(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The NHL season is almost upon us again. It seems like a couple weeks ago that the Pens knocked off the Red Wings to win their third Stanley Cup. But, here we are again. This time around, many squads have undergone significant changes.

In that light, I am going to break down the NHL, division by division, starting in the West. The Central Division is going to be my starting point, since I am doing this completely arbitrarily and this seems to be the strongest division in all of hockey.

It is inconceivable to think that all five teams in a division can make it to the playoffs, but if it were ever to happen in a given year, the Central Division has the best shot.

You’re looking at two of the finest teams of a year ago (Detroit, Chicago) and two of the upstart surprises (St. Louis, Columbus). Additionally, it is a mistake to discount a Nashville team that missed the playoffs last year for the first time in four years.

Detroit Red Wings

As much as I do not like them, I do respect them, and that is why my division favorite is the Detroit Red Wings. This has nothing to do with their history or legacy since 2000.  They are simply, if narrowly, the best team in the division.

Their top two lines are arguably the best in hockey. If you’re the opposing team and you see Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, and Daniel Cleary across from you, you are in for a game. That does not even account for Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and some of the young guns on this team.

Furthermore, their defense is second to none. Albeit aged, they can still dominate anyone in the league. Nicklas Lidstrom is the anchor of the defense, the team captain, and he is entering a contract year. Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall have proven their mettle. As a matter of fact, I cannot look at the starting six for the Wings and see a name that I have not heard before.

All that said, the biggest problem area for Detroit is in the net. Don’t get me wrong, Chris Osgood is a good goaltender, capable of taking a team deep into the playoffs. He is also going to be 37 in November and is a constant health risk. 

It also seems that Detroit is not fully confident in the young Jimmy Howard. If Osgood goes down or his game goes south, Howard will have to take the net with confidence and guile. Otherwise, Detroit is going to have to go find someone—unless Dominik Hasek is available.

You also cannot discount Detroit’s intangibles. Mike Babcock is always in the Adams Trophy discussion at the end of a season and Detroit’s power play and penalty kill have been in the top 10 in the NHL over the past decade.

Prediction: No reason. Absolutely no reason why Detroit should not make the playoffs.  However, they may not win this division. Which brings me to the team that I would love to see win this division: the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have a very comparable team to Detroit, both in strengths and weaknesses.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?