Dionne Division Preview

Dionne Division Preview

The Dionne Division has been a 2 horse race for the better part of a decade with both the Kings and Sharks taking their turns at the top. This year looks to be the first time in forever that the top spot is up for grabs. Both the Sharks and Kings have taken a step back while the Jets and Stars have both creeped into the conversation as top dog. The Ducks will still be occupying the Division and possibly the leagues basement and will be a front runner for the best lottery odds and the coveted 1st overall in the Draft. Today we will take a look at each teams strength and needs and what they should be doing in the coming weeks prior to the season start

SJ Sharks:

Forwards: The thin but potent forward unit of the Sharks will put up the points and will be looked upon to get them to the playoffs. The usual suspects will be leading the charge with a top line of Crosby, Mackinnon and Guentzel that will be able to go head to head with any other top line in the league. The second line could have a different look when the season starts but we are guessing they go with Horvat and Boeser while newly acquired Ehlers joins them on LW. This unit should provide enough secondary scoring to keep the G.M and coach happy and will be a potential threat for years to come. The Bottom 6 of the Sharks is absolutely gross with a bunch of underachievers and has beens taking up the spots. Simmonds Shaw and Virtanen I guess could be called a 3rd line while Bilas and Gaudette are barely relevant. Lord help them if there is an injury .
Defence: The Sharks in a surprise move traded away Superstar and #1Dman John Carlson much to the boos of everyone except the G.M. Regardless of this questionable move the Sharks D is still one of the better looking ones in the league. Hedman is one of the best and will be joined by Jeff nobody wants me Petry who was told to pack his bags then told he's staying for the year. As a 2nd pair young gun in the making Dahlin will be joined by stalwart Esa Lindell in what should be a great pairing. Rounding the bottom pair will be F.A signed Vet Seabrook along with the never reached potential of Tinordi.
Goaltending: What might be the oldest tandem in the league with Quick and Anderson will be asked to basically just do your job and try not to break a hip in doing so
Sharks needs: for the Sharks to stay on top of the division they will need to go out and get a few more forwards that can complement what they currently have and will need to stay healthy due to their embarrassing depth

Dallas Stars:

Forwards: The best player to ever wear a Stars Jersey is the legend of 89ov Mika Zibanejad. He already is the MVP of the team and will likely be paired up with Mikko Rantanen to become the Dallas dynamic duo. They will need to be as good on the ice as they are in their rates for this team to go anywhere. A 2nd line of Schenn with Pageau and Bailey is decent enough but isnt putting any fear into any opposing team. The bottom 6 of the stars is similar to the sharks as it looks to be put together with duct tape. Chytill with Glass? Zacha with Greenway? Watson and Weal? Honestly who the hell are these guys
Defense: The Stars D looks solid and without a true #1 will have to play as a unit to get the job done. The entire unit are better known for their defensive prowess then being able to add to the attack, Jacob Slavin leads the group and will be a shot blocking machine. Graves, Boychuck and Pesce are no slouches either and if the Stars make the post season so many defensive D man might be an advantage. They are missing a PP quarterback and that could be their downfall.
Goaltending: Murray and Ullmark will likely be splitting duties this year with whoever performs gets the nod mentality. They aren't scaring anyone but should not be taken lightly either.
Stars Needs: Bottom 6 help and a PP specialist to man the point will be high on G.M Singhs wishist.

Winnipeg Jets:

Forwards: The 1st year G.M decided to move on form Oreilly and Duchene and has for the good of the team taken a hit upfront. Scheiffle Perron ad Lee are an interesting 1st line and might have some chemistry but will need to score the bulk of the goals cause the secondary scoring is a little rough. Johansen with Komarov and Silverberg isnt the best 2nd line and will have a tough year matching up against other 2nd lines in the Division. The Jets are continuing the trend in the Dionne of having a mix and match bottom 6 that are questionable at best. They might be regretting moving on from The 2 previously mentioned forwards.
Defense: The Jets have a true #1 in Shea Weber and being paired with Trouba create a very imposing tandem that will lead this team throughout the year. The supporting cast are deep and all know how to get the job done. This is the best compilation of DF rates in the division and will be a strong point for the Jets. When they make the playoffs they will be pushing for the 1 goal victories and will likely be getting them.
Goaltending: The strongest part of the jets team, Binnington and Gibson. Both young both cheap and both high rated. Its exactly what you want in a tandem and will keep the Jets in the playoff conversation for years to come.
Jets Needs: Improve the forwards and add some depth upfront but the backend and in between the pipes is great

L.A Kings:

Forwards: The Kings are basically the same team that won the cup 4 years ago and could use some fresh blood. The Toews Kessel Voracek top line has seen better days but are still capable of getting the job done. Carter with Dadonov is a sub par second pair duo and are both well past their prime. The Kings have taken the bottom 6 to a new level of crappiness in the Dionne, not only do they suck but they are barely enough to ice a team. Maybe a complete rebuild would be a better idea for this group
Defense: The Kings D is much better than their forwards, Led by Dougie Hamilton and Colton Parayko. The D is missing a number 4 dman but they do have some depth in the position. I think the re-rates weren't very kind to the kings and they will have to make due with what they have. The D is good but not great and I think they should get an early jump on rebuilding it before they resemble the past their prime forwards on the team. Still this D is good enough to make some noise and get them into a playoff fight.
Goaltending: Crawford and Grubauer will split the duties and are the highest rated tandem in Division. They will be the backbone of the team and if they get hot at the right time will be able to make some noise.
Kings needs: Kings need to pick a direction and either have one last go at a cup or trade away their aging players and rebuild the team in a strong draft year.

Anaheim Ducks:

Forwards; Hughes, Necas and Svechnikov are a strong foundation on which to build on but the writing is on the wall for this group and it will be another long year before the draft comes. The addition of a top 3 player in the draft is more then likely for this team and would greatly help as they desperately need some more talent and should be doing exactly what they are doing and getting rid of all players that arent part of the plan and focus on the rebuild.
Defense: Not as high on the talent for the future on the back end but have some great depth and youth and are probably just hoping someone has a breakout year so they can flip them for a nice package as they did with DeAngelo. The D is at best in wait and see mode. They are going to have a rough year being outmatched in pretty much every game
Goaltending; Shestekrin will be 80ov+ next year and will be relevant next year but for now buckle up
Ducks needs: Stick with the rebuild and the light at the end of the tunnel is near. Start your scouting early