Western Conference Predictions

Everyone is doing these stupid predictions on NHL.com and making their team in the top 3 of their respective conference.  It's actually pretty pathetic because a lot of these predictions are flat out wrong and make no sense whatsoever.  And what's even funnier is where a lot of these people put the Devils.  About 90% of them have NJ in the bottom 3rd of the conference.  That looks familiar.  Just like every OTHER prediction over the last few years.  I figured let's look at this from a reasonable standpoint.  No one in their right frame of mind would ever put the Leafs in 1st place.  Let's take a legit unbiased look into the predictions of the 2012-13 NHL standings.  Next to their name is a short reason why I think they will finish where they will and where they finished last year.

Western Conference:
1st- Nashville Predators (4th.  Pekka Rinne will have a perfect year)
2nd- Vancouver Canucks (1st.  They will drop but not much as Schnieder and the Sedins puts up amazing numbers)
3rd- Dallas Stars (10th. It's their time to get back in.  Jagr will have a mediocre year but his veteran leadership will push the team)
4th- Chicago Blackhawks (6th. Getting eliminated in the first round last year sparks the team to play better than ever)
5th- Los Angeles Kings (8th. Their Twitter account will cry foul until they were just given a playoff spot)
6th- Colorado Avalanche (11th. Remember when the Avs were amazing? They will rise again!)
7th- Detroit Red Wings (5th. Losing their captain will almost spell doom for the playoff streak until the final week of the season)
8th- San Jose Sharks (7th. They will just barely swim into the playoffs.  I should write for NHL.com.  My puns are better than theirs!)
9th- St Louis Blues (2nd. I really don't see this team repeating it's miracle run from last year.  Their division is just too tough)
10th- Minnesota Wild (12th.  Zach will be too occupied with his Mom's nuggets and his Shrek coloring book to make enough of an impact to help this team.  Don't know what I'm talking about, go through my older posts)
11th- Calgary Flames (9th.  I feel bad for Iginla.  He is on a team of misfits who will never the 1989 mountain ever again)
12th- Anaheim Ducks (Goldberg just isn't the goalie he used to be and Fulton shot only hits the net 1 out of 5!)
13th Phoenix Coyotes (3rd. Shane Doan will retire or move on to another team.  They will be nothing without their captain.  Not to mention losing "The Wizard" Ray Whitney)
14th Edmonton Oilers (14th. Edmonton needs to wake up and realize scoring isn't their issue, it's defense! They keep using 1st picks on great scorers without building any real depth on the back end. Until they do that they will forever be in the cellar!)
15th Columbus Blue Jackets (15th. They lost Rick Nash.  They may actually be the first NHL team to be so horrible they end up in 31st place in the NHL just because the NHL feels 30th is too nice of a number)

Tune in next time as we looks at the East!