In 2015-16, the NHL's Pacific Division was dominated by the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and the eventual Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks. Entering 2016-17, the California-based franchises will attempt to fend off the rebuilding Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.
Despite their depth in talent, the Sharks could find it challenging to make a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The Ducks hope the return of Randy Carlyle as head coach can bring them back their championship magic, while the Kings could find their chances of winning a third Cup title are fading.
The Coyotes, Flames and Oilers hope to see significant improvement from their promising young players. Meanwhile, the Canucks will try to transition from veteran stars to their own crop of youngsters.
In this slideshow, we'll preview the NHL's Pacific Division and predict where the seven teams could finish in the standings. The best rivalries, scoring lines, defense pairings and goaltenders are also examined. Feel free to express your views on this topic in the comments section below.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Lyle Richardson
2016-17 NHL Predictions: Preview and Picks for Pacific Division
October 3rd, 2016 by Lyle Richardson Leave a reply »
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