Yup pretty much sums it up. I have it shaking out like this:

#1 Nashville (although a lot of that depends on the play or Rinne)
#2 Stars
#3 Hawks
#4 Blues
#5 Wild
#6 Jets (although I could see the Wild and Jets swapping spots)
#7 Avs
- mnhockeyguy

Blues only finish 4th if they are ravaged by injuries

When you live in a cave and have BO, it's not surprising the two people you met didn't know hockey.
- HockeyHop

Why are you talking bad about your fellow Pred fans like that? Those fish they are carrying around probably don't do any wonders for the BO either.

Blues only finish 4th if they are ravaged by injuries
- sycsam

Personally I think it'll be:

1. Stars
2. Blues
3. Preds
4. Hawks
5. Jets
6. Wild
7. Aves

Blues only finish 4th if they are ravaged by injuries
- sycsam

The Stars got Hitch, a competent goalie and D now, so I have a hard time seeing how they finish out of the top 3 with that potent offense? Hitch will have them defending like crazy. The Hawks are deeper at forward with the moves they've made and it should rejuvenate Toews. This Hawks team won the central last season with basically one scoring line and now they have two. The Preds just made the cup finals. I have a hard time seeing how the Blues pass any of them up?

The Stars got Hitch, a competent goalie and D now, so I have a hard time seeing how they finish out of the top 3 with that potent offense? Hitch will have them defending like crazy. The Hawks are deeper at forward with the moves they've made and it should rejuvenate Toews. This Hawks team won the central last season with basically one scoring line and now they have two. The Preds just made the cup finals. I have a hard time seeing how the Blues pass any of them up?
- mnhockeyguy

Stars wont be that improved IMO

Preds area good team but if Rinne is off they fight for playoffs like last year

Chicago is the x factor because no one knows what they are right now

Blues are deeper faster and younger than last year

I just don't think they finish as low as 4th

Stars wont be that improved IMO

Preds area good team but if Rinne is off they fight for playoffs like last year

Chicago is the x factor because no one knows what they are right now

Blues are deeper faster and younger than last year

I just don't think they finish as low as 4th
- sycsam

Dallas won the central the year before last. If Seguin stays healthy and with Hitch they are going to be a FORCE! Preds aren't as good as they looked in the playoffs last year IMHO. The stars just aligned for them. Rinne is getting old and I think their goaltending will be suspect at best. Plus I'm sure playing that late into the summer will effect their performance a bit to start the year. Chicago is going to HURT this year. Saad is no Panarin and Sharp is way past his prime.

Stars wont be that improved IMO

Preds area good team but if Rinne is off they fight for playoffs like last year

Chicago is the x factor because no one knows what they are right now

Blues are deeper faster and younger than last year

I just don't think they finish as low as 4th
- sycsam

The Stars will have the Hitch effect. You should know how that helps a team at least during the first couple of years. I would argue the Blues lost depth at forward and are depending on some young guys that who didn't pan out with their former teams. I like the Schenn addition, but he's been playing wing pretty much his whole career with Philly. So who knows how the transition will go for him to #1 center? If he doesn't adjust well then the Blues are pretty weak down the middle too. The Blues, like the Hawks, have some unkowns right now. I went with the Hawks ahead because they've been there so many times and won it last year with a crappier team. The Blues very well could subplant them in the top 3 though? I'm pretty confident that the Wild will be a bubble team.

Dallas won the central the year before last. If Seguin stays healthy and with Hitch they are going to be a FORCE! Preds aren't as good as they looked in the playoffs last year IMHO. The stars just aligned for them. Rinne is getting old and I think their goaltending will be suspect at best. Plus I'm sure playing that late into the summer will effect their performance a bit to start the year. Chicago is going to HURT this year. Saad is no Panarin and Sharp is way past his prime.
- cuethenoise

It does all hinge on Rinne for the Preds. I think they got Saad to reignite Toews, not replace Panarin. Kane can score pretty much at will and has proven it before Panarin was there. Saad gives them more balance up front and Kane might just help eek 15-20 goals out of Sharp this season.

The Stars will have the Hitch effect. You should know how that helps a team at least during the first couple of years. I would argue the Blues lost depth at forward and are depending on some young guys that who didn't pan out with their former teams. I like the Schenn addition, but he's been playing wing pretty much his whole career with Philly. So who knows how the transition will go for him to #1 center? If he doesn't adjust well then the Blues are pretty weak down the middle too. The Blues, like the Hawks, have some unkowns right now. I went with the Hawks ahead because they've been there so many times and won it last year with a crappier team. The Blues very well could subplant them in the top 3 though? I'm pretty confident that the Wild will be a bubble team.
- mnhockeyguy

Haven't really paid attention to the Wild this summer, but Koivu, Parise, Staal, Suter, and Dubs are all on the wrong side of 30. I see a sharp decline

It does all hinge on Rinne for the Preds. I think they got Saad to reignite Toews, not replace Panarin. Kane can score pretty much at will and has proven it before Panarin was there. Saad gives them more balance up front and Kane might just help eek 15-20 goals out of Sharp this season.
- mnhockeyguy

If Sharp can stay healthy and stop banging everyone's wife

If Sharp can stay healthy and stop banging everyone's wife
- cuethenoise

Whoa Whoa Whoa that's a lot to ask from one guy!

Haven't really paid attention to the Wild this summer, but Koivu, Parise, Staal, Suter, and Dubs are all on the wrong side of 30. I see a sharp decline
- cuethenoise

We should be crying(and are) the Blues and Yeo will be rejoicing.

We should be crying(and are) the Blues and Yeo will be rejoicing.
- mnhockeyguy

I hope so, we sure turned things around after Yeo took over. Just need more of that

I hope so, we sure turned things around after Yeo took over. Just need more of that
- cuethenoise

I always liked Yeo as a coach, but he wasn't known for giving his young guys a lot of rope. He also never had a sniper like Tank to use when he was our coach. I think he can take them far.

I always liked Yeo as a coach, but he wasn't known for giving his young guys a lot of rope. He also never had a sniper like Tank to use when he was our coach. I think he can take them far.
- mnhockeyguy

Maybe he has learned a thing or too because that is the first thing we noticed. He gave the younger guys a lot of chances. Hitch would bench them after their first mistake.

Blues and Stars battle for 1st and 2nd in the central. Hawks miss the playoffs. Ppl that are picking the Wild to miss the playoffs are flat-out nutz.

Central is going to be awesome this year.

Sobotka is a massive upgrade over Perron.
Schenn is a massive upgrade over Lehtera
Shattenkirk is addition by subtraction. his powerplay production more than made up for by Schenn.


I do not see how the Blues are worse by any metric.

The Blues will be worse because now Yeo is comfortably in the HC position. You may have noticed him giving a lot of time to the younger guys to start off, but he will revert back to his old ways after having some time as the HC there. Blues fans get ready to explode out of the gate, but there will be the mid-season swoon that cracks up the locker room and divides the team. Yeo would be a great coach for a very veteran team, but then most people would look good with that.

The Blues will be worse because now Yeo is comfortably in the HC position. You may have noticed him giving a lot of time to the younger guys to start off, but he will revert back to his old ways after having some time as the HC there. Blues fans get ready to explode out of the gate, but there will be the mid-season swoon that cracks up the locker room and divides the team. Yeo would be a great coach for a very veteran team, but then most people would look good with that.
- Gusrichards

You sound bitter that you guys hired the biggest choke artist in NHL history as your coach. Blues will be fine. Boudreau had nothing in the playoffs last year besides whining about how they were playing "better" haha. Boudreau will be fired during or after this season IMHO.

Sobotka is a massive upgrade over Perron.
Schenn is a massive upgrade over Lehtera
Shattenkirk is addition by subtraction. his powerplay production more than made up for by Schenn.


I do not see how the Blues are worse by any metric.
- Cephalopods

This!

You sound bitter that you guys hired the biggest choke artist in NHL history as your coach. Blues will be fine. Boudreau had nothing in the playoffs last year besides whining about how they were playing "better" haha. Boudreau will be fired during or after this season IMHO.
- cuethenoise

Bitter? No. You can call me a hater, but I never believed Yeo was NHL HC material from the beginning. Just like I didn't believe in Todd Richards either. You can rag on the playoff choking by BB, but you had better look in the mirror as well then. BB has waaaay out-coached Yeo in their careers. I will take BB over Yeo every day of the week and twice on Sundays. And I am not trying to rip on the Blues either, as I like the team (somewhat), its the coach that will help make them fall apart.