#8 Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are headed in the right direction, but the pace they're taking is incredibly slow. Connor Bedard of course is a budding superstar, and always makes this team worth watching to see what he can do. The reality of that is you're depending on a couple key acquisitions to give Bedard something else to look for so he doesn't have to do it all on his own. Teräväinen is absolutely going to help, but how much? I don't think enough to get them out of the basement.
#7. Utah Yeti…I mean Hockey Club…
Just in case you were wondering what kind of club skates on the ice in the NHL out of Utah?….it's a hockey club. And I'm gonna say a little bit overrated in my opinion...coming into the season they are not Seattle or Vegas. They are Arizona in blue and white, with some half decent additions on the backend. It's pretty amazing how many people have this team making the playoffs. I mean I am all for hockey in Utah, but the playoffs is a big ask.
#6 Minnesota Wild.
The Wild are a very hard-working bunch, who can beat anybody on any given night, but can't seem to conquer the lower teams for some reason. And that's why they end up always fighting for a playoff spot and never mind themselves confidently in one. But there is so much like about this team, and there will come a time when they start breaking out and being a real contender again. I think this is one year early for that but, I would love to be wrong because I love this organization and I do believe in Bill Guerin.
#5. Winnipeg Jets
It's amazing how little respect the Winnipeg Jets are getting this off-season. This is a team that has a great goalie and all the skills around him to be a playoff team for sure. And they've shown that in the past. And they've signed their key players when people said no one wants to stay in Winnipeg. Which of course is ridiculous if you’re any kind of hockey player. The Jets WILL compete in the division all year and could be up on top at the end, but worst case scenario I don't see them being far from a playoff spot at any point during the regular season..
#4 St Louis Blues
I don't know why exactly, but I am feeling something going on in St. Louis. They've been getting quietly better the last couple years and they're kind of on track now to be a force again. But no one seems to know this or consider this a possibility. Why is that? I like their young forwards I think their defense is very mobile and I think Binnington is a better goalie when the team gets more competitive. I'm ready to welcome them back to the playoffs.
#3 Nashville Predators
There is no fan base in the world that I'm more happy for this off-season then the fine folks in Nashville. One thing I've learned about Smashville is they absolutely love to get star players, even if they're at the end of their careers. They become icons really quickly. Look back to Paul Kariya, Peter Forsberg, and now Steven Stamkos…. This is a team loaded for bear and it might take them a little while to mesh, but they're going to be really hard to play on a night to night basis. The predators could easily finish in second or fifth, but I think the third is about right.
#2 Dallas Stars
The Stars just keep getting better and better year after year. It is remarkable that they haven't won a Stanley Cup yet but many have them as a favorite this year. I'm not really ready to make them a favorite to win the cup, but I do know they are one of the top three teams that are hard to play against in the NHL. And some of the youngsters they are bringing on are just gonna make that better…I really like Mavrik Bourque… He kind of reminds me of Martin St. Louis I'm very few do remind me of Marty... In Dallas the rich keep getting richer…
#1 Colorado Avalanche
Rumors of the Avalanche’s death are greatly exaggerated. This team has three of the top 10 players in the game, and it's virtually impossible to keep them off the top of the division here. I As a force of habit I try not to read other peoples previews before I do my own, but it's almost impossible to miss the fact that the Avalanche are getting dissed everywhere. McKinnon, Makar, Rantanen…. Tell me the team in this division that comes close to that fire power. Goaltending may affect them in the playoffs but in the regular season I think it's gonna be pretty smooth sailing…\
That's it for this division I'll be back with the Pacific next…
This week's jersey.....(Can you name the new team?)
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