Last week, we kicked off our divisional previews for the NHL’s 2016-17 regular season with
a look at the Pacific Division. This week, we turn our attention to the Central, which finished with the second-best combined standings point total (94.57 average) in 2015-16.
Here’s one analyst’s views of what’s to come for each of the Central’s seven teams.
Dallas Stars
Key off-season additions: Wingers Jiri Hudler and Adam Cracknell; defensemen Dan Hamhuis and Andrew Bodnarchuk
Key off-season deletions: Winger Travis Moen; center Vernon Fiddler; defensemen Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Kris Russell
Good Team? Without a doubt. The Stars won their first division title in a decade last season and finished with the Western Conference’s best record, including a 28-11-2 mark at home that was the league’s second-best. They accomplished that largely via the NHL’s most potent offense – a group that scored 17 more regular-season goals than the No. 2 overall squad and averaged a stunning 3.23 goals-per-game. In short, the Stars were who a lot of people thought they would be – a scoring juggernaut whose approach would face a greater test come playoff time.
Probably great team? Questionable. There’s a chance Dallas could put together a stellar playoff run and classify themselves as a great team, but given that the Stars were sunk in the second round of the 2016 post-season by a Blues team that got better defensive play and goaltending – and that the same two goalies (veterans Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi) are returning this season – we’ll be in firm wait-and-see mode before presuming they can be considered best-of-the-best. They can get there, but we’ve got a suspicion some in-season deals will be made to shore up their efforts in their own end.
Reason for concern it could all go sideways? Not especially. The Stars are fortunate to have bona fide MVP candidates in Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, a Grade A blueliner in John Klingberg, veteran assistance in Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp and new additions Jiri Hudler and Dan Hamhuis, and one of the sport’s canniest coaches in Lindy Ruff. They’ll almost certainly challenge to repeat as Central champs, but like most teams, they won’t be satisfied until they’ve at the very least improved on last year’s playoff performance.
St. Louis Blues
Key off-season additions: Wingers David Perron and (maybe) Vladimir Sobotka; defenseman Mike Weber; goalie Carter Hutton
Key off-season deletions: Center David Backes; wingers Steve Ott and Troy Brouwer; goalie Brian Elliott
Good Team? No doubt. Although a salary cap crunch led to the Blues parting ways with longtime captain Backes, savvy role players Brouwer and Ott, and valuable netminder Elliott, St. Louis remains one of the best-built franchises in the league today. They also ended a decade-and-a-half of post-season frustrations by pushing the Sharks to six games in the Western Final before being eliminated, and their core – featuring superstar winger Vladimir Tarasenko and arguably the NHL’s best defense corps – is in a position to get them at least as far this season. If they’re not fighting it out for top spot in the Central and the conference, something has gone horribly awry.
Probably great team? Accurate. Handing the goaltending reins completely to youngster Jake Allen is somewhat of a gamble – Elliott took over for the 26-year-old in the playoffs last spring – but the team rewarded him with a four-year contract extension in the off-season and clearly is comfortable with him in net. If he can live up to expectations and rise to the occasion during a long playoff run, there’s more than enough talent in front of him to make the Blues this year’s Sharks.
Reason for concern it could all go sideways? No. Iconic bench boss Ken Hitchcock is back for his final season with the team before turning it over to assistant Mike Yeo in 2017-18, and you can bet both accomplished hockey minds will keep the Blues on the rails. Winger Perron is back for his second tour with the Blues – and Sobotka is expected to join him in that regard after playing in the KHL – and they’ll replace some of the depth lost to the cap crunch. But most importantly, when you’ve got workhorse blueliner (and new St. Louis captain) Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Kevin Shattenkirk patrolling your zone, odds are you’re going to hold up through the normal trials and tribulations of any team.
Chicago Blackhawks
Key off-season additions: Winger Jordin Tootoo; defenseman Brian Campbell
Key off-season deletions: Wingers Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise and Bryan Bickell; centers Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen; defensemen Christian Ehrhoff
Good Team? C’mon now. Jonathan Toews. Duncan Keith. Patrick Kane. Corey Crawford. Marian Hossa. Artemi Panarin. So yeah. Good team.
Probably great team? This group has already established itself as one of the all-time great teams. Even with their first-round loss to the Blues last spring, the Hawks won just one less regular-season game than they did in their 2014-15 championship year, and lost just 11 times on home ice. And Chicago will be able to withstand the blow of dealing a standout youngster in Teravainen due to a cap crunch because they’re still brimming with talent such as Panarin and 28-year-old center Artem Anisimov. No non-great teams can manage that feat.
Reason for concern it could all go sideways? Not a one. Toews is one of the sport’s great leaders and all-around talents. Head coach Joel Quenneville is among the very best in his profession. Veteran Brian Campbell rejoined the franchise at the bargain rate of $1.5 million to make Chicago’s top four blueliners as deep as virtually any team. Crawford keeps posting quality season after quality season. Like he’s done every year, GM Stan Bowman is going to solidify their playoff chances with some moves of note before the trade deadline. It will take an act of sorcery or a voracious injury bug to stop the Blackhawks from making the playoffs and underscoring their reputation as big-timers once they’re there.
Nashville Predators
Key off-season additions: Defenseman P.K. Subban and Matt Carle
Key off-season deletions: Defensemen Shea Weber and Barret Jackman; wingers Eric Nystrom and Gabriel Bourque; center Paul Gaustad
Good Team? Yes – at least, at home, where the Preds assembled a 23-11-7 mark. They were a run-of-the-mill 18-16-7 on the road, but Nashville made one of the biggest splashes of the summer by acquiring star blueliner Subban and longtime GM David Poile hopes Subban’s confidence will help make them a more confident bunch away from Nashville. The Predators have dealt away former captain Weber and first-round draft pick Seth Jones in the last two off-seasons, but their blueline remains one of the best in the league. And of course, there’s a guy in net named Pekka Rinne who’s established himself as a top-shelf player. They’ll be a different team with the swift and skilled Subban – and with a full year of young center Ryan Johansen – but they’ll still be a playoff team.
Probably great team? Yes, but it’s going to take the continued blossoming of Johansen and fellow star pivot Filip Forsberg for them to get there. It’s true Subban and Roman Josi will need to be significant contributors, but Johansen (who at age 24 is in the final year of his second pro contract) and Forsberg (who at age 22 signed a six-year, $36 million extension in June) need to assert themselves as high-pressure deliverers. Otherwise, they’re likely going to continue having a tough time making it out of the second round.
Reason for concern it could all go sideways? Nah. Despite his notable transaction with the Canadiens this summer, Poile has returned mostly the same roster of players for the ’16-17 campaign. With veterans such as James Neal and Mike Fisher and solid young-ish types like Craig Smith and Colin Wilson in tow, the Predators have the depth to make it through the regular-season grind – and despite the way things ended for Subban in Montreal, he makes them a more mobile, exciting group than the one that posted 96 standings points. Can’t see that changing for the worse this time around.
Minnesota Wild
Key off-season additions: Center Eric Staal; winger Chris Stewart; head coach Bruce Boudreau
Key off-season deletions: Wingers Thomas Vanek and David Jones; centers Jarret Stoll and Ryan Carter
Good Team? I have my concerns, frankly. The Wild enjoy tremendous support from their fan base, but this franchise hasn’t played a third-round game since 2003, and after bowing out relatively meekly in the first round to the Stars in the 2016 post-season, their only real changes were the acquisitions of former Canes cornerstone Staal and veteran bench boss Boudreau. Sorry, but that’s not enough change for my liking. Minnesota has entered the mushy middle of the NHL, where they’re not good enough to truly contend for a Cup, and not bad enough to finish at or near the top of the draft lottery and land a generational-type player. They finished five points ahead of the Avs for the final playoff spot in the West last year, but every team below them has a chance to surpass them this season.
Probably great team? Again, sorry, but no. Staal is 31 and not the player he once was, and GM Chuck Fletcher should be tearing down, not patchworking over his problems. Removing Vanek from the equation may help in the underperforming department – as will Boudreau's presence behind the bench – and a full season from star winger Zach Parise can only be a good thing. But even if all goes well for the Wild, I don’t believe they have the overall depth and talent to compete with the true powerhouses in their division and conference.
Reason for concern it could all go sideways? Absolutely – and that would be for the best in a lot of ways. Minnesota has some pieces that would and could be part of championship teams, but with every year that passes, they look like they’re chasing their tail. An implosion in the standings could force management to undergo a more extensive retooling. And that’s what Wild fans deserve.
Colorado Avalanche
Key off-season additions: Centers Joe Colborne and Rocco Grimaldi; wingers Gabriel Bourque and Rene Bourque; defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Patrick Wiercioch head coach Jared Bednar
Key off-season deletions: Wingers Mikkel Boedker and Jack Skille; center Shawn Matthias; defenseman Nick Holden; head coach Patrick Roy
Good Team? A possibility, but not a great one. Sure, that flies in the face of some of the incredible talent that plays in Denver, but the Avs won 39 games for the second straight season and didn’t make sufficient alterations this summer to make me confident they’re a playoff squad. In particular, Colorado’s defense corps – even with the addition of veteran Fedor Tyutin – simply isn’t good enough to make them dangerous on a nightly basis. They may prove to be a better team this year, but good? The jury’s still out.
Probably great team? Very probably not. Colorado’s best forwards are still relatively young and fantastically skilled, but no Central team surrendered more goals than the Avs (240 goals-against) last season, and the growth of Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog isn’t likely to change that for the better. There’s a reason why former coach Roy decided he didn’t want to coach them this season – he didn’t think they had enough horses with which to win. That fact is going to prevent them from shocking the league and pulling off a deep playoff run.
Reason for concern it could all go sideways? It’s pretty much sideways now, isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, the Avs aren’t in the same position as the Wild; Colorado has the young, dynamic superstars-in-the-making Minnesota would kill for. However, missing the playoffs for two years in a row (and five of the past six seasons) is unacceptable for an organization that once soared with Detroit as one of the best-run franchises in the NHL. Some more significant roster change should be expected before the Avalanche can return to that rare air.
Winnipeg Jets
Key off-season additions: Wingers Patrik Laine and Quinton Howden; center Shawn Matthias; defenseman Brian Strait
Key off-season deletions: none
Good Team? Yes. The Jets took a step backward last season – winning eight fewer games than they did in 2014-15, when a gutsy group scratched out a playoff berth – but the franchise has preached patience since Manitoba regained NHL hockey in 2011, and it was rewarded for it via the draft lottery that delivered Finnish phenom Laine with the second overall pick. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff essentially returned the same collection of players this season – the only differences being Laine and depth veterans Matthias, Strait and Howard – and Laine’s presence alone will give their offense a much-needed boost. But there are some similarly-talented youngsters (namely, center Mark Schiefele and blueliner Jacob Trouba) whose blossoming will take pressure off Laine to do it all on his own. All things considered, I can see Winnipeg switching standings places with the Wild and getting back into the post-season.
Probably great team? Not quite. Of course, Cheveldayoff’s efforts to keep intact his defense corps proved to be a remarkable success, and Winnipeg again will be able to turn to the experienced hands of star Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom and Tyler Myers on the back end. And up front, veterans Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little and Drew Stafford provide stability and skill. But in a division that is arguably the best in the game, the Jets still have a ways (and probably a couple seasons) to go before they can set their sights on a championship.
Reason for concern it could all go sideways? No. If we know anything about Jets management, it’s that they’re not prone to panic moves and will ride out any bumps in the road. That much will be true again this year – and that goes for their current contractual showdown with Trouba, who remained unsigned at the start of September. If the tremendously-talented 22-year-old D-man can’t agree to a long-term deal, Winnipeg won’t be pressured into trading him for less than market value. And with the value of blueliners in this NHL era at an all-time high, Jets management would be able to plug a number of holes if they did find the right trading partner. The future is bright for the Jets, and it’s but a matter of time before their ascent through the standings begins to pick up serious speed.
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