"The Central Division featured the league's best regular-season team in 2024-25. The race for the division crown wasn't even close. The Winnipeg Jets ran away with the division, leaving the rest of the clubs to jockey for position. The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche cemented themselves in second and third, respectively, killing any uncertainty in the standings for months on end."
"The interesting portion of the division came with three teams fighting for two playoff spots. That battle landed both Central Division clubs in the playoffs. While they didn't get very far, the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues laid the foundation of what looks to be a bright future. Fast forward to the 2025-26 season, and the Central Division could be one that delivers the most fascinating race in the standings. So, let's do our best to determine where the teams in the Central will end up in the 2025-26 season."
"The Blackhawks did not make any significant upgrades during the offseason. That's somewhat of a disappointing situation for Chicago fans. But the tantalizing prospect of building a forward group including Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, AND McKenna could be the makings of a dynasty. Add Alex Vlasic and Artyom Levshunov, and the Blackhawks could be unstoppable in the late 2020s heading into the 2030s. In the meantime, another painful season could be on the horizon for fans in the Windy City."
The Winnipeg Jets dominated the Central Division in 2024-25, creating a wide gap between themselves and the rest of the division. The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche secured comfortable second and third places, removing prolonged uncertainty in the standings. A close fight for two playoff spots involved the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, both of which reached the playoffs and established promising foundations for the future. The 2025-26 Central Division projects to be a much tighter and more compelling race. The Chicago Blackhawks appear poised to finish last while prioritizing a youth-driven rebuild centered on top prospects.
Read at Puck Prose
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