NHL Mid-Season Grades: Pacific Division Breakdown
By Trin Potratz
NHL Mid-Season Grades, Surprises, Letdowns, Future Outlook: Complete Central Division Breakdown by Team and Position, Including Predictions for the Remainder of 2016-17
Today we’ll be handing out NHL mid-season grades for the Western Conference’s Pacific Division which includes the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks.
The Ducks lead the way with 59 points in 47 games. Edmonton is four points behind at 55 with a game in hand. San Jose occupies the final playoff spot with 54 points in 44 games. Fighting for a Wild-Card spot: Calgary (51 points), Los Angeles (48 points), and Vancouver (48 points). The Coyotes sit alone in the basement with 32 points.
Take a look at our Central Division mid-season grades.
ANAHEIM DUCKS
Current Record: 24-13-9 (57 points)
The Anaheim Ducks find themselves at the top of the Pacific Division at the halfway point, despite the loss of Bruce Boudreau. Not many were optimistic about Randy Carlyle returning to coach, but the Ducks are getting brilliant contributions from their veterans, while their young defense group plays out of their minds.
FORWARDS: B
have combined for 13 goals.
Rickard Rakell held out for the beginning part of the season before settling on a six-year deal worth $3.8 million a season, and in return, he has scored 17 goals. He had 20 last year.
The Ducks have received solid contributions from rookies Nick Ritchie, Joe Cramarossa and Ondrej Kase, with the latter two being 3rd round and 7th round draft picks.
Antoine Vermette on a value contract has solidified the Ducks’ bottom six and has become a mentor to his young linemates.
DEFENSE: A-
The Ducks have one of the youngest defense corps in the league, but they’re also one of the most dominant.
Rumors ran rampant about Cam Fowler moving on, but the Ducks held onto him and it is paying off in spades. Fowler has nine goals and 14 assists so far this season, and is going to make the Ducks’ management make a big decision come expansion time.
Lindholm and Manson have formed a solid shutdown pairing, allowing Kevin Bieksa to take on a mentoring role to young d-men in the pipeline like Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, and Jacob Larsson.
GOALIES: B
had a bit off a rocky start, but the new starting goalie is now sporting a .920 save percentage. Gibson is one of the youngest starting goaltenders in the league, and he is showing he will certainly be “the guy” for many years.
Veteran backup Jonathan Bernier was brought in for insurance if Gibson had trouble adjusting to the starting role, but Bernier himself has been underwhelming. Any goalie that boasts a save percentage south of .900 is no good.
BIGGEST SURPRISE: RAKELL’S SCORING PROWESS
Rickard Rakell is a very good young hockey player, but I don’t think anybody expected him to breakout with this type of magnitude.
His 17 goals in 33 games would put him on pace for 42 over an 82-game season.
With his cheap contract, Rakell could be dubbed one of the best bargains as time goes on. Fantasy hockey league players should take note of this guy because he looks like the real deal.
BIGGEST DISSAPOINTMENT: COREY PERRY’S GOAL SCORING SLUMP
Corey Perry is a former 50-goal scorer. He has scored more than 30 goals in seven NHL seasons. He is a pure scorer, but this year, Perry has had trouble finding the back of the net.
His eight goals in 44 games has him on pace for only 15 goals, which would be his lowest since his rookie year when he scored 13 in 56 games.
Perry will find his scoring touch again, but it will likely be too late to score more than 25 this season. Huge disappointment.
OUTLOOK:
The Ducks are a well-oiled machine, and will likely stay near the top of the Pacific Division throughout the remainder of the year.
The Ducks will add a cheap depth defender around the deadline, and will likely be out of the playoffs in the first two rounds.