from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,

So the question is how much have the teams in the West this year really improved and how much will it impact the Canucks? — assuming this team performs at roughly the same level as it did last season, a little wishful thinking perhaps.

Take the Oilers. Connor McDavid would improve any team and he’s given that franchise hope. But will it be enough to push them into playoff contention this season?

There’s an awful lot of pathology to overcome, as none of those young players really has a clue how the NHL game in the West is played. Todd McLellan will help them sort it out, but it may take time.

Everyone assumes Calgary has made great strides, and on paper that’s the way it appears.

After all, they have added offensive defenceman Dougie Hamilton (who calls himself “Dougie,” by the way?) and they’ll have Sam Bennett the entire year.

Further, Mark Giordano will be back, so they’ll smoke this year right?...

L.A. will be better simply because they’ve had a summer off, Milan Lucic having very little to do with that. And while Slava Voynov and Willie Mitchell aren’t coming back, they should have enough pep and power to finish ahead of most teams unless the Darryl Sutter dysfunction is real and has lasting power.

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