2014-15 Outlook: Pacific Division

Its a look at California, Western Canada, and that team in the desert. Enjoy!

Thoughts From Hollywood

Somehow, the Wild got two points last night. Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today Sports

Though last night was one of the more lopsided games in terms of puck possession by any team this year. And yet, it was one of those nights where the score was far from the story of the game.

Meet The New Divisions: Pacific Division

Today we look at the new Pacific Division:

A New Face In The State Of Hockey: Keith Ballard

Keith Ballard
Defenseman

5'11"

208 lbs

Shoots: Left

Born: November 26, 1982

Birthplace: Baudette, Minnesota
Acquired: Signed a 2 year, $3 million deal on July 5

The first move the Wild made when free agency started was signing Baudette native Keith Ballard to a two year deal. We all remember Ballard from his playing days with the University of Minnesota, helping them to two national championships (2002, 2003) in his three years at the school.

Ballard scores the first goal in the 2002 National Championship

Ballard was a first round (11th overall) selection of the Buffalo Sabres back in 2002. Before he even signed a pro contract he found himself traded twice (Buffalo to Colorado, Colorado to Phoenix), and was the main prospect being moved in both deals. Over the course of his career, Ballard ended up in two more trades, being moved to Florida and then Vancouver.

As a defenseman with Phoenix and Florida, Ballard was a solid top 4 defenseman. He was an asset at both ends of the ice, and added some physicality to his game as well. But it all seemingly went away in Vancouver as he found himself on Alain Vigneault's bad side, seeing his production and role with the team diminish to almost nothing. Ballard was bought out at the end of the 2012-13 season because the team thought so little of him.

Ballard was making $4.2 million per year (as both salary and cap hit to the team), which obviously made him an easy candidate to buy out. His contract with the club is another example of a low risk, high reward type of situation. He adds depth to a blueline that, besides the top pairing, struggled for a majority of the 2012-13 season.

Ballard got the great Sidney Crosby to drop the gloves

He brings good veteran presence to a roster that seemingly gets younger by the day, and still has a good physical presence to his game. The key for him will be finding that overall greatness he once had with Phoenix and Florida. If he can even get halfway back to that level, the Wild already got a huge bargain from this deal.

For those counting at home, Ballard becomes the third Minnesota born player (Zach Parise, Nate Prosser) on the Wild's roster heading into the 2013-14 season. And I'm guessing that number is still not enough for some of you...

Welcome back to the Team of 18,001 Keith Ballard!


Follow Giles on Twitter @gilesferrell

NHL 2013 Preview: Pacific Division

5. Dallas Stars-Dallas brought in Jaromir Jagr, Ray Whitney, and Derek Roy to help bolster their top 2 lines. So now, they have 2 solid scoring lines. Problem is, their 3rd and 4th lines will struggle, and their defense doesn't project to be that good. They have Kari Lehtonen in the net, and he has been solid since he arrived in Dallas. The Stars had the worst powerplay in the league last year (13.5%), and ranked in the bottom half of the league in total scoring (22nd in goals scored). The new additions will help, but they still are facing an uphill battle in this division. The Stars come in the cellar, in a close race with Anaheim.

4. Anaheim Ducks-A slow start will doom the Ducks in 2013. They have aging veterans Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne. Their stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are set to be free agents after the season ends. So should the Ducks have a bad start, Getzlaf and Perry could end up being traded, so the Ducks dont walk away empty handed if they leave.The Ducks have 2 solid lines, and their defensive core is average at best. A healthy Jonas Hiller will be between the pipes trying to keep the Ducks in games. In an incredibly strong division, the Ducks will come in 4th, but they will battle it out with Dallas for this spott. They just simply wont be able to keep up with the others, even in a shortened 48 game schedule.

3. Phoenix Coyotes-A surprise run to the conference finals, was how the Phoenix Coyotes season went last year. They are a gritty hockey team, that wins games on its defense keeping pucks out of the net. And last year, they saw Mike Smith have a huge breakout year, which was a big help with Phoenix coming in 5th in the NHL in goals allowed. They did lose their leading scorer Ray Whitney, who signed with division rival Dallas, but other than that, they kept the core of last year's team intact. Phoenix will be a tough team to play every night, and scoring on them will not be easy. This will be a team that competes for a low seed in the playoff mix, and with a short season, Phoenix will have plenty of competition to get in the playoffs.

2. Los Angeles Kings-Everyone has the Kings pegged to win this division and make a deep postseason run again. Im not denying that the defending Cup champs will make a deep postseason run. They are returning the same roster from last year (The only player the lost or added was Ethan Moreau who retired). But they will be without their star Anze Kopitar for a few weeks to begin the year. They have great depth all around the roster. Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick is set to return after having back surgery in the offseason. But, the Kings finish second in this division. They make the playoffs, but the lack of Kopitar to begin the season will hurt them in the end.

1. San Jose Sharks-San Jose had a down year in 2011-12. They finished 7th in the West, and had a first round exit after two straight years of making the conference finals.The Sharks have good balance all around their lineup. They really dont have any flashy players, they just have guys who get the job done. What makes the Sharks better this year, is that they had 11 players playing overseas during the lockout, and for the first time in a few years, they are no longer considered the favorites in this division. So look for Joe Thornton and company to make one last push before age finally catches up with them. The Sharks get off to a fast start, and it helps carry them to a division title.


Follow Giles on Twitter @gilesferrell

NHL 2011 Preview-Pacific Division

5. Phoenix Coyotes-The Coyotes have made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. But they did so more on the strength of their defense and goaltending. But they lost key players D Ed Jovanovski and G Ilya Bryzgalov this past offseason. And the Coyotes now are looking to Mike Smith to fill Bryzgalov's shoes between the pipes. Not exactly the best guy for the job. You have to give coach Dave Tippett a lot of credit for what he did the past few years there. But the run ends this year.

4. Dallas Stars-With Brad Richards, the Stars were a team that was contending for a playoff spot. Without Richards, this is a team that won't be anywhere near the postseason. Yes, the Stars still have Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribero. But they lack a good supporting cast and solid goaltending. Kari Lehtonen has posted poor GAA and Save Percentages, and will be too heavily relied on this year. Don't expect much from the Stars this year, as they finish towards the bottom of the Western Conference.

3. Anaheim Ducks-Anaheim boasts one of the best lines in all of hockey, with Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, and reigning MVP Corey Perry as their number one line. Its a line that put up nearly 250 points last year, and will be expected to do the same again. Teemu Selanne and his 80 points also return to the Ducks this year. The main concern for Anaheim is on the defensive side. They ranked 20th in defense last year, and made no big acquisitions to help correct that deficiency. They also don't know what to expect from their net minder Jonas Hiller, who suffered Vertigo symptoms last year. Despite those issues, the Ducks still make the postseason, but will see a first round exit.

2. Los Angeles Kings-On the day before the NHL Draft in June, the Kings made a huge offseason splash, by trading for Flyers C Mike Richards. It made this team a real contender in the western conference. They were a horrible offensive team last year, but thanks to their great defense, they were able to make it into the playoffs for a second straight year. Richards and Simon Gagne will help add some more scoring depth to the Kings. And this team is now instantly a top 4 team in the West. So hopefully, they can make an appearance in the second round of the playoffs.

1. San Jose Sharks-The past two years have seen San Jose make it to the Western Conference Finals. But both times, they didn't even come close to the Campbell Trophy. So, a change was needed. And they turned to the Wild for some needed change. The Sharks first acquired D-Man Brent Burns from MIN, then eventually traded sniper Dany Heatley for Martin Havlat. The Sharks have brought in those new faces to help bring a new result to San Jose. There is literally no weakness on this team, and they should be making another deep run in the playoffs come next April. But can they put the past behind them and finally make it into the Cup finals?

Tomorrow's post looks at the Central Division