Nashville Predators
Wow, what an offseason! Adding Skjei, Stammer and Marchessault really makes this team a contender in my opinion. No clue what the Bolts were thinking letting Stamkos walk. I guess they have their money tied up in middle six forwards? The lack of a truly elite first line centre is the only thing hurting the Predators right now. With Roman Reigns on the back end and Saros in net, an exciting and successful regular season is all but guaranteed. Leave them Broadway girls alone Stammer.
Prediction – 3rd in the Central and Stammer opens a bar on Broadway.
St. Louis Blues
I’m just not sure a team with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou as top-line players has a real shot at the postseason. Sure, they’re effective top 6 guys but they’re not the game-breaking type that most other teams have. The Blues’ forward depth isn’t all that bad per say, and their second line should be quite difficult to play against, but I don’t know where all the goals are going to come from. The situation on defense is looking a little bit frightening and I think Jordan Binnington’s Hamburglar-esque heroics are behind him. If Connor Bedard starts cooking the Blues may find themselves dangerously close to the bottom of this division.
Prediction – 7th in the Central and mandatory anger management for Binnington.
Chicago Blackhawks
Without the hype of the Bedard Draft, I haven’t seen as much Bedard news this summer unfortunately. I’m just hoping the diet Lululemon requires their models to be on doesn’t affect his muscle mass coming into this season. Up front the load will be carried by none other than Lululemon’s own – Connor Bedard. After Connor, there aren’t any primary offensive weapons the Blackhawks have at their disposal. They’ve done a good job filling in the cracks with guys like Hall, Bertuzzi, Mikheyev and Teravainen, until their top prospects are ready to make the jump. The defense is promising with Vlasic and Korchinski, but still sub-par and the goaltending will be abysmal.
Prediction – More allegations and 8th again baby.
Dallas Stars
The stars boast the deepest forward group in this division. With Bourque, Johnston and Stankoven providing significantly more than their respective AAV’s at such young ages, you get an absolutely loaded forward group capable of putting the puck in the net at will. Roope Hintz as the top line centre is, and always has been criminally underrated throughout his career but expect him to put up big numbers again. Also, watch for Wyatt Johnston to hit 50 goals this upcoming season. Defense and goaltending will be top notch for this Stars squad. Any team with a blue line built around Miro Heiskanen is going to do very well. As if that wasn’t enough, they now have up-and-comer, Thomas Harley, who will also put up some big numbers offensively. Jake Oettinger could drink a 12-pack a day and not step foot in a gym all summer and still put up a ton of W’s with the amount of support he’ll have.
Prediction – Franchise record in wins and 1st in the Central
Colorado Avalanche
While the Stars claim to fame is their offensive confederacy, the Avalanche have their One Less Lonely Girl in its defensive corps. Makar and Toews have been one of the best pairings since their inception in 2020. Speaking of, that trade is shaping up to be one of the all-time worsts on Lou Lamoriello’s resume. Girard, Manson and Kylington are a great supporting cast. On the offensive side, Mackinnon and Rantanen will of course be doing the heavy lifting again. Captain Gabe will take some of the burden away from those two but after over a year of couch time, who knows what version of Landeskog will be available. The only real “weakness” if that’s even the right word for this team, is their lack of scoring depth. Mr. High School Hockey Casey Middlestat will have his work cut out for himself in a second line centre role. The one wild card here is if Nichushkin can stay out of trouble this season. Georgiyev will just need an average season as per usual.
Prediction – More charges laid against Nichushkin and 2nd in the Central.
Winnipeg Jets
I once spent some time in the heart of Manitoba – Division #23, Unorganized. With unparalleled views of dead vegetation, breathtaking wildlife encounters with bears and foxes, and the bright lights of construction on the Keeyask Generating Station, it was easy to see why Division #23, Unorganized is the heartbeat of Manitoba. Fun fact – the Northern Lights were visible from site, so that was pretty cool. Anyways on to Winnipeg for our “expert” analysis. Its no wonder Kyle Connor looks the way he does, this city is known as the Methamphetamine Capital of Canada. Sorry Kyle. Despite his appearance though, Connor, along with Schefeile, Ehlers and Vilardi make up a pretty good group of forwards. The defense lacks a true number one puck mover and offensive weapon which is so important in today’s game, but it’s still solid. The real strength of this team is the brick wall in net. I don’t think anyone has the Jets favoured to be at the top of the Central but expect them to be right in the mix for a playoff spot.
Prediction – 4th in the Central and nothing else.
Minnesota Wild
Kirill the Thrill has done wonders for this team to make them enjoyable to watch. I was about to say “has done wonders to pull them out of mediocrity”, but even Kaprizov has his limits. If we get a major break-out year from Marco Rossi as well on the other hand, then that could spell trouble for the rest of the Central Division as they also have a fantastic second line centre option in Joel Eriksson-Ek. My only issue with the Wild’s top 6 is #90, MoJo. The biggest pigeon to ever grace the NHL - how this guy still has a spot in a top 6 forward group in this league is unfathomable, providing no puck skills, no grit, and no scoring ability. Defensively, I’m looking for Brock Faber to continue to build off his amazing rookie campaign and become a true #1 guy back there. While not top tier, goaltending should be good enough to provide some playoff hopes.
Prediction – Republicans upset the Democrats and 6th in the Central.
Utah HC
Hockey in the Mormon capital of the world, what an exciting time to be alive. I actually liked the looks of this team last season in the desert. They have some exciting players to watch up front with the likes of Keller, Guenther, Cooley, and not to mention Matias Maccelli who, at times, looked like the reincarnation of Nicklas Backstrom. What a steal the 98th overall pick from 2019 is turning out to be. On the back end, things are shaping up nicely with the acquisition of Mikhail Sergachev who should provide some offense and stability for 27 minutes a night. He joins Sean Durzi as two great puck-moving defenseman, rounded out by Valimaki, Cole and Marino. Hey, this defensive group isn’t all that bad. Connor Ingram was a beast in the net and in fantasy hockey for me throughout the mid-point of last season so, expect another stellar year from him. I’d say this Utah squad has most of the pieces of a great team. While definitely not an elite contender at this point in time, they should make a push for playoffs.
Prediction – Many wives for Logan Cooley and 5th in the Central.
There you have it, lock in your bets now with our expert Central Division picks. 1st through to 3rd should be a close battle but, much like the Metro, we see a drop off from the “elite contenders” to the “playoff hopeful” caliber teams. The offensive depth of the Stars is going to be all the difference in 2024-2025. When you have 3 guys on either rookie deals or low AAV bridge deals who produce throughout the top 9 you better make the most of it because these riches won’t be around forever. The Avalanche and Predators also have a ton of game-breaking talent throughout the lineup which sets these teams apart from the remainder of the division. Winnipeg, Minnesota and Utah will be in a close race that should go down to the final month for the Western Conference wild card spots. Apologies to the Blues and Blackhawks fans out there, but it just ain’t your year.
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