This week the TLDR team discussed the Honda NHL Western Division, consisting of the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, and Vegas Golden Knights. As a reminder, the NHL will be having a shortened, 56-game season with a divisional realignment that has changed the composition of the divisions. The top four teams of each division will make up the 2021 NHL Playoffs. My preview will be in order of how I see the season playing out.

#1 Colorado Avalanche

2019-20 Season – The Avs finished with a 42-20-8 record, 2nd in the Central Division, 2nd best record in the West, but lost to the Dallas Stars in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Colorado had a pretty solid season, notwithstanding an earlier than expected elimination in the playoffs. Scoring wasn't an issue as they finished with an average 3.37 GPG to rank 4th in the league, although their PP slipped to 19th for a 19.1% clip, despite their loaded offense. The Avs did play 70 games in the season but only 54 had their captain Gabriel Landeskog, MacKinnon’s star linemate Mikko Rantanen skated in only 42 of the games. Defensively, the team finished 6th in with a 2.71 GAPG average. The rookie star Cale Maker continued to make a difference on the backend, netting him a Calder Trophy win. Goaltending wise, the combination of Phillip Grubauer and Pavel Francouz were very solid last year. Francouz did an outstanding job to take over for Grubauer during his injuries during the season, though slipped in production in the bubble. Team ranked third in 5on5 with a .932 SV%.

Outlook for 2021 - Expectations are extremely high for this team this year, only the Tampa Bay Lightning have higher odds of winning the Cup this year. The Avs added Devon Toews and Brandon Saad, not huge bulletin board names, but analytically great additions that will help the team, perhaps intangibly. The captain will be expecting a lot and superstar Nathan Mackinnon will be expecting lot, looking to earn a Hart trophy along with a Stanley Cup. Goaltending will be healthy and be a big part of this team this season.

Players to Watch – Cale Makar - Makar jumped on the scene in the 2019 playoffs and made a splash and continued to a huge splash into last season, driving his value through the roof. His rookie deal ends this year, and he is becoming the most dazzling defensemen in the NHL. We could see him price is way out of the avalanche's reach.

Nathan MacKinnon - This player is a 1B best player in the NHL behind Connor McDavid and even when nursing injuries, can put up MVP caliber production and overall, 200 foot play. He's the face of the team and one of the league's most important players, he's obviously a player to watch just to see this beautiful game played at the best of levels.

My Prediction - This is one of the best teams in the league and expectations are extremely high. When you have an all-star starting lineup that includes Nate Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen, with a budding superstar in Cale Makar on the back end, you're expected to carry games, especially in the weakest division in hockey. I expect nothing less than a #2 finish and I expect to see this team in the semi-final round of the playoffs, at the very least.

#2 Las Vegas Golden Knights

2019-20 Season – The Golden Knights finished the season 39-24-8, 1st in the Pacific, and 3rd in the Western Conference. They were eliminated by Dallas in the Western Conference Final. Since this team entered the league just 3 seasons ago, this team has been a huge threat, making playoffs in all those years, and winning 5 playoff series to boot. Last season was a bit of a rollercoaster. Offensively, they were a top possession team that couldn’t crack top 10 in GPG, finishing 13th with 3.15 GPG. Their offense in the bubble was awful, and I think the reason they failed to make the Conference Final. The Golden Knights, however, are built to win by defense. While they ended 13th in GAPG, they ranked 2nd in terms of shots against and in the top 10 in advanced stats on the defensive side of the puck. Their PK, however, was a measly 76.6%, 27th. Goaltending was a little soft in the regular season, but the addition of Lehner was huge for the Knights in the bubble, posting a 1.99 GAA and .917SV% in 16 starts with 4 SOs.

Outlook for 2021 - The team landed the top defenseman, if not top name in free agency in Alex Pietrangelo, who will be suiting up for a team other than the Blues for the first time. He should fit well into this defensively sound squad. Offensively, the team has many impact players in Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Reilly Smith, and Johnathan Marchessault that should net enough goals to beat their opponents, assuming their defense and goaltending produces above average production/efficiency. The team will be fighting to make the playoffs once again, not missing a postseason since they came into the league. They continue to raise the bar for the incoming Seattle Kraken. They will be playing in a harder division than normal, with the likes of the Blues and Avalanche to handle.

Players to Watch – Alex Pietrangelo - This guy hasn't played with any other team than the St. Louis Blues, who drafted him 4th overall in 2008. He's continued to grow in importance for that team, was named captain, and has become one of the best all-around D-men in the league, netting a Cup in the process. We will see how fits on this team and if he will be a catalyst for better defense as well as spurring some offense.

Robin Lehner/Marc Andre Fluery - Fluery is one of the NHL fan's favorite player through his elite level talent, work ethic, and attitude on and off the ice. We saw Lehner take his net and how Fleury's agent was less than impressed with that decision by Pete Debeor, leading to some drama via Twitter. This goaltending tandem is elite, but the fallout of the bubble shenanigans will be the thing to watch here.

My Prediction - The weak division will help this team again and I would expect nothing short of a top-3 finish. That said, the depth down the middle is questionable, despite a deep winger lineup. The addition of Alex Pietrangelo is a big one in my opinion and will the #1 guy immediately upon arrival. The team will be a force for this division, much like they always are, but I question their ability to perform in the playoffs.

#3 St. Louis Blues

2019-20 Season – The Blues finished their regular season at 42-19-10, 1st in the Central Division and Western Conference. The Blues did not suffer from the Stanley Cup hangover, following it up with being one of the best teams in the NHL. The Blues accomplished this without their star winger, Vladimir Tarasenko, showing their depth stepped up. Their offense wasn't "electric" but solid, tying for 14th in GPG at 3.14, and the powerplay operated at a 24.3%, good for 3rd, even without Vlad. Ryan O'Reilly (the team’s new captain) led the team with 61 points and the rest of the depth helped fill the “Vlad gap”. The defense was strong with Alex Pietrangelo (who they lost to FA) and Colton Parayko leading the charge. They ranked 5th in GAPG at 2.66 and ranked 1st in 5v5 on shots against per 60 minutes. Goaltending wise, Stanley Cup sensation Jordan Binnington took a step back, following up an electric half season with a 2.56 GAA and .912SV%, struggling mostly on the road.

Outlook for 2021 - The largest change to this team is the loss of former captain, Alex Pietrangelo to FA. His presence on the blueline will be felt but he was quasi replaced with Torey Krug. Krug may not be a defensive darling, but his offensive capabilities, his production, and possession numbers indicate he can spark offense. We shouldn't expect to see the same level of defense but maybe a little regression. The high-octane offensive squad is still around and should improve with the likes of Tarasenko (hopefully), should he bring his level of play. The largest question mark will be if Jordan Binnington can bring back his play from the year prior, or if he will become a one hit wonder.

Players to Watch – Jordan Binnington - Binnington came out of nowhere in 2019 and quite literally fixed the goaltending issues and led the team from literal last place to Stanley Cup champs within months. He regressed but finished with league average numbers, and then completely lost it in the playoffs. What Binnington will we see, and can he bring back his old game to a team that will need it in the postseason?

Torey Krug – This guy is so interesting because he was the team's big money addition to replace Alex Pietrangelo. All eyes will be on him to see if he can bring that level of play, even a good fraction of that play at least from an offensive perspective.

My Prediction - This team will not miss the playoffs, just given the division. In my eyes, assuming we see a bounce back from Binnington, I see this team as a contender for the Stanley Cup. They are deep up front and have a very solid defense core. Torey Krug, I'd expect, will fill an offensive gap at the least. We will see a team compete in playoffs, but I question their goaltending to take them far.

#4 San Jose Sharks

2019-2020 Season – The San Jose Sharks were bad and finished 29-36-5, bad for 8th in the Pacific and last in the Western Conference. We all know that competitive windows can shut in sports, but this window as slammed shut in shocking and brutal fashion. Offensively, the team fell apart along with the other parts of their game. They plummeted to 27th, alongside the Blue Jackets with 2.57 GPG. Pavelski departed and it seemed to have affected the team in some way. Leading scorer Timo Meir led the club with 49 points, good for only 71st league wide and only 4 Sharks hit or surpassed the 40-point mark. Adding to the regression, the team ranked 27th in defense, surrendering 3.21 GPG, ahead of only the Senators and Red Wings. However, advanced stats posted the team in the near average ranking, suggesting goaltending was a big issue, and boy was it ever. For two straight seasons now, Martin Jones struggled, posting a .896 SV% with a career worst 3.00 GAA. They ranked 30th in goaltending in SV%, ahead of only the Red Wings. Case and point, they got "goalied".

Outlook for 2021 - The pandemic pause may have given the team time to refresh, as this team is fairly old and full of veterans. Those vets will be relied on to bring back their elite play, between Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, and Logan Couture. Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc will be looking for another shot at being the team leaders in scoring. The wild card will be the goaltending, if the team can see goaltending resurgence in both Martin Jones and the addition of Devan Dubnyk, we could see this team turn it around and make playoffs. They are aging which is a big concern. All three parts of the team will be pressured to see this team bring back their former glory.

Player to Watch – Devan Dubnyk/Martin Jones - These guys are coming off absolute awful seasons. The addition of Devan Dubnyk is a head scratcher given the fact that he's coming off a terrible season and Jones just had his own string of awful seasons. This team's success relies on these guys bringing some resemblance of their former elite level.

Erik Karlsson - Erik Karlsson has been blamed for the team's last season regression and maybe it was unfair, maybe not. He's an expensive defenseman given his recent lack of production, but he's once been considered one of the best D-men in the league. These vets will be rested, Karlsson included, and he may bring some sort of resurgence after big rest, as we've seen with big names in the past.

My Prediction - This team has been so good prior to last year and considered a shoe in for the playoffs year after year. Their age does give me questions and their goaltending is problematic, but I have some gut feeling that the long rest will bring a fresh start for the likes of Karlsson and Burns. I think we can see some goaltenders fighting to regain their former glory and bring this team to the playoffs. This is my least confident pick of all my predictions, throughout the league so far. I see this team making it, but don't count me as shocked if they are on the outside looking in.

#5 Minnesota Wild

2019-20 Season – The Wild finished their season 35-27-7, 6th in the Central Division, and 10th in the Western Conference. They made it to the expanded bubble playoffs but were quickly eliminated by the Vancouver Canucks in 4 games. It’s safe to say that the offense of this team surprised to the upside, ranking 12th in GPG with 3.16, ranking ahead of the likes of the Jets, Knights, and Oilers. They finished top 10 on the PP with a 21.3% clip. Defensively, the Wild oddly enough struggled on the surface, finishing 23rd with 3.14 GAPG, cancelling out their solid offensive numbers. Although goaltending was the issue, as they ranked 1st in terms of scoring chances against on the season along with above average rankings in other advanced defensive stats Speaking of goaltending, between Dubnyk, Stalock, and Kahkonen last season, the team ranked 29th with a .897 SV%, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks and Red Wings. Stalock was better than Dubynyk but still had numbers that weren't game changing.

Outlook for 2021 - Zach Parise will be the principal goal scorer again, who's coming off a 25-goal season. The team seems to be looking at getting younger in letting Eric Stall and Mikko Koivu go along with dealing Jason Zucker to the Penguins at the last trade deadline. Center depth is a question mark, so scoring remains on the wings, and weak center depth is never good when trying to be an above average offense. Kevin Fiala is coming off a big season so we will see how he does to back that up. Defensively the team is led by Matt Dumba, Ryan Suter, and Jared Spurgeon. With solid goaltending, the team is set up to succeed at least defensively. Goaltending wise the team traded away Dubnyk to, now divisional rival San Jose, and brought in Cam Talbot from the Calgary Flames. Talbot is coming off a bounce back season where he posted a 2.63 GAA and .919SV%, stealing the crease from David Rittich in the bubble. This tandem will be better if both goalies can bring their last year's success.

Players to Watch – Cam Talbot - With Devan Dubnyk being a disaster last season and Talbs coming off a bounce back, I will watch him how fares on a new team that is in need of a consistent tandem. He wasn't otherworldly but solid enough to post better stats than who is replacing. Strong defense will help but he will be asked to help fix the goaltending issues this team has faced.

Kirill Kaprizov - NHL history has had its fair share of hot prospects that took a little too long to leave their Russian homes. There is hype behind this prospect and some in history have lived up to the long-awaited hype, Vlad Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov come to mind. Can this wild card boost the offensive abilities of this team and make them a playoff team?

My Prediction - As mentioned, this is the middle tier of teams in the Western Division that all have a near equal chance of making the playoffs and rolling a dice would be an easier way of picking. I have faith in the defense, but as a fan of a team who saw Cam Talbot go from Hero to Zero over the course of an offseason, I question if he can back up a good season with another. Granted, he will have solid defending to help him. I have them finishing 5th only because the forward depth is weak especially down the middle and I don’t know what goaltending I will get. I wouldn't be surprised if they sneak into the 4th spot, however.

#6 Arizona Coyotes

2019-20 Season – The Desert Dogs finished with a 33-29-8 record, good for 5th in the Pacific Division and 11th in the West. We saw them upset the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round in the bubble, before losing in epic fashion to the Colorado Avalanche, in a series they had no business even winning a game in my opinion. Offense came at a premium last year, where they finished 21st with 2.8 GPG, that was improved due to the then addition of Taylor Hall. Nick Shmaltz led the team with points with 45 points in the regular season, good for 91st in the league. Defensively, the team was one of the best at least on surface. They tied for 3rd best in GAPG at 2.61. Though advanced stats show they ranked 22nd in scoring chances against and high-danger chances against, leading to too much reliance on goaltending. Speaking of goaltending, the team was largely bailed out as Darcy Kuemper posted a 2.22 GAA ranking 2nd and .928SV%, good for 3rd.

Outlook for 2021 - Without Taylor Hall, who is going to score? The best offensive player ranked 91st and it only got uglier from there. Defensive advanced numbers will be areas of focus, espcially as both goaltenders will be playing often, it will be important to help your goaltenders. I see them facing many one goal games, and low scoring games that they need to find a way to find offense, especially when you have the likes of St. Louis and Colorado to deal with. Goaltending needs to keep up their strong play and stay healthy for this team to stay in games.

Players to Watch – Oliver Ekman Larsson (OEL) - The captain of the team will be focused on this year, if only because there were rumors, he wanted out and the Coyotes looked to shop him. His value will be dependent on his ability to bring back his prior year's numbers and defensive abilities. We will keep an eye on this individual, if only because we wish to see if he is traded in during the season.

Clayton Keller - This 7th overall draft pick in 2016 will be expected to step up to the plate after Taylor Hall has exited the team. He can put up nearly 50 points but unfortunately has regressed since his rookie season. He will be an interesting player to watch as this team tries to find its offense.

My Prediction - I don't know who is going to score for this team. They are such a question mark for me because they lost Taylor Hall, they were hit with some fallout from their alleged scouting violations, and what are they going to do with OEL? Too many question marks for me puts them in 6th place for the league (3rd in the middle tier of teams). Maybe we see some solid goaltending and defense, but I think the close, hard-fought games will wear on them.

#7 Anaheim Ducks

2019-20 Season – The Ducks finished 29-33-9, good for 6th in the Pacific Division and 13th in the Western Conference. They were the best team in California, but literally only because they made it to OT more, because all CA teams ended with 29 wins. They, among their CA peers were the only teams who didn't make the bubble. Offensively, they ranked 29th in GPG at 2.56, beating only the Wings and Kings. Adam Henrique was the best offensive player, going for 26 goals and 43 points. They have offensive firepower in Henrique, Rickard Rakell,and Jakob Silverberg, and they have a young depth squad that are just finding their way into the league. Defensively, the team has historically been solid, but they slipped, falling to 25th in GAPG at 3.15. Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson are a solid pair, but the bottom lineup is questionable right now. Advanced defense stats were weak as well, surrendering the 4th most chances against and similarly weak high chances against. Goaltending was an X-factor as John Gibson finished a career-worst 3.00 GAA and .904SV%.

Outlook for 2021 - Offensively, there are major question marks. The team did sign Kevin Shattenkirk on the backend, who's done a fairly good job at quarterbacking offenses on his former teams. However, forward lineups out of the top line are questionable, just given the lack of experience. Defensively, we may see some help from Shattenkirk but the lack of help on the depth side could see the Ducks bottom of the heap again. Goaltending wise, the team has one of the most underrated tenders in the league but will need to be better next season if they are to have any chance. He is solid but needs help as well. This team is still in rebuild mode, despite having their captain Ryan Getzlaf at the helm still. Coach Dallas Eakins has his work cut out for him. The addition of Trevor Zegras from the draft will be intriguing as he just posted 18 points in 7 games in the world junior tournament, leading the tournament and USA to a gold medal.

Players to Watch – John Gibson - Gibson is the Duck's best player, and when he's on his game, he's one of the best goaltenders in the league. He struggled with his team last year, but all eyes will be on him to prove it was just a down season. He has a good track record, and he will be asked to be the savior.

Rickard Rakell – As one of the team's highlights, and prior to last year becoming one of the league's most efficient goal scorers, has since seen a regression of notable proportions. He has strong possession numbers and is capable of scoring but whether he can bring back his former production remains to be seen. Further, this team is in rebuild mode and he's a very valuable trade chip given his cheap contract number, will he be moved or kept?

My Prediction - This team, much like their immediate rival, are coming off being forces to be reckoned with. California in general used to be Murder's Row before they got older and cap strapped. They have since been focused on rebuilding and shedding salary when available. They have a pipeline that is up and coming but still years from making a notable difference. I expect this season to just be a part of the rebuild.

#8 Los Angeles Kings

2019-20 Season – The LA Kings finished last season with a 29-35-6 record, 7th in the Pacific Division, and 14th in the Western Conference. They did end their lackluster season with a solid 7-game winning streak, but that was, unfortunately, easily overshadowed by the craziness of the year. Offensively, this team struggles to finish. Anze Kopitar remains all world and an elite center but is mostly a defensive darling, less so of an offensive powerhouse. They ranked 30th with 2.53 GPG last season, just ahead of the lowly Red Wings, despite ranking 4th in shots per game at 33.2. Defensively, this core is no longer the same old core, with only Drew Doughty the reminisce of their hugely elite core. They ranked 14th in GAPG at 2.99, so not terrible but lack of scoring doesn't give you a chance to compete. Goaltending was their x-factor with the once considering best goaltender in the league, Jonathan Quick, becoming a legit liability. Over the last 2 seasons among goalies who have played at least 50 games, he ranks 46th with a 3.09 GAA.

Outlook for 2021 - This aging group is working on a rebuild, which isn't a bad thing, every really good team and even Stanley Cup team goes through them eventually. Offensively, the team still has Kopitar and Jeff Carter, they added Lias Andersson from the Rangers as well as adding depth prospects from the Toronto Maple Leafs. To add, this is all before mentioning draft picks Alex Turcotte who just scored 8 points in 7 games for USA in the World Juniors and Quinton Byfield, the stout centerman prospect. The team added Olli Maata to help on the defensive side but with largely the same cast of players, the defense core will be a question mark. The goaltending future is Cal Peterson, who while only playing in 19 games, posted an excellent 2.62 GAA and .923SV%, and will be splitting the net with future HOF Quick.

Players to Watch – Quinton Byfield- Shockingly enough, experts peg Byfield and closer to NHL ready than his 1st overall counterpart, Alexis Lafreniere, though the impact he makes remains unclear. Will he be polished enough to draw big minutes, or will he be sent back to the minors for development? A huge question mark there, similar to Trevor Zegras in Anaheim.

Drew Doughty – Doughty is still considered one of the best D-men in the league. NHL Network ranks him 15th in the league, ahead of Shea Webber and Ryan Ellis. His advanced stats are deteriorating, and at such a high $11MM cap hit, how will he perform through another expected "rebuild" season is the question. His performance and how people view his performance on these last years of his contract will be looked at closely.

My Prediction - There is nothing wrong with teams going through rebuilds, especially coming off two Stanley Cups within the last decade. I love this team, but their goaltender has largely regressed, their offense is not high-octane, and their defense is not what it used to be. They have a particularly good pool of prospects making their way up and the future is going to be bright for this team. I could see them beating the Ducks in in the rankings, but this was a coin flip.

Next week we will round out the NHL Division preview with the Scotia NHL North Division. Hockey games begin today, January 13, 2021, so I encourage everyone to watch and see if my prediction come true.

NHL Preview - Honda Western Division