How eight Western Conference teams can get back into playoffs

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2022-23 season.

For the eight Western Conference teams that missed the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, their goal since the regular season ended has been determining how to extend their season into June, like the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche did.
So how can those teams take the next step? As training camps continue, NHL.com today examines why fans of the eight teams can hold onto their playoff hopes (teams listed in alphabetical order):

ANAHEIM DUCKS

Last season: 31-37-14, 76 points, 21 points out of second wild card
How it ended:The Ducks were one point out of first place in the Pacific Division on Jan. 29, but they lost their next four games (0-3-1) and fell out of playoff contention.
Biggest offseason change: Anaheim took steps to solidify at center with the signing of Ryan Strome and likely ascension of Mason McTavish to a full-time NHL spot. Strome, who signed a five-year contract July 13, scored an NHL career-high 21 goals last season with the New York Rangers and will provide leadership. McTavish, the No. 3 pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in seven games to help Canada win the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in August, when the 19-year-old was voted the tournament's most valuable player and top forward.
Why they could get in: With Strome, McTavish, Trevor Zegras and Isac Lundestrom, the Ducks are skilled and deep at center, and they also have weapons on the wing, led by Troy Terry, who scored 37 goals last season, Frank Vatrano, who averaged an NHL career-best 1.97 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 in 71 games with the Florida Panthers and Rangers last season, and Jakob Silfverberg, who if healthy has the potential to score 20-25 goals. The defense was upgraded with the signing of John Klingberg to a one-year contract July 29, and along with Cam Fowler and Jamie Drysdale, the back end is a mobile group that will add to the offense. John Gibson still is a top-end goalie, and his play with a youthful group in front of him could give Anaheim enough to challenge for a top-three spot in the Pacific Division this season.

#

ARIZONA COYOTES

Last season: 25-50-7, 57 points, 40 points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Coyotes lost their first 11 games of the season (0-10-1), which was tied for the second-longest streak to begin an NHL season, behind the Rangers (0-14 one tie in 1943-44). That started Arizona on a path toward missing the playoffs for the second straight season and ninth time in the past 10.
Biggest offseason change: The Coyotes got bigger and harder to play against during the offseason with the additions of forwards Nick Bjugstad (signed one-year contract July 13) and Zack Kassian (trade with Edmonton Oilers on July 7), and defenseman Patrik Nemeth (trade with New York Rangers on July 13). Having some stronger, savvy veterans around should give Arizona's younger players more room on the ice and more confidence.
Why they could get in: A healthy Clayton Keller should give the Coyotes a huge boost. The forward sustained a broken leg March 30, but said he plans on being in the opening-night lineup. A top line of Keller, Nick Schmaltz and Travis Boyd provides a good foundation, and forward Lawson Crouse should be able to build off his NHL career-high 20 goals last season. They also could get a boost from forward Dylan Guenther, the No. 9 pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, who should be ready for the NHL after he was sixth in the Western Hockey League last season with 91 points (45 goals, 46 assists) in 59 games. Karel Vejmelka, who had a .907 even-strength save percentage in 52 games as a rookie last season, gave Arizona a chance almost every game and should be better with all the experience he gained. Add to that an incredibly unique home-ice advantage at Mullett Arena, and it could be enough to push the Coyotes' rebuilding effort into wild-card contender status.

#

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Last season: 28-42-12, 68 points, 29 points out of second wild card
How it ended:The Blackhawks lost 11 of their first 12 games (1-9-2), causing coach Jeremy Colliton to be fired Nov. 6. Despite offseason acquisitions of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Seth Jones, Chicago missed the playoffs for the second straight season and fourth time in the past five.
Biggest offseason change: Luke Richardson was hired as coach June 27, and Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson is confident that Richardson's NHL career (21 seasons as a defenseman) will help him relate to the veterans, and that his experience in player development will benefit the younger players expected to have significant roles this season, among them forward Lukas Reichel and defenseman Alex Vlasic.
Why they could get in: When a team starts with a foundation of center Jonathan Toews and forward Patrick Kane, there's always a chance for the playoffs, and a back end that includes Jones, Vlasic, Connor Murphy and Jake McCabe (when he returns in December from cervical spine surgery) should help cut down on the opposition's scoring chances. It won't be an easy climb, but with Kane and Toews each entering the final season of his contract, there could be some extra motivation to put together one final run to the postseason. The energy Richardson brings also could provide something extra needed for Chicago to climb into contention for a wild card.

#

SAN JOSE SHARKS

Last season: 32-37-13, 77 points, 20 points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Sharks were tied for the second wild card Jan. 26, but they lost their next seven games (0-3-4) to drop to seventh in the Pacific Division.
Biggest offseason change: It's a new leadership group off the ice with the additions of general manager Mike Grier and coach David Quinn. On the ice, the biggest change is the departure of defenseman Brent Burns, who was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on July 13. In 11 seasons in San Jose, Burns set the franchise records for goals (172), assists (422) and points (594) by a defenseman.
Why they could get in: The Sharks, who were 30th in the NHL in scoring last season at 2.57 goals per game, got deeper at forward with the additions of Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Oskar Lindblom and Steven Lorentz. Kunin, who was acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on July 8, had 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) in 82 games last season, and at 24 years old he could be entering his prime. Sturm, 27, who signed a three-year contract July 13, had an NHL career-high 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 74 games with the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche last season. Those additions, combined with returning forwards Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture and Timo Meier, should make goals easier to come by. With a full season of goalies James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen (combined .912 save percentage for San Jose), the Sharks could compete for a top-three spot in the Pacific Division.

#

SEATTLE KRAKEN

Last season: 27-49-6, 60 points, 37 points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Kraken lost 13 of their first 17 games (4-12-1) and finished their inaugural NHL season last in the Pacific Division.
Biggest offseason change: The additions of forwards Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand should upgrade an offense that tied for 28th in the NHL at 2.60 goals per game last season. Burakovsky, who signed a five-year contract July 13, set NHL career highs in goals (22), assists (39) and points (61) to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. Bjorkstrand, who was acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 22, led Columbus with 28 goals and was second with 57 points.
Why they could get in: The additions of Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand, plus a full season of rookie center Matty Beniers (three goals, six assists in 10 games last season) not only will energize the offense, but also ease the burden on goalie Philipp Grubauer, who faced 1,479 shots in 55 games, each an NHL career high. Grubauer had an NHL career-worst .889 save percentage last season, but prior to that his career percentage was .920, so with more support there's a good chance for him to bounce back. If he's able to do so, and the Kraken score the way they're capable of, they could compete for a wild card this season.

#

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Last season: 40-30-12, 92 points, five points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Canucks lost 17 of their first 25 games (8-15-2) and were last in the Pacific Division when Bruce Boudreau replaced Travis Green as coach Dec. 5. Vancouver went 32-15-10 after the coaching change, but it was eliminated from playoff contention with two games left in the season.
Biggest offseason change: Forward depth was addressed with the signings of Andrei Kuzmenko and Ilya Mikheyev. Kuzmenko, who signed a one-year, entry-level contract July 13, was second in the Kontinental Hockey League with 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 45 games with SKA St. Petersburg last season. Mikheyev, who agreed to a four-year contract July 13, set NHL career-highs in goals (21) and points (32) in 53 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Why they could get in: A full season of Boudreau behind the bench could make the biggest difference for Vancouver. The Canucks were a changed team after he was hired, scoring more (3.28 goals per game, compared to 2.36) and allowing less (2.67 goals-against, compared to 3.16). Vancouver has enviable scoring depth at forward and an elite defenseman to fuel their attack in Quinn Hughes. With a full season playing in Boudreau's systems, the Canucks should compete for a top-three spot in the Pacific Division.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Last season: 43-31-8, 94 points, three points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Golden Knights were in first place in the Pacific Division as late as Feb. 14, and had a wild card spot until April 4. However, they lost seven of their final 11 games (4-3-4) and missed the playoffs for the first time in their five NHL seasons.
Biggest offseason change: Bruce Cassidy was hired as coach June 14, eight days after he had been fired as coach of the Boston Bruins. Cassidy led Boston to the playoffs in all six of his seasons there, but he inherits some difficult issues in Vegas. That starts with goaltending, where Logan Thompson is expected to start the season as the No. 1 with Robin Lehner recovering from hip surgeries and Laurent Brossoit questionable to start the season because of an undisclosed injury. Thompson played in seven of the Golden Knights' final eight games last season, starting six and posting a .902 save percentage. The 25-year-old has the trust of his teammates, with center Jack Eichel saying, "He earned a lot of respect from the guys in the locker room last year by the way he played, and we have a lot of faith in 'LT' as our goalie."
Why they could get in: A full season of Eichel should make a major difference. He returned from artificial disk replacement surgery in February and hit his stride in April, getting 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 13 games. With a healthy offseason to train, he could return to being a 70-point player, and if forward Mark Stone is healthy following offseason back surgery, that point total could go higher. Vegas also has elite talent on defense with Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez, so if Thompson can give them solid goaltending, the Golden Knights should be right back in the hunt for a playoff spot.

#

WINNIPEG JETS

Last season:39-32-11, 89 points, eight points out of second wild card
How it ended:The Jets were two points out of a playoff spot on Jan. 13, but they lost seven of their next eight games (1-5-2) to fall nine points back and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Biggest offseason change: Coach Rick Bowness was hired July 3 with the goal of changing the culture off the ice, which he believes will lead to positive changes on the ice. "X's and O's don't work if the culture isn't on, if everyone's not bought in," he said the day he was hired. "So we have to change that." That began with forward Blake Wheeler being removed as captain Sept. 16; the Jets will start the season with a different leadership group that will not include a captain. The changes on the ice likely will feature a tighter defensive structure to take some pressure off goalie Connor Hellebuyck, one of two NHL goalies to play at least 30 games and face at least 30.0 shots on goal per 60 minutes each of the past five seasons, including 33.1 per game last season.
Why they could get in: The Jets return almost the same top-six forward group from last season, led by Kyle Connor, who tied for fifth in the NHL with 47 goals, and Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Wheeler. They likely will be joined by flashy rookie Cole Perfetti. The 20-year-old, who had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 NHL games last season, could play center or wing on the second line, potentially with Ehlers and Dubois. Winnipeg's defensemen, led by Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk, are reliable and move the puck well. Hellebuyck remains a top-tier goalie, and with more support in front of him should help the Jets get back into the hunt for a wild card.