Bro at this point it’s really unfair.

If they lose it’ll be a huge embarrassment.

Another piece of my Pacific division breakdown, the LA Kings


Los Angeles Kings - 6th in the West last year, have since swapped Kurtis MacDermid for Viktor Arvidsson, Phillip Danault and Alex Edler. Fairly good offseason. Kopitar at 1C is no longer elite besides for random stretches last year that we hadn't seen since 2017 but I don't expect to see any more of that. That said, I think he is still a 1C. Iafallo is a middle 6 winger playing 1LW. In over his head there. Viktor Arvidsson is a top 6 all offence winger with a scoring touch who will be serviceable on the top line, but not a great fit. Overall this first line kinda sucks. Two players too high in the lineup and one that isn't elite but is good there. Phillip Danault is a Selke quality shutdown 2C who's a good playmaker and would be a 1C if he was even competent at goal scoring. Adrian Kempe is a middle 6 winger who will be okay at 2LW. Dustin Brown is a 3rd liner with a scoring touch. I think he'll be okay at 2RW. Similar to the first line, 2/3 are in over their heads but I expect Danault to be one of the NHL's better 2Cs. Trevor Moore is a 3LW playing 3LW. Athanasiou is an offensive 3RW. I don't like that. He sucks defensively and the entire point of a 3rd line is to be good defensively. Byfield at 3C. He had an NHLe of roughly 18 points last year depending on how you calculate it. I think he'll put up 30 points this year making him a bottom 6C. Not a great fit at 3C. This 3rd line isn't very good. I just don't think it works. Onto the 4th line. The don't suck line. Jaret Anderson-Dolan. Pass. Blake Lizotte. Pass. Gabriel Vilardi. Pass. Good 4th line that meets the standard of not being a liability and exceeds it. Mikey Anderson for some reason is playing 1LD and I think 2LD is a stretch for him. terrible fit. Drew Doughty. At this point he's like a 4-5 OFD that you can put on special teams. He was randomly good last year but I expect no more of that. First pair sucks and is realistically just a really good 3rd pair. Alex Edler is a 2LD playing 2LD. Sean Walker is a 2nd pairing OFD playing where he should. Edler-Walker makes up a good 2nd pair. Tobias Bjornfit could be playing top 4 minutes by the end of the year. I think he's a very good at 3LD. Matt Roy is this teams best d-man who for some reason is playing 3RD. He's a #2 d-man. Overall, the first pair sucks, the middle pair is good and the bottom pair is awesome. In net, Cal Petersen is an actual elite starting goalie and I've thought that since before Lehner said it. Quick is a below average backup goalie. The Kings are set in net all things considered. On PP1 it's Brown-Kopitar-Kempe-Iafallo-Doughty. It's impressively average. Overall, this team has a top 6 in over its head, a 3rd line that doesn't work, a first pair that sucks, a below average backup and a mediocre PP. It's strengths are the 4th line, bottom 4 d-men and starting goalie. The 2nd pair and starting goalie are good strengths to have I guess.


Thoughts?

Paquette takes Stanley Cup to Canada's tallest lighthouse

3 teams later and he finally gets the cup

I'm pretty sure I've been there once when I went to Quebec to go skiing.

My Sharks bit in my Pacific thread. Lines by DailyFaceoff

San Jose Sharks - 7th in the West last year, have since swapped Patrick Marleau, Ryan Donato, Greg Pateryn and Martin Jones for Nick Bonino, Andrew Cogliano, Nick Merkley, Adin Hill and James Reimer. At 1C, Logan Couture who is a 2C at this point in his career. On his LW is Evander Kane who is a top 6 LW and a terrible human. Generally I'd call him a bonafide 1LW but because of his life situation I'd say he'll make a 2LW impact this season. That said, he made a big difference last year despite a pretty dramatic life situation so who knows. Kevin Labanc is a 3RW who's fallen a long ways since his 1x$1M discount contract. This first line sucks. Kane is the only one deserving of being here from an on ice perspective but for previously stated reasons I don't think he'll be good here. This is a 2nd line. Timo Meier is a 2LW playing 2LW. He still has that first line ability in him, lets see if it comes out. Tomas Hertl, 2C is actually an elite two-way 1C who for some reason is playing 2C. Alex Barabanov did really good with the Sharks and really bad with the Leafs last year. I think we see something in between and he'll be more of a 3RW playing 2RW. Overall this is a good 2nd line that combines to make a below average top 6. John Leonard is a bottom 6 winger and 3LW is a bit of a stretch but I think he'll be decent. At 3C, Nick Bonino is a middle 6C who is basically perfect at a 3rd liners role. Elite on the PK and defensive end and capable offensively. Rudolfs Balcers is a good fit at 3RW. I like this 3rd line. The don't suck line is next. Andrew Cogliano. Pass. Perfect bottom 6 LW. Dylan Gambrell. Fail with potential for growth. Matthew Nieto. Pass. Overall its a very good 4th line especially if Gambrell figures it out this year, which he might. Really good bottom 6. The forward group has an iffy first line, but is rock solid after that. Mario Ferraro is a capable top 4 defender. 1LD might be a stretch but I think he's just fine for playing top 4 minutes. Brent Burns. I expect offensive regression this year. He's a 40 point guy right now and he turns 37 in March. I think 25-30 points is reasonable and without as much offensive production this year that'll make him a bottom pairing d-man playing 1RD. This first pair sucks. Knyzhov should be fine at 2LD this year at least I'd think. Erik Karlsson took a step back last year but I still think he's capable of top pairing minutes. He's pretty great for a 2RD. This is a good second pair. Radim Simek is probably capable of #4 minutes and he's playing 3LD. Could play 2LD if you needed him. Marc Edouard Vlasic. He sucks. He's fallen a long way from his title of NHL's premier defensive defensemen. Barely even a third pairing guy now. This third pair isn't too good. Sure Simek is fine but Vlasic is far from. This defence overall isn't very good. First and third pair suck but the second pair is good. In net Hill and Reimer could be a decent combo. Both are at best 1B so it won't be anything special but it may get the job done. Not terrific in net, but not awful. On the PP1 its Kane-Hertl-Meier-Burns-Karlsson. Pretty good PP. Overall this team has an underwhelming 1st line, a good 2nd line, a rock solid bottom 6, terrible 1st pair, good 2nd pair, bad 3rd pair, below average goaltending and a good PP. Its not a terrible team. The first line, third pair and goaltending could all very well be doable. No saving that first pair but everything else could work. I think it all adds up to a below average team.

I think they'll finish 4th/5th in the Pacific, behind the Knights, Oilers, Canucks and possibly Flames

I really like what the Kings are doing with their rebuild, but they need to start focusing on their needs (LD, wings)

Of the 5 teams I’ve reviewed so far, I have to say I think the Kings are the worst. Even worse than the Ducks and Sharks. Might be a somewhat hot take though

How many lightning guys are taking the cup to MTL? It's like the 4th guy I've seen

They take it to their hometown.

Hey everyone, I've been working on some player cards, they are free for everyone. Check out this thread is you're interested. Sorry to spam but I think alot of people will be interested.
https://www.capfriendly.com/forums/thread/506155

Some Standouts from the Sharks Prospect Scrims before the Prospect Tournament coming up (I believe it’s Arizona, Colorado, SJS, LA, ANA) :

Kniazev and Gushchin:
Artemi Kniazev (D = mobile puckmover/ could be a quarterback)
Daniil Gushchin (F = artist with the puck/ silky playmaker)

These two players stood out the most out of both teams. These two not only carried/ drove lines/ shifts; but they also looked like they didn’t belong - in a good way (among others in this thought would be Eklund, Wiesblatt, Bordeleau, Coe join them as players who look out of place in a good way).

Gushchin drove play, showed off his immense talent and continues to look like a dark horse prospect that could make waves in the NHL.

Kniazev on D side looked smooth and strong. He also drives play and makes “NHL ready” more of a statement than guess. I’d like to not rush him seeing as the Sharks could be a losing team again as to not burn up ELC years.

But both these kids really raised eyebrows and looked like they made huge strides and are showing the strength in the Sharks ability to nab great prospects. Either way Kniazev and Gushchin have upped their stock.

Eklund - Bordeleau- Coe :
What a line. Coe taking people like my selves guess; Ozzy’s spot. Eklunds ability and IQ are still elite and while I hope he doesn’t make the NHL, he’s proving he could earn a shot but I’d rather he stays in Sweden or the AHL. Bordeleau meanwhile is making dreams come true. Eklund and Bordeleau are on the same wave length. Bordeleaus IQ pairs fantastically with Eklund and they seem to already have a chemistry developing due to the way the see and think the game. And Coe continues to make some Sharks fans who raved about his selection, be proud of their raving. While Gushchin and Kniazev “stole the show”, Bordeleau and Eklund really had a showing and held their own with the hype they’re carrying. Coe meanwhile is proving if the long term project works; itll be a huge hit.

It will be an interesting tournament to watch for anyone looking to see some talent with the deep prospect pools in LA and ANA joined by SJS, followed by Arizona and Colorado.

Out of curiousity, where do you guys think Toronto would be if they were in the Western Conference?

Ok, it's not out of curiosity I ask, it's because someone on ACGM is trying to convince me Toronto would win the west. Just wondering if I'm the only one who thinks this is a very biased take lol.

Probably somewhere from 3rd to like 5th

Now what division in the west would they be placed in (Pacific or Central) as thats important. If they were in the Pacific they would thrive. Central would be tough as other than Houston everyone has a chance at the playoffs in that division.

So per comparison to other teams I would say

2nd in the Pacific heck with Vegas being very streaky potential for 1st
Low WC-3rd in Central if everything clicks

But if we go by overall standing 2nd to 3rd the only team rn that you could argue is 100% better is Colorado. Vegas is to streaky to say as lets see how they do without MAF.

Just another Yegor Sharangovich goal for Team Belarus.NBD. pic.twitter.com/01prJZ5Lud

— Devils Insiders (@DevilsInsiders) August 21, 2021

This guy has an insane shot

Lines are from DailyFaceoff. Quip is from my Pacific thread as always. This is the Seattle Kraken


Seattle Kraken - Didn't exist last year, have since added their entire roster. At 1C, I think Yanni Gourde is a great two-way top 6C with actual potential to do a good job at 1C. Jaden Schwartz is an elite defensive middle 6 winger playing 1LW. Jordan Eberle is a competent defensive 1RW who is also one of the best playmaking wingers in the league. First line isn't great. Schwartz and Gourde are out of their leagues but Eberle is where he should be. On the second line, Jared McCann at 2C. Jared McCann is a high end 2C who's elite defensively and has a bit of a scoring touch. Calle Jarnkrok is a defensive 3LW playing 2LW. Joonas Donskoi is a good 3RW. 2nd line is a 3rd line besides McCann. Overall the top 6 is underwhelming. Most players don't fit their current roles. At 3C Alex Weinberg is a bottom 6C who isn't very good. Brandon Tanev is a great fit at 3LW, exactly where he is. Mason Appleton is a good two middle 6 winger who should excel in his current role at 3RW. 3rd line is the first line that should be a decent line for their spot in the lineup. The don't suck line is next. Morgan Geekie. Pass. Colin Blackwell. Pass, he could play 2C. Nathan Bastian. Pass. Its a good 4th line. On defence, you have Vince Dunn at 1LD. He's an elite defensive 2LD who's shown flashes of 1LD ability. Adam Larsson is an elite defensive, incompetent offensive 2RD playing 1RD. Wicked good shutdown pairing but should be a second pair rather than a first. Mark Giordano took a sizeable step back last year to a guy who is probably just a 2LD. Jamie Oleksiak is an incredibly underrated elite shutdown guy who could play first pair minutes if you needed it. Great fit here. On the 3rd pair Carson Soucy is a solid bottom 4 d-man who should be good at 3LD. Haydn Fleury is in a similar boat. Good 3rd pair. Overall, I like this d-core, deep with 6 good d-men but no elite d-men. In net, Grubuaer and Driedger are both great starting goaltenders. Goaltending is a strength for this team. On PP1 its Gourde-Wennberg-Appleton-Jarnkrok-Dunn. One of the worst PP1s ever assembled. Overall this team has a second line at first line, a third line at second line, an average third line and a good 4th line up front. They have a really good defensive corps and are rock solid in net. The PP sucks. I think they'll really give teams hell because they'll be impossible to score on. That said, they won't be able to score. They'll be the NHL's most boring team.


Thoughts?

Well they certainly wouldn't be better than COL
Makar>>>Rielly
Toews>Muzzin
Girard>>Brodie
Kuemper is honestly better than Campbell, more proven
MacK>Matthews
And honestly I'd rather have Rantanen as a complementary piece for a superstar than Marner

Vegas also beats TOR...
Stone>Marner
Petro>Muzzin and Holl
Theodore>Rielly
Lehner>Campbell

They'd possibly be 3rd in the west

LA still needs a 20-25 goal scorer and a top 4 LD to really be a solid playoff team

In the pacific 2nd guarantee, could maybe give Vegas a run for their money, but I doubt it.

In the central Colorado is certainly better, after that depending on what Nill will do I’d see them in 2nd, or 3rd if Nill can be smart (0.00000001 chance of happening).

Realistically they’d be in the same tier as Winnipeg, but a little bit better so I’d say 3rd best in the west.

As a person who’s watched both teams play 17 and 13 times respectively last year (and that doesn’t even include games I watched when they weren’t playing the habs), I’d say that Toronto is a lot better than Winnipeg. Minnesota and Dallas could end up being better than them, so the Leafs would be the 3rd, 4th, or 5th best team in the west.

Personally, I think they're probably better than most teams in the west.
Winnipeg and Minnisota could maybe be better, but other than that, it's only Colorado and Vegas.

But, they defiantly (EDIT: definitely I mean) wouldn't beat Colorado or Vegas.

I would say 3rd.

Which also does show how stacked the East is when you consider Toronto is probably a WC team this year.

As someone who watched a lot of North division hockey I can see your point because I didn’t watch it a lot.

For the central I’d rank Houston dead last no question, after that you’ve got the Preds (overachieved last year and downgraded, if Saros doesn’t have a god season they’ll suck), the Hawks (additions this year will help, but are somewhat overrated. Fleury could be worse than Lank next year because he’s going to be on a worst team and is getting older, after that you’ve got Jones who’s been on the decline and if he can’t get better he won’t impact anything, and lastly Toews who’s a boom or bust add because he literally didn’t play last year), and lastly the Blues (got sh*t on while facing good opponents, fed off of the weak teams in their division).

Dallas is a wildcard because if they stay as they are I’d put them in the same category as below, but if they get another top 9 scoring forward that could put them as high as second.

The Wild are also a wildcard because they produced well at a lower division, and Kap maybe won’t return, but if he does and they can prove it’s not a fluke then they could finish as high as 2nd.

If I’d place them in a tier list I’d go:

1: Avs

2: Jets

3: Stars and Wild (if they do well can be higher than the Jets, but if not in the same category as those below)

4: Hawks, Blues, Preds

5: Houston

I agree with this.

Also, I find it funny how everyone on this thread refers to Arizona as Houston.