2010-11 NHL Regular Season Power Rankings - Western Conference

nhl blackhawks jersey, With the start of the 2010-11 NHL season now little more than a week away I figured it was time to pull out my crystal ball and try and predict which Western Conference teams will be Stanley Cup contenders this year, and which teams are going to be dusting off the old golf clubs come early April. Last year the Phoenix Coyotes and the Colorado Avalanche were predicted to be cellar dwellers but surprised hockey experts around the league by making the playoffs. With parity the name of the game in the NHL these days, there is little doubt that similar surprises will occur in the 2010-11 season. Here are my 2010-11 regular season power rankings for the NHL\'s Western Conference:
15 – Minnesota Wild

This is a franchise that just seems to be heading in the wrong direction. It is a new era in Minnesota following last season\'s nhl blackhawks jersey departure of superstar Marian Gaborik and coach Jacques Lemaire, and this team has a long way to go before they will again contend for a playoff spot. Martin Havlat was brought in to try and take the place of Gaborik, but was largely unimpressive in his first season with the club. Both Mikko Koivu and Guillaume Latendresse had career years last year, and will be hard-pressed to match their offensive totals from the previous campaign. With an anemic offense goaltender Niklas Backstrom will have to have a Vezina-caliber season for the Wild to even have a shot at the playoffs. Personally I think even that goal is pretty ambitious and it will likely be a few seasons before the Wild contend again for a playoff spot.

14 – Columbus Blue Jackets

Another team with offensive challenges the Columbus Blue Jackets have been treading water ever since joining the league at the beginning of the new century. Rick Nash will of course be the go-to guy for the club, but beyond him the team doesn\'t really boast any offensive stars. Sure, Kristian Huselius, R.J. Umberger and Antoine Vermette will all do their part, but their contributions won\'t be enough to push this team into playoff contention. If Steve Mason can recapture the form he had in his rookie campaign then perhaps the team could nhl blackhawks jersey move up the list a few spots, but young goalies are notoriously inconsistent, so that scenario is hard to bank on at this point.

13 – Nashville Predators

Though the Predators were a playoff team last year, and actually gave the Chicago Blackhawks a tough nhl blackhawks jersey go in round one there is little reason for optimism in Nashville going into the 2010-11 season. Rock steady defenseman Dan Hamhuis has found greener pastures with the Vancouver Canucks, and captain Jason Arnott has returned to his old stomping grounds in New Jersey. Shea Weber and goaltender Pekka Rinne will be keys to the team\'s success, but they can only do so much on a roster that boasts several other good, but no other great players.

12 – Edmonton Oilers

Looking around at 2010-11 regular season predictions from hockey bloggers I\'ve found the Edmonton Oilers on the bottom of most power rankings. It seems that the consensus opinion is that the Oilers fans will be forced to endure a second straight dreadful season. In my opinion the team actually underachieved last year, and their 30th place finish was not indicative of their potential. The addition of young stars like #1 overall draft pick Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Magnus Paajarvi should make the team a dangerous offensive opponent, and the return of goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin should shore up the team at the all-important goaltending position. I still don\'t think they\'ll make the playoffs, but they should climb a few spots in the Western Conference standings this year.

11 – Dallas Stars

Another team in transition the Dallas Stars will have a much different look this year. Team mainstays Marty Turco and Mike Modano have moved on to the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings respectively. However, the emergence of players like Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson and James Neal give Stars fans reasons for optimism, and veterans like Brad Richards and Brenden Morrow should help fill the leadership void left by the departure of Modano and Turco. Ultimately it is goaltending that is the biggest question mark in Dallas this year. If Kari Lehtonen can elevate his game with his new club then this team can make a run at a playoff spot.

10 – Anaheim Ducks

Though the Ducks boast stars such as Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and the ageless Teemu Selanne up front it is their blueline that has them ranked 10th on this list, sitting outside the playoff picture looking in. The retirement of Scott Niedermayer has left a gaping hole on the back end, and Jonas Hiller is still struggling to prove himself a bona fide number one. That being said the Ducks are still a tough team to play against and should they manage to squeak into the playoffs they have the experience and capability to play the spoiler role against the powerhouse teams of the Western Conference.

9 – St. Louis Blues

Of all the teams in the Western Conference the Blues were the hardest to place for me. In my opinion this squad could finish anywhere from 6th – 13th place without surprising anyone. They are a team that scores by committee and though they have young players with plenty of potential they are one of the few teams in the league that doesn\'t boast a single star. The biggest key to the Blues season, as is the case with many of the teams in these power rankings, will be the play off newly acquired goaltender Jaroslav Halak. If Halak can perform at or near the level he showed during last spring\'s playoff run with the Montreal Canadiens then the Blues should be a shoe-in to make the playoffs.

8 – Colorado Avalanche

Last season the Avalanche exceeded expectations by a wide margin, but I don\'t see them getting more than marginally better this season, and it is very possible they could experience a precipitous drop should goaltender Craig Anderson not be able to duplicate his incredible performance of a year ago. With plenty of young firepower in the form of Stastny, Chris Stewart, Peter Mueller and Matt Duchene the team shouldn\'t hurt for goals. The departure of defensive stalwart Brett Clark does leave a void on the back end, however. All in all this team should hover right around the bubble all season, and if they do make the playoffs it is unlikely they will depart quickly without more than a whisper.