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The Pacific Division was home last season to the defending Stanley Cup champions and another team many believed would succeed them. Yet it was the upstart Dallas Stars who went the furthest among Pacific teams by keeping the Anaheim Ducks from repeating and putting the San Jose Sharks through another season of unfulfilled promise.
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| Patrick Marleau and the Sharks look to be the team to beat in the Pacific Division. (Getty Images) |
So have most of the other Pacific teams. Here's a graded look, in order of last season's finish, at how each organization has handled the offseason.
Sharks: They've looked to be on the edge of greatness the past several seasons, but after the Sharks failed to take advantage of an incredible run down the stretch, it was obvious some key changes were necessary. And San Jose didn't waste much time, dumping coach Ron Wilson and hiring rookie Todd McLellan, an assistant on the Stanley Cup-winning Red Wings. But the Sharks didn't stop there, largely because they were unable to re-sign one of the league's top puck-moving defenseman, Brian Campbell, who ended up with Chicago. That could turn out to be a bonus because the Sharks were able to use the money they saved to sign veteran free-agent defenseman Rob Blake, a former Norris Trophy winner, and to trade for Dan Boyle, a pretty good offensive defenseman, and veteran Brad Lukowich. San Jose had to move another solid veteran in Craig Rivet to accommodate the newcomers in the salary structure, but their blue line crew on the whole is better and more balanced than it was. Plus, the Sharks didn't have to throw captain Patrick Marleau into any of the deals. Grade: A-
Ducks: The team's owner is under indefinite league suspension after pleading guilty to federal felony charges, the GM is rumored to be out the door once his contract expires after the season and the intimidation factor that was so critical to Anaheim's run to the Stanley Cup in 2007 is long gone. But there have been some bright spots this offseason for the Ducks, who learned they will start the fall with Scott Niedermayer in the lineup and managed to retain high-scoring young forward Corey Perry with a long-term contract. Anaheim still has some money problems to resolve because of its proximity to the salary cap, and it began by buying its way out of a bad contract given to Todd Bertuzzi last summer. Veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider will almost certainly be moved, which is why the Ducks signed inexpensive journeyman defenseman Steve Montador. But the most notable addition was center Brendan Morrison, who agreed to a one-year deal and is being counted on to help give the team some offense beyond the top line. Grade: C
Stars: Dallas was the West's most-improved team from the start of last season to finish, then ran out of gas deep in the playoffs against eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit. But the Stars, who made a big deal at the trade deadline to acquire Brad Richards, showed they had a lot of character, not to mention the ability to complement scorers like Richards and Brenden Morrow with grittiness and toughness. The Stars added that by signing Sean Avery, the former Ranger who might be the league's most reviled player but one whose time in New York proved he can make a positive impact in a lineup. The best offseason move seems to have been largely overlooked because it took place during the playoffs when the Stars signed Fabian Brunnstrom, a highly coveted Swedish star who was courted by nearly a dozen teams. Dallas did lose a couple of good role players to free agency in Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen, but the bulk of the lineup is relatively intact, and the farm system has been doing a good job of feeding talent in the past couple of years. Grade: B
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Phoenix Coyotes: The rebuilding process under coach Wayne Gretzky never seems to end, largely because Phoenix doesn't have money to spend, and when it does, few players want to go there of their own volition. Still, the Coyotes did show some signs of progress last season thanks to the maturing of some talented youngsters the team has drafted in recent years. First-round draft pick Viktor Tikhonov, grandson of the legendary former Soviet coach, might join the group, who will get lots of protection thanks to head-banging newcomers Brian McGrattan, Todd Fedoruk and Francis Lessard. Phoenix did make one major move this offseason, trading for center Olli Jokinen, who has been one of the league's most under-appreciated talents over the past several seasons in Florida. The deal cost the Coyotes defenseman Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard, but free-agent signees Kurt Sauer and David Hale should balance out those losses. Grade: C
Los Angeles Kings: After firing Marc Crawford, they still need a coach, preferably one who has a lot of patience because that's what it's going to take with a team that continues to look to the future without worrying much about what happens in the meantime. The Kings will be even younger this season after letting Blake and Jon Klemm go to free agency and trading offensive-minded defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to Edmonton. The return was a center of nominal ability in Jarret Stoll, and two hard-nosed defensemen in Matt Greene and Denis Gauthier; neither is a real difference maker. The biggest unresolved issue continues to be the lack of a clear No. 1 goaltender, something Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi didn't seem too eager to address this offseason. Lombardi got burned last season with his free-agent moves, so this summer he has gone back to his favorite formula of drafting and developing. Given the high picks the Kings have had in recent years, that could pay off in the near future. But by then, will anyone in Los Angeles notice? Grade: D.