BY MIKE RIFKIN
Puck drop is officially upon us for the 2026-27 NHL season. Most teams have the expectation to win the Stanley Cup, but there can only be one winner. In this article I will talk about how the division played out last season, and with key moves how I expect it to play out this season. Here we will talk about one of the most competitive divisions the Central.
2025-26 CENTRAL STANDINGS
- COLORADO AVALANCHE
- DALLAS STARS
- MINNESOTA WILD
- UTAH MAMMOTH
- ST. LOUIS BLUES
- NASHVILLE PREDATORS
- WINNIPEG JETS
- CHICAGO BLACKHAWS
KEY MOVES
BLACKHAWKS : CONNOR BEDARD (EXT), PATRICK KANE, BOWEN BYRAM, OLIVER MOORE (EXT) , KEVIN KORCHINSKI (EXT)
AVALANCHE : CALE MAKAR (EXT), BRENT BURNS, JADEN SCHWARTZ
STARS : JAMIE BENN, JASON ROBERTSON
MINNESOTA : BLAKE COLEMAN, OLLI MATTA’
NASHVILLE : MAVIRIK BORQUE, ILYA LUBUSHKIN, ROSS COLTON, JACK DRURY, NILS HOGLANDER, ADAM EDSTROM
ST. LOUIS : DILLON DUBE, CONNOR MCMICHAEL, MASON MCTAVISH, BRANDON CARLO
UTAH : BARRETT HAYTON/JOHN MARINO (EXT), SEBASTIAN COSSA, ANDERS LEE, VINCENT TROCHECK
WINNIPEG : STUART SKINNER, COLE PERFETTI (EXT)
ONE BURNING QUESTION FOR EACH TEAM (WITH MY ANSWER)
BLACKHAWKS : IS THIS THE YEAR THEY TAKE A STEP FORWARD? : The Blackhawks have been in this rebuild for what feels like forever. They’ve had a plethora of high draft picks, and they haven’t seen the results. With the additions of Bowen Byram and fan favorite Patrick Kane, the Hawks have to think they’re close, but until we see it on the ice, it’s wait and see.
AVALANCHE : IS THIS THE YEAR? – The Avs enter the season as one of the favorites to hoist the Cup. Last season they won the President’s Trophy, and got to the Western Conference Finals. This year they’re looking to hoist the Cup for the first time since 2022.
STARS : LAST DANCE? : The Stars have been on the cusp of the Cup for a while now. Whether it was reaching the Cup Final in 2020 or losing to the Oilers in the Conference Final, the Stars have been so close but have yet to get over the hump. With what’s been happening in the Jason Robertson saga this might be their last chance with this roster.
WILD : CAN WE GET A QUINN HUGHES EXTENSION? : The Wild made a big splash when they acquired Quinn Hughes from the Canucks for the equivalent of four first round picks. The Wild failed to get out of the second round last season, if Hughes enters the season unsigned what happens at the trade deadline for a team that has big time expectations.
PREDS : WHAT ARE THEY? : The Preds find themselves in a weird situation, they have veterans like Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly, but this summer they added to a youth movement with players like Mavirik Borque. Chris Mcfarland will have options at the trade deadline, whether they buy or sell.
BLUES : WHAT HAPPENS WITH JORDAN BINNINGTON? : The Blues are in a weird spot, they have a lot of young talent and made some interesting moves in the offseason. But one guy, who has remained has been Jordan Binnington, the goalie who helped them hoist the Cup in 2019, has been inconsistent over the past few seasons. Last season he had a save percentage under .900 and a goals against over three. Let’s see if anyone is interested at the deadline.
MAMMOTH : CAN THEY TAKE THE NEXT STEP? : The Mammoth were a surprise last season when they made the playoffs. Then this offseason they were very aggressive with the additions of Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck, they’ve been linked to some other big names. They’re talented enough to take the step, but will they.
JETS : CAN WE END THE HELLEBUYCK SAGA? : The longer the Connor Hellebuyck situation drags, the more of a distraction it’ll be. Not sure if Chevy is getting the offers he wants for the star goalie, but the longer this drags he is hurting his own team. They brought in Stuart Skinner for a reason, and he is an established NHL goalie.
PREDICTIONS
- AVS
- STARS
- WILD
- MAMMOTH (WC)
- PREDS (WC)
- JETS
- BLACKHAWKS
- BLUES
This division will be tight.
