babych Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Parise and Suter are the "lipstick on the pig" in Minny. The Wild are better but they will still struggle mightily to make the playoffs. These signings do not make Minny a powerhouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiun Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 The Wild certainly just got a lot better, but I don't see how Colorado, Edmonton, or Calgary did. At least not significantly. People keep telling me that Edmonton is going to have this big, explosive breakout year because of all of their young talent. Problem is that they don't and probably won't, not enough experience on the team for the rookies to improve, their defense is a crapshoot and their goaltending is middle of the road at best. Once those Entry level contracts start running out, those players are going to jump ship like crazy, because they will be tired of being dead last in the league year after year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uber_pwnzor Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We been saying that since their last cup run of 04. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uber_pwnzor Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We been saying that since their last cup run of 04. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaK Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Yes, the Northwest should be better than in recent years. Minny will be good. They were a decent team to start last year before tanking. They just signed two lynch-pin type players. Edmonton is bound to improve... I was sure they'd break out last year, now it is just getting ridiculous. Calgary is moving sideways Colorado is still pretty weak Vancouver... I honestly don't know where our team will end up. Before the offseason moves began I figured Vancouver could end up anywhere between first in the Division and missing the playoffs. I figured a slightly less dominant Vancouver could pull a Florida and slide into that top Divisional spot. With the changes being made it seems that first will be more hotly contested. We will still have to wait and see what happens with the Luongo saga to really get a feeling for what this team will look like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotesMagotes Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Lol oh man, seeing all the posts on the Wild message boards saying how winning the NW division is going to be a breeze for them now....cannot wait for us to dominate them yet again. Parise and Suter aren't going to turn the Wild into champs over night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luongo_01 Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 There was no chance that the teams in our division did anything other than close the gap on us. I don't think that the signings of Suter and Parise makes the Wild that much more dangerous. Instead, it made Nashville and NJ weaker. Suter benefited from playing with a perennial Norris level Dman in Weber. Parise was the captain and leader of NJ, now he takes the wheel behind their current captain and probably Heatley... Calgary has done nothing, Colorado really nothing and Edmonton has a good young team coming but will not be able to pay all those first overall picks when it is said and done and they still cannot get a goaltender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdeath Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 It's one of the toughest after the Canucks. The Wild just got a lot better but they didn't get 30 points in the standings better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownUndaCanuck Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 The Canucks should still win the division, but it'll come down to maybe the last month, and it won't be by much. I say at least 2 other NW teams make the playoffs. Colorado really beefed up, not only will their young guns get better every year but they added Parenteau, Zanon and McClement. Edmonton's young stars are only getting better as well, and they add 2 likely superstars in Yakupov and Schultz. Calgary loses Jokinen but gains Hudler and Wideman so overall, they gain more offence and defensive depth and will be better. Minnesota lose Latendresse and Lundin (didn't play much anyway) but gain Parise, Suter, Torrey Mitchell and Konopka. Wow. Right now I see the division coming down to goaltending, because each team has considerable firepower up front now. Probably one of the most exciting divisions now. Canucks Colorado Minnesota Edmonton Calgary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboose Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Minny's D is thinner than my uncle's hair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlife Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 How tough it ends up being depends on how the re-alignment of the divisions goes. We may not see much of the wild next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Crosby Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Watch Suter bust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotdawg Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Minny's D is thinner than my uncle's hair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honky Cat Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 The Wild were fairly banged up last season....I expect that they will make the playoffs.Edmonton will be the most improved team this season..Tom Renney was a nagging coach (I think the players tuned him out pretty early on)...a new attitude will propel this team to the next level.You can only keep that amount of talent down for so long. Calgary will finally tank and realise that they will have to rebuild...Colorado will be around the middle of the WC pack again,whilst the Canucks have neither gotten worse,or improved...just moved sideways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombieksa Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 It may be more difficult this year but I still see us grabbing 8+ points from Colorado and at least 6+ points from both Albertan teams. Those 20pts plus hopefully 6 from Minnesota and we are laughing as far as divisional play goes... We had an incredible 18-5-1 record in the NW last season, I can't see the team falling too far from this record in the immediate future and I would predict somewhere in the area of 14-7-3 next season, I may be wrong but I still think for at least a season we will have the NW title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson-JH Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 This is I think this will look like by the end of the 2012/2013 season Northwest Division 1. Vancouver Canucks 2. Minnesota Wild 3. Edmonton Oilers 4. Colorado Avalanche 5. Calgary Flames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
:D Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Two players don't a powerhouse make. Even including the marginal step up by Edmonton. Divisions don't go from worst to first with the addition of a couple players to the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erbiy74 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 idk...cuz the year before heatley and setoguchi went to the wild they were great players...look at them now.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van19 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Personally I think Parise is a bit overrated. They'll definitely make them better but I think the NW title will still be pretty easily won. Think it'll probably go like 1.Canucks 2.Wilds 3. Colorado 4. Calgary 5. Edmonton Battle of Alberta for last place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trelane42 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 My Rankings: 1) Vancouver – Slightly better and younger D, same group of forwards just one year older. Still enough talent and overall depth to win the division comfortably. 2) Minnesota – non playoff team that got themselves some high priced talent to go along with their highly regarded prospects. Will likely make the playoffs. 3) Edmonton – We all know what is coming—4 forwards who will one day hit for PPG and beyond and a D man with high offensive potential—we just don’t know when. Still need a checking line, more experienced and better D, and goaltending, though Dubnyk may be the one. May make the playoffs as early as next year. 4) Calgary – I get what Feaster is doing—injecting skill—but he is sacrificing size and defensive acumen. In come Cervenka, Bartchi, Hudler, and Wideman. The first two are rookies and the second two are slow and defensively suspect. If Kipper gets hurt or falters they are a lottery team. Unlikely to make the playoffs. 5) Colorado – Have some talented forwards and very big D men (maybe the biggest D in the NHL). Alas, the same D men are quite limited skill wise. SOB is in their top 4, enough said. Unlikely to make the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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