Central Division Rivals

Nashville - On the first day of NHL free agency last month, Nashville Predators GM David Poile admitted he had never been so eager to upgrade his roster. Failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four seasons while equaling the lowest goals per game average (2.27) in the NHL can do that to someone holding his team to a much higher standard. The Predators' transition game suffered a major blow with the loss of defenseman Ryan Suter to the Minnesota Wild via free agency in the summer of 2012, and the highest goal-scorer on the roster was forward David Legwand with 12 in 48 games. Nashville's leading point producer was defenseman Shea Weber, with 28. There's no question Poile needed an upgrade on offense, particularly after the organization drafted top defensive prospect Seth Jones and with Mattias Ekholm on the verge of earning significant time with the big club. So the GM rolled up his sleeves and went to work July 5 by signing four forwards to multiyear contracts. He signed center Matt Cullen and wing Viktor Stalberg and brought in some grit and tenacity with the signing of wings Matt Hendricks and Eric Nystrom. Poile also signed goalie Carter Hutton as the probable backup to starter Pekka Rinne, who is coming off a career-low .910 save percentage. Rinne is entering the second year of a seven-year contract signed in November 2011. It's rather obvious that finishing last in the Central Division and 14th in the Western Conference with a 16-23-9 record didn't sit well with the coach or GM. The maturation of sophomore defenseman Roman Josi, Nashville's 2008 second-round draft pick (No. 38), provides added hope along the blue line. Josi finished second among defensemen on the team with 18 points. The Predators provided Weber with additional support at the 2013 NHL Draft when they selected coveted defense prospect Jones with the No. 4 pick and 6-foot-5 defenseman Jonathan-Ismael Diaby in the third round (No. 64). Trotz was particularly impressed with Jones' powerful skating stride, generated from a 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame. It wouldn't be surprising to see Trotz pair Jones with Weber to open the season. The team also would expect improvement from Ryan Ellis, an offensive-minded defenseman who managed two goals and six points in 32 games. After Legwand, the only other players to finish in double digits in goals were Mike Fisher (10 goals) and Gabriel Bourque (11 goals). The team re-signed forward Patric Hornqvist, a key piece to the team's core, to a five-year extension in April. Poile also re-signed the team's toughest player, left wing Rich Clune, to a two-year deal in July. Clune led the Western Conference with 159 hits last season. Colin Wilson was having his best season to date before a shoulder injury sustained in March sidelined him after just 25 games. Much is expected of the fifth-year pro in 2013-14. The offense should also benefit from the addition of top offensive prospect Filip Forsberg, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in April. Forsberg played in five games for Nashville and had one assist and 14 shots on goal while averaging 15-plus minutes. He had 15 goals and 33 points in 38 games for Leksand in Sweden's No. 2 league and captained his country to a silver medal at the 2013 World Junior Championship with three goals and five points in six games. The organization also is very high on prospects Austin Watson and Colton Sissons. In addition to adding fresh faces to the lineup, Poile hired former NHL defenseman and United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Phil Housley, to the coaching staff. Housley, who spent 21 seasons in the NHL, was coach of the U.S. National Junior Team that won the gold medal at the 2013 WJC in Ufa, Russia, in January. Under Housley, the Americans finished with the fourth-highest power-play efficiency (29.27 percent) and the top-ranked penalty-killing unit (89.29 percent) among the 10 teams. The Predators ranked second to last in the NHL on the penalty kill in 2012-13 with a 75.5-percent efficiency.

The Nashville Predators finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL in 2012-13, but general manager David Poile is confident there are better times ahead. That is if coach Barry Trotz can find a way to motivate his team to put the puck in the net. The Predators have long been a group that has thrived on scoring by committee, but they failed miserably last season when they connected for two or fewer goals in 27 of 48 games and had a 3-17-7 mark in those contests en route to finishing 14th in the Western Conference. Naturally, one of several big questions surrounding the team entering 2013-14 is the state of the offense; no player had more than 12 goals and three finished in double digits. An upgrade was the offseason priority for Poile after his team scored 2.27 goals per game to match the Florida Panthers for the lowest average in the League last season. The veteran GM did just that on the opening day of free agency when he signed four forwards. Additionally, the Predators scouting department believes Swedish prospect Filip Forsberg could provide some needed production in his first full season in North America, and prospect Austin Watson might be promoted at some point, providing an added boost. The Predators were 13-6-2 when scoring more than two goals last season. One area the offense likely will improve is shots per game; Nashville averaged a League-low 25.9 last season. Poile is hopeful his hard work to upgrade the offense pays off with the acquisitions of center Matt Cullen and wings Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom and Matt Hendricks on the opening day of NHL free agency. But not one of the additions has scored more than 49 points in a full season, which means the Predators may be forced to continue to grind out victories behind tough defensive play and stout goaltending. Cullen, whose 0.64 points per game average last season was his best since 0.83 in 2007-08, provides depth down the middle, but it remains to be seen if a 36-year-old can maintain that consistency required as a top pivot. Stalberg offers speed and size, Nystrom possesses a relentless motor and ability to forecheck effectively, and Hendricks is a versatile player with a strong work ethic. Trotz was very impressed with Seth Jones and Filip Forsberg during the team's development camp in July. The idea is for each player to earn a roster spot out of training camp and continue to mature and develop while making contributions with the Predators in 2013-14. Jones dropped to Nashville at the No. 4 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft on June 30. Forsberg was acquired from the Washington Capitals on April 3, 2013; he was the No. 11 pick in the 2012 draft. Whether or not one or both players become impact performers remains to be seen, but there's little doubt each is ready to make the jump. And Jones might have some extra motivation after falling a few spots in the draft.The bottom line is no matter how much better the Nashville offense might be, the team is reliant on the play of its exceptionally talented goaltender. The Predators are hopeful the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist will be ready for training camp after he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left hip in May. The surgery, which required approximately four months of recovery, was necessary to correct a situation team officials were aware of last season. That might explain why Pekka Rinne is coming off his lowest save percentage (.910) in five full seasons. Rinne, who ranks sixth in the NHL with 152 wins since 2008-09, has remained in Nashville during his recovery. Despite a pair of assignments to the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Milwaukee last season, there's reason to believe Ryan Ellis will be able to turn things around this season. He'll reap the benefits of working closely with one of the finest and similarly sized defensemen to ever play in the NHL: assistant coach Phil Housley. Let's face it, Ellis wasn't selected in the first round (No. 11) of the 2009 NHL Draft for his stoic defensive play, rather his ability to transition quickly from defense to offense. But that's something that hasn't happened in 64 NHL games spanning two seasons; Ellis has five goals and 17 points. Enter Housley, the second-leading American-born scorer with 1,232 points, a seven-time NHL All-Star and finalist for the 1992 Norris Trophy as the League's best defenseman. Ellis, who is in the final year of his entry-level deal before becoming a restricted free agent, can create chances for himself and draw penalties. The prevailing thought is that he finally puts a solid season together and becomes a key in 5-on-5 situations in a third-pair defense role. The Predators found playing at a 100-point pace without defenseman Ryan Suter a lot more difficult than expected, but they still found ways to remain competitive in 2012-13, losing seven games in regulation by one goal and nine in overtime. Though the Predators might not eclipse the century mark this season, it's not too far-fetched to believe the team will top 90 points. In order to make that happen, Trotz said it must get back to basics and its culture as an organization. The Predators finished two games above .500 on home ice and were 5-14-5 on the road in 2012-13.

St Louis - It's the little things that show St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong the culture is changing around his team. Depth and skill across the entire roster and throughout the organization have the Blues focused on continuing the progress that's been made the past two seasons. The change in culture started when Ken Hitchcock arrived as coach 13 games into the 2011-12 season. The Blues were 6-7-0 at the time but finished 49-22-11, won the Central Division, finished second in the Western Conference with 109 points, and won a Stanley Cup Playoff series for the first time since 2002. Last season the Blues recovered from a slow start to finish fourth in the conference, but like the 2012 run, the 2013 trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs ended in a loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Part of that learning curve might have been the signing of free-agent center Derek Roy to a one-year contract in July. Roy averaged 60 points the previous six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, but in 42 games split between the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks in 2012-13, he had seven goals and 28 points and was limited to two assists in four playoff games. Armstrong said he envisions Roy centering one of the team's top three lines and giving the team something it hasn't had the past few seasons. Though coming in on a one-year contract might serve as a motivating factor, Armstrong said that doesn't necessarily concern him. External competition certainly will be there from the rest of the League, including a new-look Central Division that includes the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. Armstrong said he's looking forward to roster battles up and down the lineup. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, barring injury, will start the season as the goaltending tandem, leaving Jake Allen to start the season in the American Hockey League. Allen, a 2008 second-round draft pick (No. 34), showed last season how far he had advanced in his development in his first NHL action when he went 9-4-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 15 games. The Blues also are extremely deep at forward, even with the retirement of Andy McDonald and the trade that sent David Perron to the Edmonton Oilers. With Roy filling McDonald's spot at third-line center, that leaves an open spot at left wing on the second line heading into training camp. Among those who could get a shot there is Magnus Paajarvi, who came from Edmonton in the Perron deal. Paajarvi was the 10th pick of the 2009 NHL Draft and was expected to be a big offensive producer, but it didn't happen in three up-and-down seasons with the Oilers. The hope is a fresh start will rejuvenate the 22-year-old. Another player who could push for extra ice time is forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who as a rookie had five goals and 10 points in his first eight games, but had two goals and seven points in 21 games after returning March 16 from a three-week absence due to a concussion. He was a healthy scratch for five of the team's six playoff games. Also pushing for ice time will be forwards Ty Rattie and Dmitri Jaskin, and defensemen Joel Edmundson and Jani Hakanpaa, all entering their first full professional seasons in North America. Armstrong said roster spots will be determined on performance, not reputation or age. Whatever the final makeup of the roster, Armstrong said the time to win is now for this group.

There had to be a sense of déjà vu for the St. Louis Blues. They had a second straight strong season ended in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott shared the Jennings Trophy two seasons ago and Elliott has been an All-Star. Then there's Jake Allen, who led rookie goalies last season in wins and goals-against average. Coach Ken Hitchcock has done a masterful job finding time for Halak and Elliott the past two seasons, but will he be able to add Allen to the equation? And if the 22-year-old has to spend the season in the minors, will he have the right attitude? Halak and Elliott each is in the final year of his contract, meaning one could be moved to solve the logjam, but in the interim, this could be a situation worth watching. David Perron showed he was fully recovered from concussion issues that plagued him the two previous seasons. He had 10 goals and 25 points in 48 games, numbers when prorated over 82 games come out to 17 goals and 42 points, not far removed from the 20 goals and 47 points he scored in 2009-10, his prior injury-free season. When healthy, Perron was a staple on the Blues' top-two lines, last season playing with Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie. So with Perron traded to the Edmonton Oilers last month, who slides into that spot? The Blues have plenty of options. Armstrong said Magnus Paajarvi, acquired from Edmonton in the trade, likely will get the first crack at starting there, but nothing is set in stone. Vladimir Tarasenko had a promising start as a rookie last season but ended as a healthy scratch for all but one game in the playoffs. However, his talent was obvious, and though a natural right wing, with enough time in training camp could make the switch. Rookies Dmitrij Jaskin and Ty Rattie also have the talent to earn top-six jobs in their first pro seasons. The Blues surged to the top of the Central Division in 2011-12, won a round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2002, then lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the eventual Cup-champion Kings. This spring the Blues were the fourth seed in the West, drew the Kings in the first round and lost in six games. Almost the same core group from those two disappointing springs will return this season, and they'll have to again try to put what happened behind them as quickly as possible. Under Hitchcock, the Blues have adopted a shut-down defensive mindset, and with Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk, Jay Bouwmeester, Barret Jackman and Jordan Leopold, they might have the best defense corps in the League. Then there's the other end of the ice. The Blues were 17th in the League at 2.58 goals per game last season, then scored 10 goals in six playoff game against the Kings. The Blues had two players score at least 15 goals last season, and one other reached double-figures. The previous season, David Backes led the team with 24 goals, which tied for 60th in the League. The hope is free-agent center Derek Roy can help change that. This will be Hitchcock's third season with the Blues, but September will mark his first training camp as the team's coach. He replaced Davis Payne 13 games into the 2011-12 season, then had an abbreviated camp prior to the start of last season. Armstrong said he believes it's more important for the players to take a leadership role at training camp. The Blues have one of the strongest groups of emerging prospects in the League. With Perron's departure and the retirement of Andy McDonald, there will be a chance for Jaskin or Rattie, each starting his professional career this season, to step into a prominent role. But will they be able to? Jaskin and Rattie are 20, but their talent at the junior level was impressive. Rattie had 48 goals in 62 regular-season games with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, 20 goals in 21 WHL playoff games, and six goals in five Memorial Cup games. Jaskin had 99 points in 51 games with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season, his first in North America. He was rewarded with a two-game call-up to the Blues late last season. Other young players who could compete for jobs are promising defensemen Joel Edmundson, Jani Hakanpaa and Petteri Lindbohm.