HockeyWestern Conference predictions...Page 2

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Why I'm wrong: After one year of learning his team's personality, Todd McLellan makes small but significant changes to the culture. Gone is the goofing around on game days (e.g. children on the bench during warmup), replaced by a more a serious, businesslike attitude. Some opponents think this is San Jose's biggest problem.

The Olympic break gives 39-year-old Rob Blake a playoff-saving rest.

Dany Heatley scores 80 goals, including playoffs.

One of the younger forwards and one of younger defencemen becomes a series-changing player in the post-season.

TREADING WATER...

EDMONTON

Why I'm right: The Oilers are in that dreaded "middle ground." They're not going to win the West, but they're not too good to get a top pick.

Nikolai Khabibulin may have one more Stanley Cup ring than Dwayne Roloson, but he's injury-prone and carries a cap-dangerous contract. Roloson's run of consecutive starts last season shows Oilers have no faith in their other goalies.

Edmonton's done everything except ask Jari Kurri to come out of retirement and still can't find a perfect complement for Ales Hemsky.

Blood boils every time Curtis Glencross has a great game in Calgary.

They're depending on a big year from Dustin Penner.

Why I'm wrong: Combining Pat Quinn and Tom Renney was a brilliant move. Quinn is a terrific motivator and immediately revived Toronto upon his arrival. The Maple Leafs had no business being in the final four during Quinn's first season but got there. Renney thinks the game really well. The two men's weaknesses are each other's strengths.

Off the ice, this team is going in the right direction. Stable ownership willing to spend money and, eventually, build a new arena. These are important things to have when you need every possible advantage in luring free agents.

A lot of their money is tied up on the blueline, which is Detroit's strategy. Ken Holland believes you're going to give up goals, so cutting down on quality chances is key. They've got a nice combination of shooters and passers – what they must do is improve defensively and stay healthy.

Annoyed that he was going to be traded for Dany Heatley, a fired-up Andrew Cogliano scores 30.

DALLAS

Why I'm right: This is another franchise with ownership problems. Tom Hicks is leaking cash and, though he claims the Stars are fine, well, let's just say I'll believe it when I see it.

Dallas was such a weird team last year. Sean Avery napalmed the room and basically got fired. After he left, they got hot before falling short of the playoffs. Could he really be the only problem they had?

Sergei Zubov is gone. Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen are going. The Stars are a team in transition that will take a few years to find itself.

We wasted a lot of breath talking about Fabian Brunnstrom.

Why I'm wrong: Marc Crawford really struggled with the knowledge that he came close to another season of Scott Oake. (A fate worse than death.) He knows this could be his last coaching job. He will learn from the mistakes he made in Los Angeles and do a great job.

People are giving up on Marty Turco way too quickly. He had one bad year. That's an aberration, not a trend.

Brad Richards and Brenden Morrow are healthy and ready to become the faces of this franchise.

James Neal and Jamie Benn combined for 55 goals.

THE SURPRISE TEAM...

LOS ANGELES

Why I'm right: Because it's time. We've heard about their potential for years. Dean Lombardi opened the wallet and even made a late run at Kessel. Anything less than a playoff berth would be a major disappointment.

Ryan Smyth was a really smart addition. So were Justin Williams and Rob Scuderi. All take the game very seriously. The last two have won Cups, while all three made it as much by work ethic as talent. It would be nice if Williams doesn't get hurt for a change.

Jonathan Quick shows he's no fluke.

Why I'm wrong: Doesn't it seem like the Kings are picked as a surprise team every year?

Every September, we rave about Anze Kopitar as a franchise player and Dustin Brown as a battler. We believe it's finally the season where Alexander Frolov scores 40. It never happens.

There was so much focus on Drew Doughty – and deservedly so – that Jack Johnson became an afterthought. That shows how well Doughty played and how little an impact Johnson has had. L.A. tried to trade him and get Pronger, but that deal fell apart at the last minute. Will he ever live up to his potential?

IF I HAD ANY GUTS, I'D PICK...

PHOENIX

Don Maloney laughed when I told him about this prediction and said, "I hope you're right." Well, here's why I could be: As badly as Wayne Gretzky's removal was handled, Dave Tippett is a great hire. He knows the division and he'll tighten up a team that doesn't score a lot of goals.

The Coyotes learned a harsh lesson last year, when they put too many young players on the roster (Turris, Tikhonov, Porter and Boedker) and found them overwhelmed. They dropped guys like Mike Zigomanis, only to regret it upon becoming the NHL's worst faceoff team. There are more veterans this time around.

Shane Doan, who wants to stay in Phoenix more than any other Coyote, has a big year alongside a healthy Robert Lang.

They were in fifth place at the NHL all-star break, so it's not a completely ridiculous prediction.

Why I'm wrong: Uh, one guess. The Coyotes are saying all the right things about shocking the world. Aside from Doan, no one has any real huge ties to the city, which means a potential move could effect them less than we all think. But it's going to be aggravating answering the same questions all season.

They will have no home-ice advantage of any kind unless they prove there is an actual reason to hike to Glendale. There's nothing more dispiriting than 41 home games in front of smaller crowds than your neighbourhood ball hockey games.

The major reason the Coyotes showed on-ice improvement for a year was Ilya Bryzgalov. After last year's NHL all-star break, he suddenly couldn't stop anything.

Sean Burke is the new goalie coach because he's tall and technically similar to Bryzgalov. If Burke can't fix him, it's trouble. As Maloney said: "He's the key to our season."

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