Central Division Preview

We continue our breakdown of each division in the NHL, team by team. Today we are diving into the Central Division. This may be the toughest division in the NHL.The top six teams are all worthy playoff contenders. Of any division, this one seems to be the most likely to end up with five playoff teams. The top six could honestly go in any order. Very challenging to predict the way this division will go.

7. Colorado Avalanche

When you look at the Avalanche' roster, you would think this is a competitive team. Lots of high end talent throughout the roster, plenty of former top ten picks and all-stars. Nate MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Nail Yakupov, Erik Johnson and Semyon Varlamov are all high pedigree players. It is hard to believe that this team is projected to be the worst in the National Hockey League. Especially since they are just a couple years removed from winning this division, with the same core of players. Mismanagement and a poor organization culture have killed this team. The best hope is that they are able to trade Matt Duchene this season for some valuable future assets. I have a hard time believing Colorado can finish any higher than the bottom of this division.

6. Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are in a tough spot. They are a supremely talented team with a bright future. However, they are stuck in maybe the toughest division in the NHL. Last season the Jets took a big step forward, tallying 87 points on the season, but still not enough for a playoff spot. I have serious concerns about their goaltending. Steve Mason is expected to be the starter for the season, but he is not the type of goalie you want if you expect to be in the playoffs. Far too inconsistent. However, you have to love their blue liners. Tons of size and ferocity. Big Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers and Jacob Trouba are the Goliaths. While Toby Enstrom and Dimitry Kulikov can skate and make plays. This team's season will truly be decided by their young offensive stars. Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele are already stars. The question marks are players like Nik Ehlers and Marko Dano. If they're young forwards build on last season, the Jets could be a playoff surprise.



5. Minnesota Wild

The Wild were a quietly great team last year, 106 points was good enough for second most in the Western Conference. Breakout seasons from Mikael Granlund, Nino Neiderreiter and Matt Dumba were much needed surprises. Both Granlund and Nino scored over 20 goals for a team that was desperate for goal scoring. Can they build on those numbers? Devan Dubnyk has proven to be one of the NHL's best goalies. So no matter what happens on offense, they are solid in net. I love the depth on this team. They are strong up the middle and have quality forwards on their third and fourth lines. Not many teams can roll four lines with little concern like the Wild are capable of. If there is any reason I am have them so low in these power rankings, it is simply because the teams ahead have a better track record or sexier roster.

4. Nashville Predators

The defending Western Conference champions are slotted back in the same spot they finished last regular season. I love they way this team is built. There is no team with a better top four defensemen. Subban, Ellis, Ekholm and Josi can create a nightmare for any teams offense, plus they can pitch in offensively. In net they return veteran Pekka Rinne, who some question how he can continue to hold up at 34 years of age. Even if Rinne takes a step back, Juuse Saros is the team's future in net and has proven he is already primed for the spotlight. Offensively the combination of Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg is fantastic. Johansen is a great setup man and Forsberg can fill the net. I question how the team will makeup for losing James Neal's scoring punch. Whoever wins this division will have to score some goals, I am just not sure where Nashville's goals will come from.

3. Dallas Stars

It is hard not to be excited to watch the Dallas Stars this season. After all, they were the clear winners of free agency. The additions of Ben Bishop, Marc Methot, Martin Hanzal and Alex Radulov certainly have a lot of people picking the Stars to make a run at the cup. They already had many great players such as Seguin, Benn, Klingberg and Spezza. If chemistry clicks then this team would be something special. I am not sure any team in the west has as much offensive depth as the Stars. There inlies the problem. It is just too much to ask of this team to be great right away. It will take time to develop the necessary offensive chemistry. I also have a very hard time believing that Ken Hitchcock is the right coach for this team. They are built as an offensive powerhouse, but Hitchcock is famous for wanting to play a very slow defensively focused game. He is also a disciplinarian that has no issue benching players that do not follow the coach's strategy. I can see this act wearing very thin with Alex Radulov and Tyler Seguin by the turn of the new year.

2. Chicago Blackhawks

I keep asking myself, when will the Blackhawks window close? They have now been bounced in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but I still thought they were Stanley Cup favorites in the West going into last season's playoffs. They still have Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Keith and Crawford, but outside of that this is a very different team. We all know about their five stars, but I question what will work beyond that. They brought back Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp, who formerly won Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks. However, they lost Artemi Panarin who is one of the league's elite offensive players. They also lost superb top four defensemen Nik Hjalmarsson. So you can no longer trust Chicago's depth, especially on defense. Also, I worry if they can continue to fill in empty roster spots with quality rookies and young players on entry level contracts. They have been shockingly fortunate to not be buried with bad contracts. Almost every other team that has won a championship since the salary cap went into effect has been plagued with bad long term contracts. Stan Bowman deserves great credit for avoiding that.

1. St. Louis Blues

I have been a big believer in this Blues team for the better part of a decade. To me, they are the most well balanced team in the NHL. Fantastic offensive firepower, elite defense and great depth players. Paul Stastny, Jaden Schwartz and Alex Steen are each dynamic two-way players. Vladimir Tarasenko may be best scoring winger in the NHL. He is at least the most fun to watch. Also, they added Brayden Schenn this offseason, he also scored over 20 goals the past two years. If the Predators have the best top four defensemen, the Blues may have the best top six defenders. Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, Parayko, Bortuzzo, Gunnarson and Edmundson are all strong players that provide size, grit and puck skills. The one worry for the Blues is the same as it always is, goaltending. Can Jake Allen finally breakthrough and be a consistently strong goalie? That will decide their fate in 2017-18.