CENTRAL DIVISION
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
For the second straight season, the Blackhawks missed the playoffs as coach Joel Quenneville, leader of 3 Stanley Cup championships this decade, was let go and the club is embracing a rebuild despite still having their two cornerstones (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews) here. Grabbing Kirby Dach with the 3rd pick in the draft could help. It's probably a near playoff berth this season.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
The Avs have been up and down in recent years. Last year, they were up. Besting the top seed in the playoffs is a big plus for a team that is still looking for an identity. Nathan McKinnon is finally being mentioned as one of the top players in the league. The Avs are an up-and-comer who hopefully doesnt go downward this season.
DALLAS STARS
In Big D, the drama is also huge. During the season, CEO Jim Lites called out his top players (Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin) even though it really wasn't their fault the team was struggling. The Stars would rebound and make the playoffs. In the offseason, Dallas signed Joe Pavelski for added leadership for a good playoff team.
MINNESOTA WILD
It was a "wild" season for Minnesota. Ha ha ha. But the laughs end discussing the Wild front office. GM Paul Fenton was gone in 14 months. The team was in limbo all of 2018-2019. The Wild have a lot of work cut out for them this season. I think the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter contracts are holding this franchise down.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
I don't know what to make of this team. They looked like world beaters, yet underachieved so much in the playoffs. The Preds decided to trade P.K. Subban for cap space. The money saved was there to sign Matt Duchene. Nashville is one the top teams in the West, but this year could be their last chance for a title.
WINNIPEG JETS
Like Nashville, Winnipeg seemed to underachieve in the playoffs. Many pundits think this team is a dynasty waiting to happen. This year should be the breakout year that many fans wanted since the move to Winnipeg in 2011. Despite many tough competition in the West, the Jets can be the last team standing in the conference.
ST. LOUIS BLUES
After a sluggish start and a momentual goalie change, the Blues got it together and stormed into the second half of the season along with a gutsy playoff run to claim the franchise's first Cup. It will be tough to repeat when you have some hungry teams gunning for you, but the Blues are equipped and ready for the challenge.
(Side Note: Will any Blues fans actually look up the lyrics for the song Gloria?)
PACIFIC DIVISION
ANAHEIM DUCKS
It has happened. The Ducks' long stranglehold near the top of the division has ended. A 12-game losing streak, the firing of coach Randy Carlyle and many long term contracts with slim chances of being moved. Anaheim could use their prospects to rebuild and start over, but how they develop is a pondering question.
ARIZONA COYOTES
The Coyotes ended the season on a very positive note. The optimism going into this season has been high for the first time in years. OEL leads a team who is not ready for playoff contention, but got a boost with a trade for Phil Kessel. Oh, and they have a new owner. How is this going to effect the Coyotes? (That will be on a later date.)
CALGARY FLAMES
Lost in Tampa's historic chokejob, the Flames were also the top seed to fall in the playoffs. Calgary has a lot of questions going into this season, but one is their arena issue which still is miles away from being resolved. The Flames acquired Cam Talbot and Milan Lucic to help this team, but there still is a lot of questions.
EDMONTON OILERS
The Oilers had another lost season. It got so bad that the team fired GM Peter Chiarielli....in the middle of a game. Now it's up to former Red Wings architect Ken Holland to salvage this mess and build a competive team around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Good luck, Ken.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
The Kings are in that post-championship limbo where they still have their core, but need their young players and prospects to step up. They drafted Alex Turcotte with the 5th pick, so that could help. L.A. still can be a playoff team, but they are light years away from contending.
SAN JOSE SHARKS
Another year, another flameout in the postseason. This team seems to do the things that a contender does to put themselves in a championship situation, but they fall short. They gambled this offseason by keeping Erik Karlsson and letting Joe Pavelski go. Hopefully this puts them over the top.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Two years in the league, two playoff appearances. The Golden Knights have bucked the trend of what an expansion team should do. Expect the same this season as Vegas have a team that can threaten to take the Cup this season.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
After the Sedin twins retired, the Canucks were just a middle of the pack team. But the future seems bright. Elias Pettersson won the Calder Trophy after an outstanding rookie campaign. It's the rest of the team that raises a lot of questions.
PREDICTIONS:
EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS: Washington, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Florida, NY Islanders, Boston, Toronto
WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS: San Jose, Winnipeg, Calgary, Nashville, St.Louis, Dallas, Vegas, Anaheim
ECF: Tampa Bay, Washington
WCF: San Jose, Winnipeg
STANLEY CUP FINALS: San Jose, Tampa Bay
STANLEY CUP CHAMPION: San Jose
Hey, they are due.
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