Team-by-team breakdown: Detroit is still No. 1
NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Red Wings are still the class of the conference
The rich got richer, as the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings signed prized free-agent forward Marian Hossa and signed goaltender Ty Conklin as a backup to Chris Osgood.
No team has repeated as Cup champion since the 1997 and 1998 Red Wings, but this group is primed to end that jinx. San Jose should be strong under new Coach Todd McLellan but too many early playoff exits put them in the wake-me-when-they've-done-something category.
Here's a team-by-team look at the Western Conference in order of projected playoff seeding:
DETROIT RED WINGS
2007-08 record: 54-21-7 -- 115 points. First in Central Division, first overall.
Top scorer: Pavel Datsyuk 31-66 -- 97.
Power play: 20.7% (3rd). Penalty killing: 84% (8th).
Outlook: All that could derail them is a Cup hangover, but that should be a small worry for this deep, disciplined team led by Datsyuk -- winner of the Selke trophy as the top defensive forward -- Henrik Zetterberg (43 goals, 92 points) and the incomparable Nicklas Lidstrom on defense. Kudos to General Manager Ken Holland for replenishing talent through the draft and filling holes with great free-agent signings -- like Hossa, who could have made bigger bucks elsewhere but wanted a chance at the Cup. He just might get it.
SAN JOSE SHARKS
2007-08 record: 49-23-10 -- 108 points. First in Pacific, second overall.
Top scorer: Joe Thornton 29-67 -- 96.
Power play: 18.8% (9th). Penalty killing: 85.8% (1st).
Outlook: Maybe it's because GM Doug Wilson was a defenseman -- and a terrific one--but he upgraded his defense and left almost everything else alone. After Brian Campbell left as a free agent, Wilson made a good trade for Dan Boyle, but free-agent signee Rob Blake may not have much left. Too bad Wilson couldn't trade for some heart, because that's what this group really needs come playoff time.
MINNESOTA WILD
2007-08 record: 44-28-10 -- 98 points. First in Northwest, third overall.
Top scorer: Marian Gaborik 42-41 -- 83.
Power play: 18.9% (7th). Penalty killing: 85.2% (4th).
Outlook: The Wild will be fine defensively (its team goals-against average of 2.52 ranked eighth last season) and newcomer Marek Zidlicky will strengthen an already fine defense corps. Goal scoring will be its weakness, as it always seems to be. Gaborik is eligible for free agency after the season and contract talks haven't gone well. If he's bitter about the impasse and carries that onto the ice, the Wild won't get far.
