Breaking Down A Western Conference Prediction

Today we are looking at hockey writer, translator, and notable Coyotes hater Fred Poulin's preview of the Western Conference. If you are unfamiliar with Poulin's opinions of the Phoenix Coyotes I envy you. He isn't he most accurate of sources for Coyotes news or opinion and you are better off getting your Yotes news from a 17 year old high school student, considering it is likely going to be just as accurate. Yesterday Poulin gave predictions for the Western Conference for the 2012-13 Regular season for The Hockey Writers. Coupled with his predictions from last week he has the Desert Dogs finishing 27th in the league, which was about what people had them finishing this past season when they won the Pacific Division and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

14. PHOENIX COYOTES = 76 points

Lets start from the beginning. 76 points? The Edmonton Oilers and the Columbus Blue Jackets were the only teams in the NHL that scored less the 76 points last season. Poulin is predicting that the Coyotes are going to be worse then the Ducks, the Wild, the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens and the New York Islanders were last season?!?!? No offense to fans of those teams but seriously?

The uncertainty regarding the team ownership has caused a lot of headaches to GM Don Maloney this off-season. Veterans Ray Whitney and Adrian Aucoin left via free agency,

This is accurate but GMDM knows how to operate in this situation.

and support players such as Tom Pyatt and Gilbert Brule signed elsewhere.

In GMDM's defense Tom Pyatt didn't even record a point playing for the Yotes. Taylor Pyatt did. So far though its not a great place to build a team from but its not terrible.

Maloney replaced Aucoin's veteran presence with Zbynek Michalek on the blue line,

Its a great replacement. Z is a great defenseman and I think because the Yotes signed him it was easier to let Aucoin go.

but in front, the only notable players willing to sign in Phoenix

Willing to sign? That's like saying nobody is willing to sign in Detroit because they haven't yet. There is still 40 days left to preseason there is plenty of time to sign new players.

were power-play specialist Steve Sullivan,

I like this. Power-play specialist seems like a good thing.

band-aid boy David Moss

What the hell does this mean? A) Band-aid is a brand and should be capitalized. B) Is this because he has been dealing with injuries? He is healthy now and when he is healthy he is a great player

and journeyman Nick Johnson, not a lot of firepower.

Yeah but not exactly nothing either.

Yet, the biggest question remains: will captain Shane Doan re-sign with the only franchise he ever played for during his career?

Yes. Yes he will.

With or without Doan, Mike Smith will not repeat last year's performance

He won't? Holy crap Fred Poulin has a crystal ball and knows the future. Quick Fred what's tomorrow's winning lotto numbers. We'll give the money to charities because it must be against your personal code to use your powers for your own gain.

and the Coyotes will fall in the standings as a result.

Wait so we are going to fall in the standings solely because of Mike Smith? If that's true why are you calling David Moss names? Seems kinda petty. Something that a guy who is so so upset that Quebec City isn't getting a team he is no longer able to provide an objective analysis of the Western Conference would do.