NHL 2010-2011 Central Division season preview
The Central Division's Chicago Blackhawks broke one of the longest streaks in sports (number of years between championships) when they won their first Stanley Cup since 1961.
In addition to winning the cup, their second overall finish in the conference was a single point behind the San Jose Sharks, and with their first place finish in the division, the Blackhawks ended the Detroit Red Wings' reign of terror as the undisputed
class of the Central Division. With teams like the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues continuing to improve, the Central Division could be tighter than it has ever been.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have had one of the best young teams for three or more seasons now and, if anything, they peaked ahead of schedule by winning the Stanley Cup last year. Their core of star players which includes forwards Johnathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and
Patrick Kane and defencemen Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook, could be considered one of the strongest nuclei of players in the league.
The Blackhawks decided to walk away from the arbitration deal that was awarded to Finnish goaltender Antii Niemi, and have replaced him with Marty Turco.
One wonders if the Blackhawks will have the same sort of grit without role players such as Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd, and Dustin Byfuglien who were all instrumental in the Blackhawks Stanley Cup run, and who have now left the team via free agency.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have been one of the most successful franchises over the last 20 years, winning four Stanley Cups and making two other finals appearances during that time. The last time the Red Wings failed to make the play-offs was during the 1989-90 season,
back when the Central Division was called the Norris (this year's number one overall draft pick, Taylor Hall, hadn't even been born yet). But their glory days are behind them and their once great team is getting just a bit old to compete with a team like the
Blackhawks. Notable names such as Niklas Lidstrom (40), Brian Rafalski (37), Todd Bertuzzi (35), Kris Draper (39), and Pavel Datsyuk (32) are all players with their best years behind them. Still, it was the Red Wings who decided to take a chance on Mike Modano
(40) after the Dallas Stars let him go in order to pave the way for their younger players. The Red Wings are a story straight out of Rocky, but this is the NHL and not the movies.
Nashville Predators
The Predators fought their way back into the playoffs last year after failing to qualify the previous season. Before that, they had qualified for the play-offs four years in a row. Last year, they managed to make the play-offs courtesy of the outstanding
performance of goaltender Pekka Rinne. Defencemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter fill the leadership role this year, while Patrick Hornqvist leads the way, coming from 30 goals last season. The Predators will be hoping the addition of Sergei Kostitsyn will help
them generate the type of offence they need to return to the play-offs.
St. Louis Blues
After making the play-offs for 25 straight seasons before the lockout, the Blues have returned to the play-offs only once and did not qualify last year. They are optimistic that the newly acquired Jaroslav Halak will live up to what he accomplished in Montreal
(he took the Canadiens all the way to the Eastern Conference final). They'll also be hoping that 28-year-old Brad Boyes can return to the 40-goal plateau that he achieved three seasons ago.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Despite boasting the likes of Rick Nash and Antoine Vermette up front, the Blue Jackets lack real depth. Goaltender Steve Mason, who was outstanding during his rookie season-he led the Blue Jackets into the play-offs for the only time in their history-will
have to have another miracle season if Columbus hopes to make the playoffs this year.
What to expect
Johnathan Toews and the Blackhawks are a sure bet to win the division and get back into the play-offs. A play-off meeting between them and the Canucks could likely have a different outcome this time around, and it will be very tough for the Blackhawks to
become repeat champions since they are still good, but haven't really improved. The Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues will look to earn two of the bottom eight spots in the conference, while the Blue Jackets will continue to rebuild. The Red Wings will
do what they haven't done in over 20 years, and fail to make the playoffs.So the conclusion stands with:
In: Blackhawks, Predators, Blues.
Out: Red Wings, Blue Jackets.
Tags: