The Western Conference is absolutely loaded.
Literally 13 of the 14 teams are playoff contenders.
San Jose, Minnesota, Dallas, and Colorado all made the playoffs last year, and as of right now they're not even in the top 8. These teams are way too talented not be in the mix, so I expect them all to make a strong push soon.
Just look at this list
http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?season=20142015&type=CON