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Todd Cordell
1. Winnipeg Jets
Led by Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine, Blake Wheeler, and Nik Ehlers, the Jets are absolutely loaded with star power up front. What makes the team so good, though, is they have a strong supporting cast around those guys. Mathieu Perreault and Bryan Little are very underrated and have been for some time. Jack Roslovic looks like the real deal, as does Kristian Vesalainen. The Jets have a wonderful mix of speed, skill, power and depth that very few teams can match.
Their defense is a little top heavy but I really like Sami Niku and think he could help change that. In goal, they're set up nicely with Vezina finalist Connor Hellebuyck. There is a lot of star power on this team and very few holes, which makes them legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.
2. Nashville Predators
I don't think the Predators have the forward depth to match a team like Winnipeg, however, they already had the best defense core in the league and managed to improve it by bringing in Dan Hamhuis to replace Alexei Emelin on the 3rd pairing. Few teams, if any, have a goaltending tandem as good as Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros. If scoring depth becomes an issue, they have Eeli Tolvanen waiting in the wings as somewhat of a wild card. The Preds should be in a dog fight with the Jets for top spot in the division.
3. St. Louis Blues
Combine the acquisitions of Ryan O'Reilly, Patrick Maroon, David Perron, Tyler Bozak with the promotions of top prospects Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, and suddenly the Blues have one of the best, and deepest, forward cores in the league.
With Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko and Vince Dunn anchoring the defense, they're set up nicely there as well.
The one question mark with the Blues – and it's a big one – is goaltending. Jake Allen has been pretty mediocre for years and Chad Johnson is not exactly an ace backup. If they don't perform better, they'll put an underwhelming ceiling on an otherwise really strong team.
4. Dallas Stars
The Stars didn't do a whole lot this off-season in terms of notable personnel changes but I think they're going to be better.
They're going to play a more up-tempo, attacking brand of hockey under new head coach Jim Montgomery and I think that much better suits their team. The star power they have will be unleashed.
With John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Julius Honka and Connor Carrick on the blue line, the Stars have a very mobile group capable of quickly getting the puck up to their forwards. That's really important in the modern game.
If Ben Bishop holds up, I think the Stars have enough to get back into the playoffs.
5. Minnesota Wild
Despite changes made in the front office, the Wild are returning a team vastly similar to the one we have seen for years.
It just so happens said team *always* finds a way to get into the playoffs, as does its head coach Bruce Boudreau.
They don't have many sexy, name-brand stars but there are plenty of underrated two-way players on the roster and Devan Dubnyk has proven he is one of the better goaltenders in the NHL.
I think this team will be in the mix for a wild card spot.
6. Colorado Avalanche
I love the top line, I love how the pace the team plays at, and I love the goaltending (Philipp Grubauer is *really* good). Unfortunately, I don't think they have enough reliable scorers on the roster to get back into the playoffs in what looks to be a very strong division.
7. Chicago Blackhawks
Even with a healthy Corey Crawford, I don't think the Blackhawks will be making much noise this season.
They are top heavy up front and their defense core is really bad. Duncan Keith is not what he once was, Brent Seabrook's perceived value is not in the same stratosphere as his actual value (in a bad way), and Brandon Manning, Connor Murphy, and Jan Rutta just don't do it for me. I think Henri Jokiharju will be good but I don't think it's fair to expect him to move the needle all that much as a rookie.
Something tells me this roster, and coaching staff, will look much different a year from now.
James Tanner
1) Winnipeg
I like the Jets over the Predators because of goaltending. They are probably the two best teams in the NHL, at least going into the season. (Obviously, anything can happen).
Depth at every position and a lot of players who still haven't hit their ceilings.
2) Nashville
Great team, I ranked them below Winnipeg because I'm not a believer in Rinne.
3) Stars
They could easily surprise and win the division and conference. I like a lot about their team. Not Roman Polak though.
4) Colorado
Rantanen and MacKinnon are a crazy good combo, lots of young guys getting better, good goalies. Should be a fun team to watch
5) St Louis
Tarasenko, Schwartz and Parayko are a great core, Ryan O'Reilly is awesome. Don't like their goalies or their lower defense.
However, they have a crazy group of prospects and Robert Thomas on the 4th line isn't going to last long.
If Jake Allen hadn't screwed me in hockey pools too numerous to count I'd consider them a team that could win the division easily.
If Allen is good, I'd rank them first, but I have no reason to think that he is good.
6) Wild
Not a huge fan of their lineup, but they remind me of the Coyotes in that maybe they don't have that star factor, but their roster looks OK. This division is really good.
7) Blackhawks
Their team is terrible. However, they still have Toews and Kane, and if Duncan Keith finds his game again and they get half way decent goaltending, they'll be decent.
But I don't think two players can really help because outside of Toews, Kane and Debrincat, they're really, really thin.
Peter Tessier
1. Nashville
I think they will repeat as the top team in the Central and maybe the league but a few things have to go right for them, mainly goaltending. I'm not sure if Rinne is last year's guy or the year before? I'm also curious if they score as many goals.
2. Winnipeg
The Jets are going to be good but will they be as good as nearly winning the President's trophy? They lost depth by moving Mason and Armia and losing Matthias, Enstrom and Hendricks- regardless of what you think of them. Will Hellebuyck be as lethal on the PK and will the Jets PP be as good as last year? There might be more talent iced but a key injury could derail plans
3. St. Louis
The Blues have all the reason in the world to be optimistic but the fans and pundits have some major fear around the goaltending go Jake Allen. With a crew down the middle that might rival any team in the league the Blues need results from scoring as they were last in the division last season.
4. Colorado
The Avs, free of drama and on the rise, could be even better but there still is a learning curve to be done with their youth. If McKinnon plays like last year or better he's a Hart nominee and the Avs could be looking at the post season even if one of their goaltenders fails.
5. Minnesota
Something tells me the age curve for Suter and Parise is starting hit and without them the Wild are a team in need of help. They have talent and Boudreau is good coach but there is pressure on this group. They have underachieved and they need to break through. Dubnyk also needs to be better, at least in the playoffs, that's if they make it.
6. Dallas
The Stars could be good, they could be okay or they could be 'meh' I'm betting on the latter as I don't think enough change has happened for the team to boost them and oh- goaltending.
7. Chicago
While Kane and Saad can shine and Toews will be solid this team is in the worst age-curve decline imaginable. It's a contract-age death spiral and they have no goaltending if Crawford goes unless they can pull accountants out their hats.
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