2016-17 NHL Predictions: Preview and Picks for Central Division

The Central Division was arguably the toughest in the NHL in 2015-16.

The Dallas Stars led the way, gaining 17 points over their 2014-15 result to finish second overall in the NHL with 109 points. Just two points back, the St. Louis Blues were third with 107, then the Chicago Blackhawks slotted into a tie for fifth overall at 103.

Further down, the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild scooped up both Western Conference wild-card spots, while the talented but underachieving Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets brought up the rear.

Central teams play an exciting brand of hockey—hard-nosed, with lots of offense.

Here's what to watch in the Central Division in 2016-17.

The Favorite: Chicago Blackhawks

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They may have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs last spring, but with three Stanley Cups to their name since 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks remain the class of the Central Division.

The Hawks star-studded lineup includes reigning Art Ross and Hart Trophy holder Patrick Kane, along with his Rookie of the Year linemate Artemi Panarin. Jonathan Toews proved once again that he's one of the best players in the world as part of the triumphant Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey, and oft-mailgned Corey Crawford is slowly earning respect as one of the NHL's most consistently successful goaltenders.

Chicago's biggest offseason move was re-acquiring defenseman Brian Campbell, a savvy alumnus who was part of the 2010 Cup-winning group. It's hoped that Czech defenseman Michal Kempny will follow in Panarin's footsteps as a gem of a signing from the KHL, while U.S. college player Tyler Motte could add an extra spark up front.

After a long summer of rest and recovery since their playoff elimination back in April, the Blackhawks are poised to reclaim their status as the best team in the Central in 2016-17.

The Challenger: Minnesota Wild

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There hasn't been much talk about the Minnesota Wild during the offseason, but the team is poised to take a big step forward thanks to new coach Bruce Boudreau.

Boudreau's playoff record is questionable—he has been past the second round just once in his nine-year NHL head coaching career. But HockeyDB reports that Boudreau did win championships at lower levels—with the AHL's Hershey Bears in 2005-06 and, before that, with the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL back in 1998-99. 

Also, Boudreau's regular-season record is outstanding. He won eight division titles in those nine previous NHL seasons—a statistic that's catnip for a Wild team that has won just one division title in its 15 seasons of play—back in 2007-08, in the old five-team Northwest Division.

The Wild started off poorly in 2015-16. They sat in 11th place in the Western Conference when coach Mike Yeo was fired in mid-February, but rebounded to grab a playoff berth under interim coach John Torchetti.

Working with basically the same roster that Torchetti inspired during last season's stretch run, Boudreau should be able to get the most out of a good group of players that has become known over the years for inconsistent play.

Expect to see the Wild make their best showing in the Central since the divisions were re-aligned in 2013-14.

The Bottom-Dweller: Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets finished last in the Central Division and 25th overall in the NHL in 2015-16 with a record of 35-39-8 for 78 points.

There are plenty of reasons for optimism, starting with fast-rising star Mark Scheifele and the draft lottery win that allowed the team to select Patrik Laine. Then there's the ongoing evolution of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, a promising talent who will probably be forced to wait in the wings a little longer as Ondrej Pavelec plays out the last year of his contract.

But the Jacob Trouba saga draws on with no end in sight regarding the unsigned defenseman's trade request. And the biggest force that'll keep the Jets down? The other six teams in their division.

The underachieving Colorado Avalanche should trend upwards as they reset under new coach Jared Bednar. Further up the standings, the Jets are tasked with trying to reel in the Blackhawks, Wild, Blues, Stars and Predators—not an easy opponent in the bunch during inter-divisional games. 

It's a good thing Jets fans love their hockey in Winnipeg. They'll need to wait at least another season before they see a winning team at the MTS Centre.

Best Old Rivalry: Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

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Not much doubt here. The longtime foes in Chicago and St. Louis added another epic chapter to their storied rivalry with their first-round playoff series last spring.

It was a back-and-forth affair that took the full seven games to settle. This time, the St. Louis Blues were able to oust the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Three central characters from that series have now moved on from St. Louis—forwards David Backes and Troy Brouwer and goaltender Brian Elliott. But the fans on both sides won't forget anytime soon.

NBCSN's Wednesday Night "Rivalry Night" telecasts will kick off with the Blues visiting the United Center on opening night, October 12, according to Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports. The rematch will come a month later, on November 9, in St. Louis.

Expect the usual fireworks.

Best New Rivalry: St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars

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Riding high after their win over the Blackhawks, the Blues went on to vanquish the Dallas Stars in the second round of the playoffs. It was an unpredictable seven-game affair that featured plenty of momentum swings.

Five of the seven games were won by the road team and only once did the same team win two games in a row—early on, when the Blues came back to take a 2-1 series lead after dropping Game 1.

When facing elimination on the road in Game 6, the Stars scored three times in the first period to chase goaltender Brian Elliott and send the series back to the American Airlines Center. Then, they were blown out by a 6-1 margin, ending a storybook season on a disappointing note for the Dallas faithful.

Expect the high emotions from that intense playoff series to spill over when the Stars and Blues meet this season. Their first matchup will come on November 3, back in Dallas.

Best Line: Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks

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After dominating every other line in the NHL offensively in 2015-16, the challenge now facing Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane is to prove that they can do it again this season.

Panarin's sharp shot and puck skills made him an instant sensation when he arrived in the NHL last season, but the element of surprise was also on his side. Still listed at just 170 pounds, the 24-year-old will get a rougher ride from opponents this year but hasn't shown anything yet to indicate that he's not up for the challenge.

The same is true of Patrick Kane. He went straight to work when he came into training camp one year ago and was rewarded with the best offensive numbers of his career.

Add in steady Artem Anisimov, who seems to bring the best out of both his linemates, and you've got a lethal combination that should pick up right where it left off on opening night.

If healthy, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars could have challenged for this designation. They're two of the most exciting players in the game, undoubtedly, but Benn's coming off summer core muscle surgery and Seguin suffered a fractured heel during pre-tournament action at September's World Cup of Hockey, according to the Canadian Press (via Sportsnet).

Benn and Seguin are expected to be ready for opening night. If they can both get back to 100 percent good health, they'll also be a force, no matter who Dallas coach Lindy Ruff chooses to deploy with them.

Best Defense Pairing: Roman Josi and P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators

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They haven't played a game together yet, but the Nashville Stars' new defense pairing of Roman Josi and P.K. Subban has the potential to be one of the best in the NHL this season.

Now 26, the Swiss-born Josi has become a monster at both ends of the ice—a defensive force who also finished fourth in scoring among blueliners with 61 points last season including 14 goals, both career highs. Playing with perennial Norris Trophy candidate Shea Weber, it was Josi who earned enough votes to finish fifth in Norris voting in 2015-16, while Weber placed 10th.

This season, the dynamics will be different when Josi lines up with his new partner, 2013 Norris winner P.K. Subban. 

"He's a great player with lots of skill; he skates well, and he does everything well," Josi said of Subban during his first practice back with the Preds after the World Cup of Hockey, per Brooks Bratten of NHL.com. "He's one of the best defensemen in the League, so it'd be a lot of fun to be playing with him."

With former captain Weber now gone from Nashville, expect both Josi and Subban to help fill that leadership void, as well as staring down opponents' top lines for the Predators this season.

Best Goalie: Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks

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Corey Crawford led all Central Division goaltenders with 35 wins last season. His 2.37 goals-against average might have been a bit higher than normal, but his .924 save percentage was solid.

Crawford was moved up in Chicago after the team's 2010 Stanley Cup win, when the team was forced to shed salary and walked away from Antti Niemi's arbitration award. Crawford had been in the Blackhawks organization since 2005 but had only appeared in eight regular-season NHL games before abruptly being promoted to starter at the beginning of the 2010-11 season.

Considering Crawford's career ascent was triggered primarily by budget considerations, the move has worked out extraordinarily well for the Blackhawks. Keep him under 60 games a year and he'll deliver plenty of calm, solid work—with a few hot saves thrown in for good measure.

Not long ago, Pekka Rinne could have been considered the best goalie in the Central, but his time now appears to have passed. Watch for Devan Dubnyk in Minnesota and Semyon Varlamov in Colorado to challenge for the title with strong performances in 2016-17.

Projected 2016-17 Standings

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1. Chicago Blackhawks: The last time the Blackhawks got eliminated in the first round, in 2012, they responded with a record-setting regular season and a Stanley Cup win. Expect a bounce-back performance this year.

2. Minnesota Wild: An outstanding regular-season coach, Bruce Boudreau will unlock the Wild's potential and make them one of the toughest teams in the Central to play against.

3. St. Louis Blues: The Blues have lost key players like Backes, Brouwer and Elliott, but they still have an elite sniper in Vladimir Tarasenko, a strong defense corps led by Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk and an up-and-coming goalie in Jake Allen. The Blues drop off only slightly in Ken Hitchcock's last season behind the bench.

4. Dallas Stars: Offseason health issues for Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are troubling, as are chemistry issues that have led to Valeri Nichushkin choosing to return to the KHL. The Stars added Dan Hamhuis on the blue line but lost Alex Goligoski and seem determined to continue with the worrisome combination of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi in net. Expect a backslide for last season's Central champs.

5. Nashville Predators: The Preds are a well-constructed team that's built to win now, but goaltending could hold them back. Pekka Rinne struggled in last spring's playoffs and didn't start much better at this year's World Cup of Hockey, losing the crease to Tuukka Rask as Finland went winless in the preliminary round. With new acquisition Marek Mazanec in a backup role, the Preds don't have much of a backup plan in place if Rinne falters out of the gate.

6. Colorado Avalanche: The competitive nature of the division will make it difficult for the Avs to move up the Central standings this season, but expect to see Colorado's stars shine brighter as the team dials in more defensive structure than it has shown in the last two seasons under Patrick Roy.

7. Winnipeg Jets: The Jets will struggle once again to get out of the Central Division basement. Expect them to be undone by their usual demons—undisciplined play and inconsistent goaltending by Ondrej Pavelec.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.