subtract Gordon from the Oilers

 

[Hynh]

While he did a good job of dealing the other team's dirty players, I don't think he did enough to stand up for his fellow Flyers. He's also coming off the worst offensive season of his career.

 

[snag]

While he did a good job of dealing the other team's dirty players, I don't think he did enough to stand up for his fellow Flyers. He's also coming off the worst offensive season of his career.

K.you guys are really confusing me since Pronger hasn't played since the 11-12 season.

 

[guymez]

To be fair, that is still technically within the boundaries of "downside of his career".

Saying he is "in the downside of his career" implies that he still has a career as a player.

He doesn't. His career as a player has been over for a while now.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

While he did a good job of dealing the other team's dirty players, I don't think he did enough to stand up for his fellow Flyers. He's also coming off the worst offensive season of his career.

I mean, how are you going to put this guy in the Hall of Fame? Sure he won a Hart Trophy but these last couple of seasons have been dismal!

Although, to be fair, he does have a higher plus minus in those seasons than Schultz or Yakupov

 

[Diamondillium]

While he did a good job of dealing the other team's dirty players, I don't think he did enough to stand up for his fellow Flyers. He's also coming off the worst offensive season of his career.

His offense was terrible, but his defense was just phenomenal. 0 goals against while he was on the ice all season! The fact he didn't win the Norris last season just shows how offense-biased the voting is.

Saying he is "in the downside of his career" implies that he still has a career as a player.

He doesn't. His career as a player has been over for a while now.

For all intents and purposes obviously, but you will notice I said technically. He technically is still an NHL player under NHL contract, who has just simply been having some off-seasons as of late where he missed a few more games due to injury than he would like to.

Implications don't matter when it's obvious nobody is serious.

 

[Aerrol]

Saying he is "in the downside of his career" implies that he still has a career as a player.

He doesn't. His career as a player has been over for a while now.

 

[Eirhead*]

I picked "Easier to climb standings". The California road trip isn't nearly as intimidating as it was a year or 2 years ago, Vancouver is a shell of their former self, and Arizona is just as terrible as they were last year. IMO the only team with any appreciable gains this off-season besides the Oilers is the Flames. And because I'm answering this from the Oilers perspective, considering we made the most significant additions, I think there should be major gains in the standings this year for the good guys.

If I were to pick the top 3 playoff locks from the Pacific, I would wager on Anaheim, Calgary & Edmonton with LA and San Jose slugging it out for the wild card. There's been a major shift in the balance of power.

 

[LockDown21]

I picked "Easier to climb standings". The California road trip isn't nearly as intimidating as it was a year or 2 years ago, Vancouver is a shell of their former self, and Arizona is just as terrible as they were last year. IMO the only team with any appreciable gains this off-season besides the Oilers is the Flames. And because I'm answering this from the Oilers perspective, considering we made the most significant additions, I think there should be major gains in the standings this year for the good guys.

If I were to pick the top 3 playoff locks from the Pacific, I would wager on Anaheim, Calgary & Edmonton with LA and San Jose slugging it out for the wild card. There's been a major shift in the balance of power.

I'd like to think of myself as an optimist, but we are not better than the Kings or even a weaker Sharks team for that matter. Until we win with some consistency against them I would wait to consider us a lock.

 

[RoboNerdOK]

I think the only sure thing is that we're better than the Canucks and Coyotes. I think the Flames are the biggest mystery with respect to how we'll fare against them. The Kings are still relatively intact from their Cup run, and the Sharks still have the size to pound the crap out of our scoring lines.

I see us in the middle of the pack unless we really take a step forward.