NHL 2016-17 Preview: Puck Daddy predicts the Central Division

The 2016-17 NHL season is finally upon us, which means it’s time to start picking, prognosticating and forecasting the standings.

We previewed the Atlantic earlier. We previewed the Pacific after that. Oh hey here’s the Metro Division preview. Now, here’s how our panel of so-called experts sees the Central Division shaking out. They sincerely hope you forget you ever saw this unless they’re right:

Greg Wyshynski, Editor: The Predators are the darling pick in the NHL this season, which is what happens when you add P.K. Subban to a collection of good to great players. But if they’re going to finish first, they need a return to form from Pekka Rinne, and that’s what gives me pause here.

Luckily, the Preds are on the upswing while the rest of the division’s titans have question marks: a new supporting cast in Chicago, and some tread off their tires; the goaltending and weird-ass coaching situation in St. Louis; and a Dallas Stars team that played above its collective head last season, and now has a diminished blue line. That said, it’s hard to fathom a 20-point drop in the standings for a team with that offensive talent in its top six.

Sorry, Winnipeg and Colorado – were it any other division …

Sean Leahy, Editor: This is the type of team David Poile has been building to for years. A full year of Ryan Johansen. P.K. Subban on the blue line. Another year of progression for Filip Forsberg. The Predators are going to be very fun to watch this season. Pekka Rinne won’t be winning the Vezina any time soon, but he’s competent enough to give them enough from goal to win games and in the playoffs. How much fun will it be to watch Hockey Tonk for two months next spring?

[SEE OUR PREVIEW OF ALL 30 NHL TEAMS HERE]

Jen Neale, Editor: The Central will be up there with the Metro as the most competitive division in the league. Dallas, Nashville and Chicago are locks. St. Louis will rally under the remaining (year of terror?) of Ken Hitchcock. Minnesota will see the Bruce Boudreau-bump that all his teams get.

Josh Cooper, Editor: The Dallas Stars will best the St. Louis Blues for the second straight year. The Avalanche could surprise in the central with newly-hired Jared Bednar behind the bench, but they don’t have the firepower to go up against the usual top teams in that division. The Nashville Predators will benefit from a full year of Ryan Johansen and should show improvement from a year ago. Bruce Boudreau will also help the Minnesota Wild’s consistency. The Chicago Blackhawks are intriguing because some of their players (Marian Hossa specifically) dropped off last season and you have to wonder how the group will look this upcoming season without any big offseason acquisitions to bolster their roster.

Ryan Lambert, Columnist: Dallas and St. Louis will both have strong years despite obvious flaws. While I don’t have a lot of faith in the Wild’s roster, I can’t pick against Bruce Boudreau as a coach.

Steve Laidlaw, Fantasy Columnist: The Stars drop out because of their leaky goaltending and weakened defense. They’ll still be fun to watch, however. If Pekka Rinne’s skills weren’t eroding we’d all be trumpeting the Predators to run away with the league. Let’s assume he’ll be good enough for them to win or they’ll find someone else who can get the job done. Juuse Saros is looming in the AHL, coming off his first season in North America, in which he posted a .920 save percentage. There are plenty of contenders in the West but Nashville has the best squad entering the season.

Sam McCaig, NHL Editor: The Central Division is a monster. The top four teams – the Blues, Predators, Blackhawks and Stars – have a legitimate shot to win the conference, and all seven teams in the division are playoff candidates. It says here the Wild will join the Central’s top four clubs in the postseason, with the Avs and Jets left out.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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