CHICAGO, Ill. – It is going to be really hard not to select the Detroit Red Wings as the Central Division Champions, it is really going to hard not to select them to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. They have the solid corps already in place and now they have added another strong ingredient to the picture which will come in the team synopsis. As for the rest of the division, look for teams to ride on the success, or failures, of fielding young teams that the staff is working on building within, mainly from their collective draft picks the last few years. The biggest gap that we can see from the Red Wings and the rest of the division is their size, speed, and seasoning. The Wings might tire out chasing the youngsters around the rink, but they can use their hockey sense along the boards to equalize the disadvantage. Here is how the division looks like it will shake out. Detroit Red Wings: Central Division Champions Reasons they will succeed: The defending Stanley Cup Champions were already a formidable force coming into the season with minimal changes to their lineup, but the signing of Marian Hossa makes the cream rise over the cup. Hossa signed a one-year contract with Detroit to try and win the prize that has eluded him since he came into the league in 1997. Now that Dominik Hasek has finally retired again, the team will no longer have the goaltender distraction and allow Chris Osgood a consistent chance to shine. The overall depth of each line for the Red Wings make some teams wish that their first lines look like the Wings third and fourth lines. Centers Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk will only get better with a playmaker like Hossa in the lineup. Blueliners Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski with also add to the offensive barrage for this high scoring team. Reason they will fail: The only reason that the Red Wings will fail is if they bring it upon themselves. Will Hossa mesh well with the team? That should not be a problem since Hossa has fit in perfectly with the Penguins last season and adapted well. Injuries are a concern for every team in the leauge, but the depth of each line in Detroit makes everyone move up when needed at any given point and plays that role well. Rookie watch: No rookies made the parent club so don’t look anyone to have an immediate impact with the team unless there are injuries. Final summary: Detroit had the best record in the NHL last season, and with most of the same players in place with the addition of Hossa, look for the team to chop through the regular season, march through the playoffs, and march on to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Championship. Chicago Blackhawks: Playoff Bound Reasons they will succeed: The Blackhawks went big for a small team in acquiring free-agent defenseman Brian Campbell to anchor the team’s defensive corps. The team is still looking for a return on their long-term investment of winger Martin Havlat who has been oft-injured since signing with the team. The biggest controversy for the team can turn into a positive or a negative for the team. With the signing of goaltender Cristobal Huet and the proven netminders waiting in the wings (Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi), the Blackhawks wanted to see if they can move Nikolai Khabibulin to another team and free up some salary cap space for another forward. General Manager Dale Tallon could not find a trade partner and Khabibulin’s agent couldn’t find a job for him in the new Russian Kontinental Hockey League. Khabibulin went on waivers but there were no takers, so it was decided to have 1A and a 1B goaltender alternate starts. Both have said that they don’t mind sharing the duties. If that holds true, and the two play up to their game, the team could go far. Reasons they will fail: Injuries really hurt the team last season. Martin Havlat went down but the team was able to play their game. When current team Captain Jonathan Toews went down, the team’s momentum started to fade. A healthy team can make for a playoff run. Rookie watch: Right winger Jack Skille has proven himself in the pre-season as a player that can stay in front of the net and take anything that will come to him whether it is trying to jam the puck into the goal or by the opposition trying to move him out of the crease area. Final summary: Chicago came within three points of making it into the playoffs last season. Injuries curtailed the team, but most of the youngsters that were called up from the team’s AHL affiliate in Rockford received an extended taste of NHL hockey. Some of them have stuck with the team this season to complement the veterans and the up and coming stars like Toews and Patrick Kane If injuries are kept at a minimum, and the goaltending holds up, look for the team to make it into the playoffs as far as the sixth seed. Nashville Preadators: One the bubble Reasons they will succeed: With most of the same players still in place, look for the Predators to once again be consistent behind Head Coach Barry Trotz. Goaltender Dan Ellis came out of nowhere to get the team into the playoffs where they valiantly faced the Red Wings in the first round. Reason they will fail: Right-winger Jordan Tootoo is slowly dropping down the depth chart. He’s the team’s enforcer, but he needs too bring up his game and be the goal scorer that he can be. Tootoo needs to control his temper, but continue to antagonize the opposition by getting under their skin without hurting the team’s chances. Rookie watch: Look for winger Patric Hornqvist to be given the chance to help on any of the top two lines when needed. Hornqvist, a seventh round draft pick in 2005, will be given an opportinity to fill the void left by Alexander Radulov. Final Summary: If the Predators can maintain their consistent play like they did last few seasons they can make it again to the playoffs, but they need to bring it up a notch to become a staple in the postseason. The team barely made it in the playoffs last season. Still, the Preds are small, fast, and able to score, which has always been the case since the teams inception. The Preds have built their team from within, but they’ve added a decent mix of veterans, so look for the Preds to be a bubble team again at the end of the season. Columbus Blue Jackets: Outside looking in Reasons they will succeed: Left wing Rick Nash may finally get some much needed help on the front line with the additions of center R.J. Umberger, and right wing Kristian Huselius. Head Coach Ken Hitchcock’s message should finally resonate to more wins. The amount of quality prospects will finally join the big club and give Nash the much needed support he has lacked over the years. Reason they will fail: The team doesn’t have the character or overall talent across all four lines to make a true playoff contender. Most of the players are average and not able to carry the whole team to the next level. Rookie watch: Center Derick Brassard and right winger Jakub Voracek are being placed on the same line together, either on the second or third line. Both look to be a force on a Jackets team in dire need to score more. If they can adjust to the NHL level, anything can happen. Final Summary: The Blue Jackets are one consistent line away from making an impact that could propel them into the playoffs. Still, we see them as one season away from contending with the team that they have now. Defensively they are very close, and goaltending just needs a bit more experience. Pascal Leclaire had a solid season, and is learning quickly how to win at the NHL level. St. Louis Blues: Outside looking in Reasons they will succeed: The goaltending tandem of Chris Mason and Manny Legace will split the duties as the St. Louis Blues starter for the season. Both have played well in their careers so look for them to have an immediate impact on the team. Reason they will fail: Like Columbus, the skill and experience on the Blues roster may hinder, but playing every day will with the likes of Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk, and Andy McDonald, the team can only get better. The defensive end of the ice might be a different story as most of the teams blue line will require on-the-job training. Rookie watch: The team is chock full of rookies. Look for forwards Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie, along with defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to make an immediate impact on the team this season. Final Summary: Team President John Davidson believes that he can build the Blues from within by utilizing the draft. He is slowly getting to the point where his long list of quality draft picks have an impact with the team. With the players Davidson has now on the roster, you can realistically say that in 2-3 years we can see the team make the playoffs. Contact the author at Matt.Chin@prohockeynews.com
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