Top 3 Cup Contenders in the West

[WetcoastOrca]

Nashville. Then Winnipeg.
Third looks wide open still.

 

[winnipegger]

Nashville and Winnipeg should meet again. Who knows about the pacific it's hard to say. Calgary has a good team, probably them.

 

[Cup or Bust]

Winnipeg and Nashville are the only teams in the West I would currently consider as cup contenders.

 

[crackdown44]

Patiently waiting for Nashville and Winnipeg to murder each other in a 7 game series so a pacific team can slide into the finals again

Go Flam

 

[GOilers88]

I predict Edmonton doesn’t lose a single playoff game this year

A perfect 16-0 run to Lord Stanley? Bold strategy Cotton.

I dig.

 

[GOilers88]

Edmonton is crap though.. so there's that, while Calgary will win the Pacific.

A difference of three wins currently with a game at hand. But youre right. The differemce in quality is a mile long and Calgary is so far ahead that its clearly over...with 4 months left.

 

[Rob Brown]

Nashville
Winnipeg
Colorado

Vegas would be my 4th.

 

[Mez]

Its really


This 100% Man the West is weak, No deph

Calgary is basiclly the Leafs of the west.....soft and skilled.

 

[Tkachuky]

Calgary is basiclly the Leafs of the west.....soft and skilled.

You’re basically describing one player from the Flames. (Johnny)

The Flames game is focused more on Speed and skill. We may not be the toughest team in the league, but we still have some decent sized guys that hold their own in a physical game.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Edmonton is sneaky good and the hard part of their schedule is finished, not to mention having the best player in the world doesn’t hurt:

1) Edmonton
2) Nashville
3) Colorado

Do you know my wifes cousin Trent from Leduc?

 

[madmike77]

Calgary is basiclly the Leafs of the west.....soft and skilled.

Flames have a better D core. Worse goaltending. And top-end forwards aren't quite as good as the Leafs, although the depth is there.

Does anyone really care about the "soft" part? It's nice to have a bit of grit, but let's be honest - you don't need much to succeed in today's NHL.

 

[fsanford]

Jets, Preds, and Sharks, I keep think the Sharks have just underachieved but when you look up you see they are only 5 points out of the top spot.

And they have lots of games left with LA, Arizona, Chicago, still think they finish with the best record in the West if only because they play in the Pacific division.

 

[Mez]

Flames have a better D core. Worse goaltending. And top-end forwards aren't quite as good as the Leafs, although the depth is there.

Does anyone really care about the "soft" part? It's nice to have a bit of grit, but let's be honest - you don't need much to succeed in today's NHL.

I think the soft part becomes more of a factor in the playoffs. But thats not to say its the be all and end all...its just one of many factors.

 

[Todd from Leduc]

Do you know my wifes cousin Trent from Leduc?

I know a couple Trents in Leduc and Beaumont but they probably aren’t your wife’s cousin as there are tones of Trents round here (Leducs a city of 30k!!).

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Los Angeles
Chicago
St. Louis

 

[NeverForget06]

Winnipeg and Nashville.

Calgary, Colorado and San Jose are all good, but I don't think they are cup contenders. At least not yet. I think Deboer is a pretty awful coach to be honest, and I don't see the Sharks getting that far with him. Jones has been an issue as well. Calgary is more promising, but they do have a history of being streaky like this, so time will tell. Colorado is solid, I just don't know if I believe they can make it through the Central given who they have to play.

After that, Anaheim, Vegas, Edmonton and Dallas I think all have the potential to make some noise, maybe ride a hot goaltender, or have some of the better teams get hampered by injuries. I don't think any of these teams are even close to being a cup contender at this point.

The homer in me says Hitchcock might be able to create something with the Oil. We are already basically playing a tight checking playoff hockey style. In order to really get anywhere, we would need more secondary scoring, and our goaltending would need to continue to be lights out. Far from a sure thing.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Little bit confused as to why the Pacific is the weakest? Is it because people are not used to seeing. The Flames at the top?

Has nothing to do with the Flames. I think they’re good. It has everything to do with the depth of the division. Do you actually think teams like the Penguins, even in this weak year, would not be in a Divisional seed in that?

Again, Calgary is good and San Jose has the potential to be good, but just on paper no other team looks like a playoff team to me in any other division

It’s similar to how Vegas steamrolled last year, but then got dismanteled in the Finals, with it being the easiest series by far for the Caps.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Detroit.
Red Wings
Then probably The Motor City.

 

[bukwas]

1. Nashville


2. A bunch of teams

 

[McDLT]

Patiently waiting for Nashville and Winnipeg to murder each other in a 7 game series so a pacific team can slide into the finals again

Go Flam

I would bet on this happening again.

 

[Syckle78]

Winnipeg and Nashville are the true contenders in my mind. Sharks could enter that conversation by seasons end if some of their players turn it around. Just don't see it with Vegas.

 

[triggrman]

Stop saying Nashville, every time someone does we lose another player to injury, now Watson is hurt.....

 

[North Cole]

Edmonton is sneaky good and the hard part of their schedule is finished, not to mention having the best player in the world doesn’t hurt:

1) Edmonton
2) Nashville
3) Colorado

LOL. As an oiler fan I laughed. But no, we are not close to being at the top of this list. You sure you arent from Red Deer???

 

[Dr Good Vibes]

NSH and WPG are easy picks but I’d add CGY too.

 

[North Cole]

Eastern bias around here is nuts. Atlantic was the worst division last year. Metro is pretty stinky as of right now.