2025-26 NHL Preview: Central Division

For my money, the Central Division is the toughest division to call this season. There is one team (Chicago) destined to finish in last, and the rest could easily finish anywhere from #1 to #7. It's arguably the best division in the league. Of course, the preseason hype could turn into a runaway train for one team, while others fail to impress. Just ask the Nashville Predators what that is like. 

As promised, here are my predictions for the division last season that turned out to be a "little" off. Honestly, I felt I did an okay job predicting the Central last season, but there were two big exceptions:

• Nashville makes the playoffs over Minnesota and St. Louis (the Predators finished 7th and were easily the most disappointing team, while the Wild and the Blues finished 4th and 5th, respectively)
• Winnipeg is a Wild Card team (the Jets won the President's Trophy)

8. Chicago Blackhawks

This is the only prediction I'm fairly confident in for the division this season. Frankly, it has less to do with the Blackhawks themselves than it does with the teams above them. They just aren't there yet. Their offense is a bit on the older side, if you consider players in their early 30s "older", though it's led by a few studs in Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. Their defense is still in its infancy, with most of them in their late teens and early 20s. There will remain a ton of growing pains for the group as they try to solidify into a future contender. I think it's bold of the Blackhawks to give the net to Spencer Knight, whom they acquired in the Seth Jones trade last season. His career numbers don't leap off the page, but he has already inked an extension to be the team's assumed #1 for the next few years. I think the Blackhawks will still give up a lot of goals, but they're going to score a lot, too. Their time is coming. It isn't quite here yet.

7. Nashville Predators

From this point on, anything goes with this division. I could put these teams in a randomizer and, as long as Dallas is still near the top of the division, I could buy any outcome. As I alluded to earlier, the Nashville Predators were last season's most disappointing team. They went all out during free agency, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei to big deals. They were a popular playoff pick, but everything crashed and burned almost immediately. They had the league's second-worst offense, and their defense was in the Bottom 6. Juuse Saros wasn't great, though an argument could be made that he was hung out to dry more often than not. The truth is that they're a veteran team with an uncertain future as Father Time starts to peek his head around the corner. I don't think they got much better this offseason, re-acquiring Erik Haula, and signing Nicolas Hague and Nick Perbix. This team will only go as far as Saros, Filip Forsberg, and Roman Josi will carry them. Unfortunately, I don't see it being all that far. 

6. St. Louis Blues

I almost had the Blues finishing in 7th behind Nashville. I like Juuse Saros more than Jordan Binnington. However, Binnington's performance in the 4 Nations tournament made me reconsider. Plus, Saros hasn't played well over the last few seasons. On paper, this Blues team is solid. They didn't do a ton this offseason that impressed me, with a Bolduc-for-Mailloux swap being their only notable change. They have a good core of forwards, led by Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. So why aren't they a playoff team? The loss of Torey Krug is a big one, leaving the left side of their defense as a big question. Philip Broberg was good, and Cam Fowler, despite his age, was excellent in the seven-game loss to Winnipeg during the playoffs. Still, it would be irresponsible to think he'll repeat that for an entire season. The Blues could make the playoffs, especially if the Wild trade Kaprizov and the Pacific doesn't earn a Wild Card bid. It just speaks to how up in the air this division is. 

5. Minnesota Wild

This offseason has been tough in the State of Hockey. The biggest stories have surrounded their contract negotiations with RFA Marco Rossi and superstar Kirill Kaprizov as he enters the final year of his deal. It seemed that Rossi was going to be traded at many points throughout the offseason, but they finally came to terms on a bridge deal that gets him near the end of his team control. It took until nearly the 12th hour to get the deal done with Kirill Kaprizov, but they finally got that done, too. Kaprizov signed the richest deal in NHL history, extending for eight years at $17 million per season. With wild trade speculation flying around about where he could possibly land, the Wild buckled in and got it to the finish line. Minnesota still has to contend with Mats Zuccarello not being ready by the start of the season, and things are looking interesting for the Wild. This team could absolutely make the playoffs, but I'm sacrificing them to ensure another team gets in. If I'm wrong about a team, I'm fairly certain it'll be this one.

4. Colorado Avalanche*(WC1)

For a team with one of the best players in the world and the best defenseman on the planet, this might seem very low, especially with the team I've placed above them. However, I'd argue the biggest loss this team had was last January when they traded Mikko Rantanen to Carolina. They sure could've used him in the 1st Round against Dallas. That's no disrespect to Martin Necas. As a Canes fan, I hated that he was in the return, though I understood it was necessary. It doesn't seem like Necas and Colorado are a perfect match, though. Rumors are swirling that he doesn't want to stay there long-term. There's still plenty to like about this group. Their offense should be great. Their defense is solid, adding Brent Burns in what could be his final chance to win a Stanley Cup. The burning question will be whether Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood can keep them in the fight long enough. I think they'll be a playoff team on sheer talent alone, but their longevity in the playoffs, especially if they meet Dallas again, could be in question. 

3. Utah Mammoth*

This is my "boom-or-bust" pick of the season. I'm going all-in on the Utah Mammoth to make the playoffs. Even further, I think they'll finish in the Top 3 of the division. This team might not have the top-end talent that Colorado has, though I'd gladly take Clayton Keller on my team any day of the week. Their defense doesn't have a Cale Makar-type. This is another younger team that added some veteran help in Brandon Tanev and Nate Schmidt to round them out. However, their biggest addition was JJ Peterka after acquiring him from Buffalo. This move is a big reason for my excitement. I have a little more faith in Karel Vejmelka, who posted a 2.54 GAA last season. Utah improved 12 points from their final year in Arizona to their first year in Utah. They're moving in the right direction. Adding a player like Peterka to a fun team makes them even more fun. This prediction will either age like fine wine or like milk in the sun. I'm hoping for the former. 

2. Winnipeg Jets*

You could swap Winnipeg and Colorado, and I wouldn't bat an eye. I think the top of this division is interchangeable. However, there are three reasons I predict Winnipeg above Colorado this season. The first is reigning Hart and Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck. Winnipeg's goaltending is light-years better than Colorado's. We can say all we want about his postseason performances, but Hellebuyck is the best goalie on the planet. Second, losing Ehlers is less of a loss for Winnipeg than losing Rantanen is for Colorado. It's a tad ironic that both players ended up in Carolina. Ehlers was a consistent scorer, but his health was an issue. Adding Jonathan Toews doesn't make up for Ehler's production, but it's a better addition than Colorado had. Lastly, I trust Winnipeg's depth more than I trust Colorado's. The Avalanche have better top-end players, but the Jets are more balanced throughout the lineup. I don't think this is a President's Trophy repeat for Winnipeg, but this is still a great group.

1. Dallas Stars*

The Stars did most of their damage for this season when they acquired Mikko Rantanen from Carolina at the trade deadline. He immediately made them threats for the Stanley Cup, though they fell in the Western Conference Finals to Edmonton. This season, they'll get a full 82 games with Rantanen in the lineup, adding another legitimate 30-40-goal threat to their team. Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson, and Wyatt Johnson all hit 30 last year, led by Robertson's 35. They're backed by one of the best goalies in the league, a top-flight defenseman in Miro Heiskanen, and an emerging star in Thomas Harley. It doesn't feel like there are many weaknesses on this roster. That's why I think the President's Trophy will stay in the Central Division, albeit via a trip to Texas. This doesn't feel like a very bold pick, but I don't know if there's a roster in the league better than the Dallas Stars.