From the Press Box: Central Division Booms & Busts

Chicago Blackhawks
The Hawks once again reign over the league as defending Stanley Cup champions and, just as they had to reconfigure their roster after their previous title, the salary cap caused a major shakeup this summer. They acquired several assets in a deal with Columbus, most notably new second line center Artem Anisimov, and also added Trevor Daley to shore up a second pairing on the blueline.

Artem Anisimov – The Hawks have had a number of centers fill the second line, scoring role over the last few years, but I like Anisimov's chances to do great things here. He is big (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) and has good puck possession skills, with a chance to play with Patrick Kane (assuming Kane's legal issues are resolved). A brand new five-year, $22.75 million contract tells me the Hawks expect big things too. BOOM

Artem Panarin – Chicago may have snatched a real gem out of the KHL, as this smooth-skating winger was among the league's leading scorers in the regular season and in the playoffs. He will get an early look in a scoring line role and could explode offensively. BOOM

Trevor Daley – He joins Chicago after counting 16 goals and 22 assists in a solid offensive output last year. Those numbers will take a hit as he comes in as a second pairing option, behind arguably the league's top tandem of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who log top minutes and the lion's share of power play time. BUST

Dallas Stars
The Stars have come through a third straight summer bringing in a number of players via trade, growing GM Jim Nill's reputation as an astute deal-maker.

Patrick Sharp – The two-time Cup champ became too expensive to keep in the Hawks' cap structure, so a deal was done and now he is expected to join Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on the top line. That should translate into a spike in Sharp's points total. BOOM

Valeri Nichushkin – Much was expected of this large, young power forward-in-training last season, but that campaign went up in smoke following an injury that wiped out his whole season. The Stars are likely to bring him along slowly and have him on a path with lower expectations this time around. BUST

Kari Lehtonen – Lehtonen has been the unchallenged No. 1 goalie for several years, but the Stars surprised many with their pickup of Antti Niemi, who will get at least an equal share of playing time. If that's the case, neither of them will be among league leaders in wins; and in any case, it does not bode well for Lehtonen. BUST

Colorado Avalanche
Which Avalanche team shows up this year? Will it be the one from two seasons back that shocked the league with their young offensive core and a rookie coached named Patrick Roy, or will it be the crew that underachieved last season?

Carl Soderberg – He never had a chance of unseating the 1-2 punch that the Bruins have at center, but the trade to Colorado will give him that opportunity. He will get a top-six opportunity with the Avalanche and that means quality linemates, too. BOOM

Jarome Iginla – This sure-fire hall of famer, 38, is coming off a 29-goal season and a very prominent role on the top line and first power play unit. A rugged player with as many miles on his body as Iginla has can't possibly repeat and may be due for some slippage. BUST

Francois Beauchemin – The Avs added this 35-year old minute-eater to round out their top four defensemen, and he is coming off a career-high 11-goals. Colorado is likely looking for him to focus on the defensive side of the puck and leave the heavy lifting on offense to Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie and Nikita Zadorov. BUST

Minnesota Wild
The Wild have accumulated several veteran front line contributors to become a real threat in the last two seasons, but their fortunes have really turned since they acquired goalie Devan Dubnyk midway through last season.

Thomas Vanek – A little personal bias here as I have always viewed the highly skilled winger as an underachiever, maybe even a guy who doesn't always go all out. If he is not motivated he will sleepwalk through long stretches. I wouldn't invest in that. BUST

Justin Fontaine – This late-bloomer has been a very responsible two-way player who has played the bulk of his minutes in a third line role and with a less-talented prior version of the Wild. He has more scoring skills than he has shown and is surrounded by better talent. BOOM

Nino Niederreiter – This recent first round draft pick seemed to grow more comfortable with his combination of size and skills, particularly in the latter stages of last season. The team feels that he has not yet reached his ceiling, and I agree. BOOM

Nashville Predators
The Predators have long been known as a team that could be competitive because of a strong defensive posture. Now, in addition to growing a deep defense corps, they have added some improved offensive talent and are coming off a season when they battled with perennial Western powers for conference supremacy.

Kevin Fiala – The Preds think they have another offensive spark plug in the mold of Filip Forsberg, who had a breakout campaign last year. He is a flashy player with lots of upside, though he's still only 19 years old. He will start out behind Forsberg and steady veteran Colin Wilson, who tallied 20 goals on the second line at left wing. Fiala will likely be brought along slowly and may not be guaranteed a spot on the big club. BUST

Mike Ribeiro – The veteran playmaking center will be 36 years old halfway through the season and may lose playing time in the top six and power play units if Cody Hodgson rebounds in his Nashville debut. There doesn't seem anywhere for Ribeiro to go but down. BUST

Cody Hodgson – The young center was squeezed out of any shot at a prominent role in Buffalo and has a chance to reignite his career with a new lease on life in Nashville. He has loads of offensive skill but slumped so badly that he may be battling confidence issues at training camp. If he gets over that issue, he could really blossom. BOOM

St. Louis Blues
The Blues are once again primed to be a very competitive team in the Western Conference as they once again present a roster with quality depth at each position under the direction of excellent tactician Ken Hitchcock.

Jori Lehtera He formed a nice partnership with Vladimir Tarasenko, who emerged as one of the league's newest superstars, last season. As the campaign progressed, this duo moved up the depth chart and took over first line power play time in the second half. They will start the year with those roles again, with plenty of depth and creative winger Jaden Schwarz returning on the left wing. BOOM

Troy Brouwer – The rugged winger will be making his debut with the Blues, but he will see a different role than the front line one he had with the Caps. He will fit in behind Tarasenko and captain David Backes on the right wing depth chart. That will hurt his offensive output, along with less power play time. BUST

Dmitrij Jaskin – The native of Finland has taken positive steps in his development, reaching the 14-goal plateau while having his playing time limited during his first sustained exposure as an NHL regular. The fact that he was re-signed to his first one-way contract as a pro implies that Hitchcock and the staff are pleased with his progress and there is a suggestion that he could play top-six minutes this season. BOOM

Winnipeg Jets
The Jets rewarded their rabid fan base with a return to the postseason for the first time in seven years. To repeat that achievement will not be an easy task, but they do have a favorable outlook because of the presence, for a full season, of Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford, who fit in so well after being acquired from Buffalo.

Tyler Myers – The hulking blueliner showed flashes of his early career offensive skills once he was dealt to the Jets at the deadline. That move reenergized him after wallowing in the misery around the floundering Sabres of the past few years. He is surrounded by a much deeper roster, which started to learn how to win together last season. He should be a top pairing and power-play quarterback defenseman. BOOM

Toby Enstrom – For many seasons he has been a top-pairing defender and the unchallenged power-play quarterback. The Jets have developed and acquired three younger and skilled blueliners who are in that conversation now. He also missed 22 games to injury last year. BUST

Mark Scheifele – This big former first round draft pick showed his playmaking ability in tallying 34 assists last season. He is a lock to start the season on one of the top scoring lines and should be a cinch to reach the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his young career. BOOM

Predicted Finish
1. Nashville
2. Dallas
3. Chicago
4. St Louis
5. Colorado
6. Minnesota
7. Winnipeg