Central Division Preview

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 Simon B

Here's the second part of the NHL season preview series.

In this post, we'll be taking a look at the Central Division which is bound to be the toughest and most physical division this season.

1. Colorado Avalanche
The Avs had suffered a few losses player-wise with goalie Phillip Grubauer, defenceman Joonas Donskoi and, forward Pierre-Edouard Bellmare all heading out of town this summer but their depth should keep them at the same level of play that they're used to. Expect their top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and, Nathan MacKinnon to dominate opponents night in and night out. Cale Makar will likely be in the Norris Trophy conversation for best defenceman and he'll lead a group of both tough and skilled blueliners. In goal, new arrival Darcy Kuemper had a respectable .907 save percentage last season. But Kuemper will hopefully thrive with a better defensive group in front of him.

Question Mark: What will be the split in playing time between netminders this year? Will Kuemper get the heavy load or will they go for more of a tandem with backup Pavel Francouz?

2. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets are a team built for this division. Their 2021-22 lineup is filled with pesky yet skilled players on both defense and offense. Mark Scheifele, Paul Stastny, Adam Lowry and, newly acquired Rielly Nash make up a center group that is as physical as anyone and they've got skilled wingers on each line. They did lose some significant pieces on defence but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff did a decent job at patching up those holes. Nate Schmidt and Brandon Dillon are guys who will fit the Jet's style of play and get top-4 minutes on defense. In goal, Connor Hellebuyck will once again carry the load so they're covered there for sure.

Question Mark: Both Eric Comrie and Mikhail Berdin are unproven at the NHL level. Who will step up their game and provide solid backup for Hellebuyck when needed?

3. St. Louis Blues
The Blues are in an interesting situation where they're definitely in the back end of their contention window but they want to rebuild on the fly. They lost a lot of key players this offseason, notably at forward. Topliners Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko have a new linemate in Bradon Saad and, so do the guys on the second line with the addition of Pavel Buchnevich. On defense, I like what their group brings. Colton Parayko is a top-end talent and he's got seasoned veterans behind him as well. Jordan Binnington is the clear number one in the net.

Question Mark: Jordan Binnington has had inconsistent play since the Blues won it all. Will he be able to stay consistent to give St. Louis a chance every night?

4. Dallas Stars
The Stars didn't get much of a makeover this season but being back in the Central Division will benefit them. Fast, skilled, and yet a nuisance to play against is once again the motto for their forward group which will be headlined by Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and, Jason Robertson. They lost defensive mainstay Jamie Oleksiak to the Seattle expansion draft but added veteran Ryan Suter to the fold. Suter should fit in nicely as he's played his entire career in this division. Anton Khudobin will be the number one to start the season but hopefully, newly acquired Brayden Holtby can provide strong backup.

Question Mark: How will they bounce back after all the injuries last season? Are they healthy enough for a full 82 game season?

5. Minnesota Wild
The Wild are now a new team. They bought out veterans Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to make room for the young guns. Krill Kaprizov will hopefully continue to score like crazy following his 27 goals in 55 games last year. Guys like Kevin Fiala, Marco Rossi, and Jordan Greenway will be a really nice supporting cast for the Wild too. On defense, they've gotten younger, and yet they are still full of experienced players like Matt Dumba and Jared Spurgeon. In goal, Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen are expected to split the playing time.

Question Mark: Can Krill Kaprizov prove that he's the real deal?

6. Nashville Predators
The days of competing for Stanley Cups in Nashville are gone...for now. The team is on the decline but they still have some good talent and young players to develop. Their forward group is much less into physical play than the rest of the division but they are full of fast and smart players such as Ryan Johanssen or Matt Duchene. Fillip Forsberg should lead the team in points this year. The loss of Ryan Ellis on defense will hurt them but they will use this opportunity to give younger guys a shot at the NHL roster. In goal, Juuse Saros will take over following the retirement of Nashville legend Pekka Rinne. Dave Rittich signed as a free agent and will be the backup.

Question Mark: Will they begin their asencion to the top of the division by the end of this season?

7. Chicago Blackhawks
Talk about a team on the rise, Chicago's rebuild is almost over and they made it really brief too. I really like the way they've been able to keep Jonathan Toews and Partick Kane at the center of their plans by surrounding them with the perfect cast of young stars. Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach and, Dylan Strome are perfect for this team because they bring skill and smarts to the table. A lot of defensive losses though this offseason as Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and, Nikita Zadorov are all out. But incomes all-star Seth Jones and his brother Caleb to take up minutes on the back end. In goal, they've got an aging but still incredibly talented Marc-Andre Fleury who is ready for a new challenge.

Question Mark: Captain Jonathan Toews had a down year last season missing time with injury. he's getting older so will he bounce back to his form of the past?

8. Arizona Coyotes
Their team is kind of the island of misfit toys of the league. Big changes happened this season but I don't think they got any better. Phil Kessel is expected to carry the load offensively with Clayton Keller and Christian Dvorak helping out. On defense, they traded away their captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Vancouver but they did get proven blueliner Shane Gostisbehere to replace him. Jacob Chycrun is by far their most entertaining player and I think he can get himself into the Norris conversation if he has a top-class season. In net, Carter Hutton will hopefully be consistent but he's a downgrade from Darcy Kuemper for sure.

Question Mark: After being moved from the Pacific to the Central, how will they fair playing more games against new opponents?

The Wrap

Metropolitan Division to come tomorrow.

If you have any other sports topics you'd like to read about, let me know in the comments or send me a message in the "Contact me" section in the sidebar! 

Thanks for reading! I'd love your comments and questions.  Please share with friends and take a moment to subscribe (head to the sidebar and sign up under the "subscribe" section) so you can read all my post-game pieces on the Leafs as well as my takes on the big news in Toronto sports and more. It would mean a lot.

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#NHL #2021-22 #Seasonpreview
Images courtesy of nhl.com
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada

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