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Western ice.
Central Division (projected order of finish and records; points)
Detroit Red Wings (51-23-8; 110)
Central Division (projected order of finish and records; points)
Detroit Red Wings (51-23-8; 110)
A lot of people have jumped on the Blackhawk bandwagon, but I still think that Detroit is the team to beat in this division and ultimately in the conference. They lose one of their best players to that divisional foe, but they still have several of the best players in the game in Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and one of the conference’s better defense pairings in Lidstrom and Rafalski.
Osgood had a lousy regular season, but a good postseason, and even though his age might become a factor, this team is still among the best in hockey.
Chicago Blackhawks (47-27-8; 102)
Chicago may have the most talent on paper of any team in either conference, but they still have to prove they can beat Detroit in a playoff series to overtake them in my book. They add Hossa (a ludicrous contract), to a good young core that features Kane and Toews, among others. Their goaltending is easily their main concern, but their unbelievable depth at defenseman should be enough to hold down the fort.
The Blackhawks will be one of the league’s best teams if they can avoid the hiccups along the way.
Columbus Blue Jackets (44-32-6; 94)
One of the league’s biggest surprises (not to me) last season made the playoffs with flying colors behind the great play of rookie goalie Steve Mason and explosive star Rick Nash. Their emergence epitomizes this division that is the best in the West and behind Ken Hitchcock should only be getting better. I don’t think the teams that would challenge them for a playoff spot have gotten much better, and I see Columbus reaching the postseason quite comfortably. Keep an eye on Columbus come postseason as well.
St. Louis Blues (38-38-6; 82)
A team that absolutely skyrocketed its way into the playoffs last season seems as if it caught fire at exactly the right time, looking to be more of a fluke rather than a true indication of their ability. They were outmatched and overwhelmed come playoff time, and after adding next to nothing this offseason, by my estimation, will fall back into NHL mediocrity this year.
The situation in net isn’t very promising, and though they get Kariya and Erik Johnson back from injury, the Blues aren’t very good and won’t be a playoff team.
Nashville Predators (35-40-7; 77)
The league’s most non-descript, vanilla, unidentifiable team falls back to even a worse position this season with what was the 24th ranked offense last season, and though financial constraints held them back this offseason, they didn’t do much to make themselves better coming into this year. Aside from their underrated defense, led by Weber and Suter, Pekka Rinne could be a bright spot in goal, but if they can’t score, they won’t win, making it more and more likely that Nashville won’t be going anywhere in 2008-09.
Northwest Division (projected order of finish and records; points)
Vancouver Canucks (49-26-7; 105)
Though it looks like offense might be a concern for the Canucks, they made it a point to bring back the Sedins, who put up very consistent offensive numbers year in and year out. Luongo is still among the best, if not the best in goal, and their defense was actually very solid as they competed in the postseason. Vancouver’s secondary scoring should be propelled by a group of little-known, but solid roleplayers, making the Canucks one of the hardest working, and also one of the most dependable teams in hockey.
Minnesota Wild (42-32-8; 92)
It’s a whole new world without top scorer Marian Gaborik and long time coach Jacques Lemaire, but the outlook in Minnesota isn’t as bleak as many are making it out to be this season. Their second and third line players need to mature on the offensive end, but Martin Havlat is undoubtedly a stabilizing veteran presence. Niklas Backstrom has quickly become one of the league’s top goalies, and though their roster doesn’t stand out, the conference isn’t very good, and the Wild have a history of surprising.
Calgary Flames (41-33-8; 90)
Calgary Flames (41-33-8; 90)
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