(Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Central Division
Last but not least is what was the best division in hockey last year. Chicago stepped forward to be among the league's elite last year.
St Louis and Columbus made the playoffs. Only Nashville was on the outside looking in last year and they made it close.
It will be tough for this competitive division to produce four playoff teams again next year, but I’ll almost guarantee three.
Detroit had another great year finishing third overall in the NHL and making it to the Stanley Cup finals for the second year in a row. They were outdueled in the final by a younger, hungrier Pittsburgh Penguin team, but they're back to try again.
Detroit has been the exception to the rule that you need first-class goaltending to win in the NHL playoffs. Osgood had a horrible regular season. Ty Conklin, playing almost half of his team's minutes, had a better statistical year then Osgood did.
The career journeyman Osgood seemed to gather himself for the playoffs and behind that stellar defense made very few mistakes. Goaltending in the end wasn’t the reason they lost.
Jimmy Howard, the young back-up, doesn’t look ready for the NHL. Detroit will have to address their goaltending woes soon, but right now at $1.4 million a year Osgood provides competent cheap veteran goaltending.
Detroit doesn’t have the cap room to seek an expensive free agent, but perhaps they could make a deal for someone else’s reasonably priced goalie. Josh Harding in Minnesota or Martin Biron from the Islanders would represent an upgrade in nets.
The defense has long considered one of the best in hockey. They gave up the second fewest shots on goal in the league last year. The big three, Lidstrom, Rafalski and Kronwall are perhaps the three best puck movers in the game.
Jonathon Ericsson seems to be a first-rate puck mover. Lebda is another fast defenseman and Lilja is good. Their hitter Stuart is starting to wear down and they could probably use another young shut-down guy in the mix.
This defense is still one of the best in the league. Lidstrom at 39 is approaching retirement age. Chelios needs to retire.
Detroit scored 295 goals last year to lead the league. From that line-up they lost Hudler who has signed with the KHL and Samuelsson who has gone to Vancouver.
The core of the offense is locked up long term with Datsyuk under contract for another five years at $6.7 million a year, Zetterburg for 12 years at $6 million a year, and Franzen for 11 years for almost four million a year.
For the next five years, barring injury, Detroit should score.
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