In less than 24 hours, NHL training camps officially open for the 2011-12 season. If the offseason is any indication, the Western Conference will once again have a confusing playoff picture for much of the season, until the final week. As most of our fishing games colleagues believe this is the year that San Jose finally makes it to the Stanley Cup. However, if the Sharks falter, there are plenty of teams that should be able to take their place atop the Western Conference. Here is a preview of the wild sports betting west.

After choking in the Western Conference finals for a second consecutive year, the San Jose Sharks overhauled their roster in an attempt to shake things up. Gone are young stars Devin Setoguch and Danny Heatley, and in are veterans Martin Havlat and Brent Burns. On paper, this is the deepest the Sharks have appeared up front in quite sometime. But if Captain Joe Thornton and assistant captain Patrick Marleau are unable to guide the Sharks to the Stanley Cup, one has to think that Marleau will be traded.

Another team to keep your eyes on in the West this season are the Los Angeles Kings. Similar to the Sharks, the Kings have choked in the playoffs the past two seasons, albeit in the first round rather then the finals. In order to shake things up, Kings GM Dean Lombardi traded highly touted prospect Brayden Schenn and fan favorite Wayne Simmonds, to the Philadelphia Flyers for Flyers Captain Mike Richards. Then, in order to make Richards comfortable, the Kings brought in Simon Gagne, and traded away Ryan Smyth. The Kings believe they have the roster to go on a deep run right now. Although, if they can’t come to an agreement with star defenseman Drew Doughty, the offseason changes may be all for not.

Look for San Jose and LA to battle it out in the Western Conference finals in June. Theoretically, the veteran roster of the Sharks should be enough to overwhelm the youthful Kings.