NHL - Central Division Preview - Part 2

Dallas

The Stars appear primed to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after an offseason when they added three players who've won the Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Stars got off to a slow start last season, they were 9-10-5 through November, and finished seven points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. It was a disappointing step back for Dallas, which made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons in 2014.
"We need to make the playoffs. We need to be a consistent team. The idea is to make the playoffs every year, so that's our goal." Jim Nill GM said.
Before acquiring goalie Antti Niemi and Patrick Sharp in separate trades, and signing free agent defenseman Johnny Oduya, the Stars had two players on their roster who have won the Stanley Cup: Tyler Seguin (Boston Bruins, 2011) and Alex Goligoski (Pittsburgh Penguins, 2009). Sharp won the Cup three times playing for the Blackhawks, including twice with Oduya (2013, 2015) and once with Niemi (2010). They've played 280 NHL postseason games; that experience will be important to the Stars, who have 10 players who have played in fewer than 10."I think the biggest thing is [Sharp and Oduya] know how to win. They have lived it, and that's something not a lot of us have done yet." Jamie Benn told The Dallas Morning News.
The Stars are going to score. They were second in the NHL last season (3.13 goals per game), but their power play was mediocre, finishing tied for 11th in the League (19.0 percent). That should change with the arrival of Sharp, who Dallas plans to use on the point with the man advantage. Sharp has scored 66 of his 249 NHL goals on the power play.
"He can really shoot a puck. If you get him out there with a [John] Klingberg or Goligoski, someone like that, we think it gives us another weapon back there. So we're excited about it." Nill said.
With the addition of Niemi, the Stars won't have to ride incumbent No. 1 goalie Kari Lehtonen, who played in 65 games each of the past two seasons and looked worse for the wear in 2014-15, when he had the second-worst save percentage (.903) of his NHL career. Niemi was 31-23-7 with a 2.59 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and five shutouts in 61 games with the San Jose Sharks last season.
"They're both very competitive guys, so they're going to push each other, which I think is the best thing," Nill said.
The Stars were not good defensively last season, finishing tied for 26th in the League in goals allowed (3.13 per game). They were particularly bad in October and November, when they allowed an average of 3.46 goals over 24 games.
"We didn't early on buy in to you've got to play the game both ways. And a little bit of that is inexperience with a young group of guys. We learned our lesson. By about December we figured that out; the trouble was we had already dug a hole for ourselves." Nill said.
Oduya will provide a more stabilizing presence in the defensive zone than Trevor Daley, who went to the Blackhawks in the Sharp trade. Oduya was plus-28 the past three seasons with Chicago. Benn said the Stars probably paid too much attention to the preseason hype about their offensive prowess. Their poor start made them realize they needed to commit to defense, he said.
"There were a lot of expectations that we would be a great offensive team, and sometimes I think that can shoot you in the foot. I know I messed up a few pucks early last season by trying to be too fancy, and I learned from it. You just need to play a simple team game and then when the opportunity comes, you can let your skill take over." Benn said.

St Louis

Despite Stanley Cup Playoff failure in each of the past four seasons, the Blues don't feel they've taken steps backward. It likely will be more difficult to qualify from the Western Conference this season, so getting off to a quick start will be pivotal to remaining at or near the top of the standings. St. Louis started last season 9-3-1, including a seven-game winning streak. After opening at home Oct. 8 against the Edmonton Oilers, the Blues head out for their longest road trip of the season: six games, including five to Canadian cities.
"The players themselves feel like we underperformed in the playoffs from what we did in the regular season. There's real disappointment, and I think we're going to see a higher level of focus than we've ever seen here before from the people that this really, really matters to. I think you're going to see a whole other gear get performed by some people who don't want this to ever happen again." Ken Hitchcock said.
Vladimir Tarasenko will continue to improve: Tarasenko is the face of the franchise after the Blues signed the right wing to an eight year, $60 million contract on July 7. Tarasenko, 23, is eager to bring St. Louis its first Stanley Cup. He has 66 goals and 135 points in 179 NHL games, 58 goals and 116 points in the past two seasons."We're investing in the person as much as we are in the player. I'm very comfortable in the person that he's going to give us everything that he has. We feel he's a franchise player. I believed that Vladi showed us things last year that we haven't seen. He's only scratching the surface at how good he can be." Doug Armstrong GM Said.
After signing a four year, $28 million contract last July 1, Paul Stastny was expected to slip into the Blues' talented mix of forwards and pick up where he left off with the Colorado Avalanche. But it was a challenging first season for the 29-year-old. From an early-season shoulder injury to bouncing between lines, Stastny fell short of the 25 goals and 35 assists he put up in 71 games with the Avalanche in 2013-14. He slipped to 16 goals and 30 assists in 74 games last season. With the chance at taking a leadership role with the departures of Barret Jackman and T.J. Oshie and opportunity to play as a No. 1 or No. 2 center, Stastny is poised for an improved season.
The Blues are confident in Roberto Bortuzzo, 26, and Petteri Lindbohm, 21, to play everyday minutes, and were willing to part with veterans Jackman and Zbynek Michalek. Bortuzzo and Lindbohm have combined to play 149 games (126 by Bortuzzo) with five seasons of NHL experience. Jackman and Michalek have combined to play 1,514 games with 24 NHL seasons.
The Blues have two goalies capable of being the No. 1, Jake Allen and Brian Elliott. They also have a stingy defense with Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk, Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson. And with a forward group that includes David Backes, Alexander Steen, Jaden Schwartz, Jori Lehtera, Stastny, Tarasenko, Troy Brouwer and Patrik Berglund as two-way forwards, the Blues have a balanced unit that can shut down teams. Steve Ott, newly signed Kyle Brodziak and Ryan Reaves make up a solid fourth line.

Chicago

The Blackhawks once again will defend their Stanley Cup championship without several of the key players who helped them win it. It will be the third time they go through this scenario, though the challenge looks even more daunting this season. They've lost a lot of talent and championship experience in their latest effort to negotiate the NHL salary cap. However, recent history alone suggests the Blackhawks have a solid chance to repeat as champions.
The Blackhawks relied heavily on a vast stockpile of postseason success during last season's Cup run. The departures of Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad, Johnny Oduya, Brad Richards and others took a sizable chunk out of that stockpile, but there's plenty of championship pedigree left. The core group of veterans remains packed with players who've won the Cup multiple times, headlined by captain Jonathan Toews, one of three Conn Smythe Trophy winners on the roster (Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith). Even Chicago's role players have a wealth of Cup-winning experience. Forwards Andrew Shaw, Marcus Kruger and Kris Versteeg have won the Cup twice with Chicago, as has goalie Corey Crawford. Forward Bryan Bickell has been around for all three titles.
An infusion of new talent may lessen the pain of what's been lost this offseason.
Artem Anisimov came over in the trade that sent Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets and signed a five-year contract extension. The Blackhawks hope he'll become the ideal second-line center they've sought for years. Chicago also received skilled forward Marko Dano in that trade; the 20-year-old could compete right away for a spot on the top line. They also have 20-year-old Finn Teuvo Teravainen pushing for a full-time role after a breakout performance in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and 23-year-old Russian rookie forward Artemi Panarin comes with a lot of potential have helped SKA land the Gagarin Cup for the first time last season.
Another new face will be veteran defenseman Trevor Daley, who was acquired in the trade that sent Sharp to the Dallas Stars. The hope is Daley can replace Oduya. Another defenseman, 24-year-old Trevor van Riemsdyk, has unlocked potential, and there are other young players near the top of the organizational system waiting for their NHL opportunity.
He Duncan Keith didn't win the Norris Trophy last season, but it would have been interesting to see where Keith would have finished had the voting been conducted after the playoffs. Keith, 32, was a unanimous choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. He played more minutes than anybody in the postseason (715:37), was nearly a point-per-game player (21 points in 23 games), and each of his three goals put the Blackhawks ahead for good. He's coming into this season off another short summer, but Keith's endurance and skill level should be unquestioned at this point. He will again play a vital role.
Despite a 1.84 goals-against average and .932 save percentage when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2013, Corey Crawford had his doubters. He proved himself all over again while helping the Blackhawks to their third Cup in six seasons, showing a lot of talent, patience, resiliency and poise. Crawford lost his starting job to Scott Darling two games into the Western Conference First Round after allowing nine goals on the first 47 shots he faced against the Nashville Predators. But Crawford won it back four games later and had a 2.15 GAA and .933 save percentage during the rest of the playoffs. The 30-year-old has had 30 or more wins in all four 82-game seasons he's played; he won 19 of 30 appearances during the 48-game season in 2012-13. The Blackhawks also have an impressive backup, Darling, who's 6-foot-6 and agile, won the No. 2 job last season, and proved himself worthy by going 3-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .936 save percentage in five playoff games, including four starts, against the Predators.

Minnesota

Much was expected from the Wild after they revived their season. A six-game losing streak left them at 18-19-5 on Jan. 13 and outside of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They responded by finishing 28-9-3 and eliminating the Central Division champion St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round. Those high expectations crashed when they were swept out of the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild did not make any significant changes to the roster but are confident the answers to improving lie within.
The Wild have their finest goaltending depth in years with Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper. Dubnyk went 27-9-2 with five shutouts, a 1.78 goals-against average and .936 save percentage after he was traded to Minnesota by the Coyotes on Jan. 15. He was rewarded with a six-year, $26 million contract and is the unquestioned No. 1 goalie, but won't have to start 39 of 40 games again.
Kuemper is 27-22-6 with a 2.48 GAA and .910 save percentage in 63 NHL games (56 starts). He is capable of giving Dubnyk a breather, which is important considering Dubnyk and the Wild ran out of steam against the Blackhawks.
"Right from the start I want [Devan] to compete and I want him to play a lot of hockey games, but we know Darcy Kuemper is very capable. I think he'll provide some good support for Devan. And Devan is going to help him too, an awful lot. As a young player (25), there's not going to be quite as much on his shoulders as there was in the past, and that will allow him to kind of settle into his own game, feel confident, feel good about himself, and with that we'll see his game continue to rise." Mike Yeo said.
Ryan Suter led the NHL in average time on ice (29:03) for the third straight season while skating 30-plus minutes in 23 games, but those days may be over thanks to the emergence of Minnesota's young defensemen. Matt Dumba scored six goals and 10 points in his final 27 games last season and his plus-13 rating set a Wild record for a rookie defenseman. Minnesota could receive a bigger boost from Mike Reilly if the Hobey Baker finalist makes the Wild out of training camp.
The Wild signed Mikael Granlund, 23, to a two-year contract worth $6 million to give him the opportunity to build off a season when he set NHL career highs in games (68), plus-minus (plus-17) and average time on ice (17:53). Granlund has yet to flash the form of a future star who excelled for Finland at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but he finished second on the Wild with 24 points in 36 games after his return from wrist surgery on Jan. 27, a stretch that included a goal and nine points in his final 12 games while centering the first line with Zach Parise and Jason Pominville.
"He's a guy that we count on to score a lot of goals and create a lot of goals for our team. I think he has the ability to play against the top players in the League from an offensive and defensive standpoint. We're anxious to see how he comes in this year and if he's ready to take another step." Yeo said.
Zach Parise endured a season of injury (concussion) and tragedy with the passing of his father, J.P. Parise, but scored 33 goals (his most since 2009-10 with the New Jersey Devils) in 74 games while setting a Wild record for plus-minus by a forward (plus-21). Entering the fourth year of a 13-year, $98 million contract, Parise led an offense that averaged 2.77 goals per game, equaling the Wild's most, set in 2005-06. 

Winnipeg

The Jets have to find a way to top last season. For years, merely reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs had been a key goal for the Jets. The franchise had not reached the playoffs since 2007, when it played as the Atlanta Thrashers, and an ever-changing group of players had come and gone without a trip to the postseason. The Jets finally reached the playoffs last season, though the good times ended quickly in a sweep by the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference First Round. Still, the Jets managed to combine the test of a late-season playoff race with further establishing MTS Centre as one of the loudest and most intimidating buildings in the NHL. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has patiently gone about trying to rebuild the Jets' prospect base from the bottom up. His moves began to pay off last season, and he has more prospects on the way for coach Paul Maurice.
Maurice had a long to-do list when he replaced Claude Noel in January 2014. Spotty defensive play, an inability to master Noel's system and a need to upgrade the Jets' fitness levels quickly surfaced as major tasks that Maurice needed to handle. Maurice used the second half of the 2013-14 season to introduce his system and standards before sending his players home for the offseason with an edict to arrive to training camp in peak physical condition. The Winnipeg dressing room has responded to Maurice's system and personality, and he enjoys a clear mandate from management and his leadership group to guide the Jets.The Jets allowed 204 goals last season, the fewest in an 82-game season in franchise history, and 28.7 shots per game, ninth best in the NHL. That was a significant improvement from the 2013-14 season, when they allowed 30.1 shots per game, 17th in the League. Opposing coaches repeatedly pointed to the Jets' commitment to responsible defensive play last season. Winnipeg built a reputation as a team able to combine its considerable speed with size, enabling a strong forecheck, physical play and an up-tempo pace that suited Maurice's personnel.
Center Mark Scheifele and defenseman Jacob Trouba make up the Jets' present and future core. Each player has two full NHL seasons of experience and has grown into an important role. Scheifele played all 82 games last season and locked down a role as the Jets' second-line center. Trouba helped solidify a defense plagued by injuries all season.
Center Adam Lowry also emerged as a surprise last season. After one season in the American Hockey League, Lowry moved into the third-line center role and immediately earned Maurice's trust, something that is not easily gained. Lowry (6-foot-5, 207 pounds) brings size and physical play, established himself as defensively responsible, and scored 11 goals.
Left wing Nikolaj Ehlers headlines the next group of Jets prospects who could provide further reinforcement, perhaps as soon as this season.
"There are some players on the ice that are going to play in the NHL sooner rather than later. There are some players out there that are fairly close to NHL-ready." Maurice said.
Reaching the playoffs allowed an unproven team to sample the rigors and pace of postseason hockey. A significant portion of the Jets core had never experienced the playoffs. The battle-tested Ducks provided further illustration of how far the Jets still need to go. Injuries test every NHL team, but the Jets underwent a particularly trying season. At one point, they had to make do without their top four defensemen. Rather than allowing it to throw the season off course, Winnipeg instead used the experience to grow. Unheralded rookie Ben Chiarot stepped into the lineup and quickly established himself as a capable defenseman. Veteran Dustin Byfuglien, previously criticized for inconsistent play as a defenseman, returned to the blue line with Chiarot and adhered to Maurice's defense-first approach.

Colorado

The Avalanche learned last season that a successful start is just as important as a good stretch drive. They finished strong but ended last in the Central Division and 11th in the Western Conference with 90 points, seven points out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Avalanche are determined to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"Sometimes the reality is you have to go through it. I truly believe our team will be much better because of it. I'm sure everybody is going to take a deep look at what we did and come in with a totally different mindset." coach Patrick Roy said.
A Vezina Trophy finalist in 2013-14, Semyon Varlamov is an elite goalie capable of winning games even when he doesn't receive adequate defensive support. He had five shutouts last season and his .921 save percentage was 11th best in the NHL. Varlamov missed 16 games because of groin injuries, 15 in the Av's first 31 games, so his ability to stay healthy is a concern. He went 24-14-3 in his final 41 games.Francois Beauchemin, a left-shooting defenseman, was signed to pair with Erik Johnson. He'll help stabilize a suspect defense, play major minutes and support Johnson, whose career has been on the rise since his 2011 arrival in Colorado. Beauchemin, a proven winner, scored a career-high 11 goals last season with the Anaheim Ducks and will be an asset on the power play. Johnson had 12 goals and 11 assists in the first 47 games and was named to the NHL All-Star Game for the first time. A knee injury prevented him from playing in it, and he missed the final 35 games.
Center Matt Duchene, left wing Gabriel Landeskog and right wing Nathan MacKinnon are too talented to experience another disappointing season. Duchene (21 goals, 55 points) had two fewer goals and 15 fewer points than in 2013-14. He went 12 games without a goal in one stretch and scored three goals in 17 games in another. Landeskog (23 goals, 58 points) had three fewer goals and seven fewer points, but he came on strong at the end. He had goal slumps of 14 and 11 games. MacKinnon (14 goals, 38 points) had 10 fewer goals and 25 fewer points than in his Calder Trophy season. He went 16, 13 and 10 games without a goal. MacKinnon was starting to round into form when he sustained a broken foot and missed the final 18 games.
The Avalanche set a franchise record with 495 man-games lost to injury and illness, many of them to significant personnel. Aside from Varlamov, Johnson and MacKinnon, center Jesse Winchester missed the entire season after sustaining a concussion in a preseason game; left wing Jamie McGinn (since traded to the Buffalo Sabres) missed 63 games and underwent back surgery; and center John Mitchell (head, leg) and defenseman Brad Stuart (hamstring) each missed 16 games. The Avalanche also lost rookie forwards Borna Rendulic (37 games, broken leg) and Dennis Everberg (10 games, shoulder). Forward Patrick Bordeleau missed the first 31 games to recover from back surgery and sustained a season-ending broken kneecap in his first game after being cleared to play.

"We had a lot of adversity. There were a lot of times where you're like, 'Wow, maybe it's not meant to be." Duchene said.

Nashville

The Predators returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after missing out the previous two, and their young talent has them optimistic about the future.
Even though the Predators play in the Central Division, arguably the toughest in the NHL, they proved last season they can compete with the League's best teams.
Filip Forsberg (21), had an outstanding rookie season in 2014-15, leading Nashville with 26 goals and 63 points in 82 games. The Predators are hoping Forsberg can add to those numbers and become the elite forward they've been lacking. Forsberg is already one of the most dynamic players the Predators have ever had. His vision with the puck and his ability to create a shot and finish chances fit perfectly alongside linemates Mike Ribeiro and James Neal.
"Everyone is still young, everyone is still improving. We've come a long way already, but this is just the start of hopefully a really long and successful journey for the boys here." Forsberg said.
The Predators already have two elite defensemen, Shea Weber and Roman Josi, but Seth Jones has the potential to be another top-flight player on one of the deepest defenses in the NHL. Jones was forced into a larger role during the playoffs last season when Weber was sidelined with a dislocated kneecap and proved he has the potential to someday be an elite defenseman. The offensive numbers haven't been there yet, but Nashville's aggressive style should provide Jones, who turns 21 on Oct. 3, with more opportunities to produce as he matures. Barret Jackman signed with the Predators as a free agent after 803 games with the St. Louis Blues.
"It doesn't seem like he gets rattled at anything. I think when [Weber] got hurt in the playoffs, he really stepped up and showed a lot of the potential that everybody saw in him. You look for him to only grow as a player, and eventually he'll be one of the top [defensemen] in the League." Jackman Said.
The addition of Jackman should allow Josi and Weber to rest more on the penalty kill and cut down on their minutes. Nashville's defense was one of the best in the League from an offensive standpoint last season. Coach Peter Laviolette wants his defensemen to join the rush and gives them the green light to be aggressive. Young defensemen Mattias Ekholm (25 years old; seven goals, 11 assists, plus-12 rating) and Ryan Ellis (24 years old; nine goals, 18 assists, plus-8 rating) each is coming off the best NHL season of his career. They formed Nashville's second defense pair for the majority of the season.
"I think my biggest asset is my skating, to be up joining the rush. All of us, the six, seven, eight defensemen we have here, we all want to join the rush and are great skaters. I think that suits me well." Ekholm said.
Colin Wilson scored an NHL career-high 20 goals last season and emerged as the top-six forward the Predators wanted him to be when they picked him with seventh pick of the 2008 NHL Draft. Wilson took his game to another level in the playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring five goals in six games. Wilson, 25, is entering the prime of his career and signed a four-year, $15.75 million contract July 27. Wilson's production will be very important for the Predators, who rely on scoring by committee. He thrived in his first season in Laviolette's system and signs point toward him continuing that trajectory.