For the past couple of seasons, I've written a few columns breaking down each of the Western Conference team's top-six from the bottom-six. So for the next couple of weeks, I'll go back to the well once again and give you some insight on each of the Western Conference teams for the upcoming campaign.

(Part One)

At the end of the day, point production can easily be attributed to one thing; opportunity. A top-line player, who is the focal point of his team's offense, will generally receive every possible chance to succeed and put up big points. A top-six player will receive decent even strength/second unit power-play ice-time, but may not put up dazzling fantasy numbers. A cavalry candidate is a player who may find themselves in line for a top-six role if things fail to remain status quo (injury or poor inconsistent play, etc.) Finally, a bottom feeder will most likely receive checking line time and probably won't receive ample optimal scoring time to put up fantasy roster worthy numbers. Their big break will only come if there are injuries or sudden collapses of young players from their team's top-six.

We all like to be optimistic with our projections, but there really isn't a point in projecting 80 points for a player who won't even crack a team's top-line let alone top-six. If you haven't read my projections article from earlier this summer, go back and take a gander. I know I had an eye-opening experience when digging up all the stats. Note: Take the line combos with a grain of salt. They are just arbitrary and are used primarily to separate a team's top-six from the bottom-six. I really don't want to get into arguments about player X had chemistry with player Y therefore they'll be on a line together during the season.

Now onto the good stuff:

Colorado – Top-three cemented, plenty of room for competition between the top-six and cavalry

Top Six
Peter Mueller* – Paul Stastny – Milan Hejduk
Brandon Yip – Matt Duchene – T. J. Galiardi

Cavalry

Joey Hishon, Gabriel Landeskog*, Ryan O'Reilly, David Jones, and Ryan Stoa

Bottom Feeders

Joakim Lindstrom, Jay McClement, Chuck Kobasew, Cody McLeod, Kevin Porter, Mark Olver, Greg Mauldin and Daniel Winnik

After a pretty strong start to the season, the wheels fell off the Avs' bus by the end of January. The departure of Chris Stewart has left a gaping hole in the top-six for the Avs to fill, so it'll be very interesting to see who steps up to the plate to answer the bell. I temporarily placed Yip and Galiardi in that slot, but it could fall into either Hishon's or Landeskog's lap come training camp, so keep an eye on that situation. With 255 points in 214 career junior contests, there's not a lot left for Hishon to prove spending a year in Lake Erie, so consider him as a strong dark horse sleeper candidate this campaign. The latest news out of the Mueller camp is that he has been training at a pretty high level and most importantly has been symptom-free, so look for a strong bounce back season from him if he remains healthy.

The bottom feeders are all "role players", but could find themselves in brief stints in the top-six. They probably won't maintain a sustained role, so not a lot of fantasy value there.

Last year's pre-season top-six:

Mueller, Stastny, Stewart, Yip, Duchene, Hejduk.

End of year finish:

Columbus – Top-five pretty set, slim competition from cavalry

Top Six

Derick Brassard – Jeff Carter – Rick Nash

R.J. Umberger – Antoine Vermette – Ryan Johansen

Cavalry

Matt Calvert, Derek MacKenzie Kristian Huselius*

Bottom Feeders

Cameron Atkinson, Jared Boll, Sammy Pahlsson, Cody Bass and Derek Dorsett

Things have certainly changed in Columbus during the last 12 months. In last season's article, I was harping on and on about the depth of the forwards, but it appears to be completely opposite heading into this campaign. I can easily identify the top-five of the Jackets, but the rest of the roster spots are completely up in the air. Much like Hishon, with 161 points in 134 career junior contests, Johansen doesn't really have much to prove outside of the NHL, so I would have to assume that he will be handed a top-six gig on a silver platter. Keep an eye on Calvert as a dark horse candidate. He tallied 99 points in just 68 contests during his final season in the WHL and demonstrated plenty of high hockey IQ during his short stint in the NHL. If Scottie Arniel isn't a fan of Johansen, Calvert could have a big bust out season if slotted into a top-six role. If you haven't heard yet, Huselius has torn a pectoral muscle and is out for four-to-six months, which pegs his return time between Christmas and the trade deadline. He probably isn't worth drafting at pre-season drafts, but file his name in the back of your mind for the stretch run of the season.

If you are swinging for the fences or are in a long-term deep keeper league, keep an eye on Atkinson. He's had himself a great career at BU, but I'm not quite sure whether or not if a player has signed an entry level contract that they are eligible to return back to college? Maybe my fellow Dobberities might know the answer to that question? Either way file his name for the future. Boll, Bass and Dorsett could be the league's toughest line. The trio could very well all end up with 100 PIM seasons.

Last year's pre-season top-six:

Huselius, Umberger, Rick Nash, Vermette, Brassard, and Voracek

End of year finish:

Dallas- Top-four pretty solid, questionable top-six fillers and cavalry

Top Six
Loui Eriksson – Mike Ribeiro – Brendan Morrow

Radek Dvorak – Jamie Benn – Michael Ryder

Cavalry

Steve Ott, Tom Wandell and Scott Glennie

Bottom Feeders
Vernon Fiddler, Eric Goddard, Adam Burish, Krys Barch, Jake Dowell, Tomas Vincour and Toby Petersen

With the departure of Brad Richards and James Neal, the Stars top-six is starting to look pretty shaky. The top-four of Eriksson, Ribeiro, Morrow and Benn should carry most of the offense, but it'll be interesting to see what Dvorak and Ryder will contribute as secondary offensive sources. I've always been a big fan of Ott. He was a "star" back in his junior days, but hasn't really been given an opportunity in a top-six role at all in the NHL. I could foresee him garnering a top-six role by replacing Dvorak or Ryder if either falters. A lot of the hype has died down for Glennie, which is surprising, considering he still potted 91 points in his last campaign of junior eligibility. It could be a boom or bust season for those gambling on the former eighth-overall pick from 2009. Fiddler is a great option for FW, but probably won't be a strong point producer on the offensive front.

Last year's pre-season top-six:

Eriksson, Richards, Neal, Morrow, Ribeiro, and Benn

End of year finish:

Next week: the Red Wings, Oilers, and Kings.

Questions or comments? As always I'll be ready and willing to discuss them in the comments section below.