Recently, at On Tap Sports Net, I took a look at all of the Central Division teams. Currently, I’m trudging through the Atlantic Division.
You can find links to the Central Division below. Teams are ranked in the order in which I think they’ll finish.
Chicago Blackhawks
No preview for the Blackhawks because we’re breaking them down in detail (more to come in a different post).
The Central Division is poised to be one of the most challenging divisions in the NHL this season. The Stars are in their contention window, the Avalanche are still on the cusp of getting back to the Conference Final, and the Jets are looking to finally make a deep playoff run.
Then you have the St. Louis Blues. A year ago, it looked like they were going to be in the basement of the league. A new coaching hire in Jim Montgomery jolted new life into the Blues, and they were able to make the Jets sweat in the postseason.
Behind St. Louis are the Utah Mammoth. The franchise looks ready to make a fight for the wild card and shed its title of mediocrity. It looks like all it took was to get the hell out of Arizona and start fresh.
But head up north to Minnesota and things are looking a little worrisome for the Wild. Particularly, what will happen with superstar Karill Kaprisov? The Wild solved one big contract roadbloack (Marco Rossi was finally signed to a three year deal), but if the Wild don’t look like they’re Cup-bound, Kaprisov will want to go to greener pastures.
And then there’s the bottom of the Central Division. The Nashville Predators are probably stuck here for a minute with their aging players and questionable front office. And the Blackhawks, who we all know too much about by now.
You can (and should) read more about these teams in the links provided where I go more in depth about tactics and strategies.
Until next time.