We continue our preview of the Central Division by focusing on the second half of the division. We discuss the off-season moves and prospects for the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Utah Hockey Club, and Winnipeg Jets.

The episode dives deep into each team's roster changes, potential line combinations, and key factors that could influence their upcoming season. We also share their standings predictions for the Central Division, debating which teams will likely make the playoffs and which might struggle. The Nashville Predators' dynamic off-season, the St. Louis Blues' defensive concerns, Utah Hockey Club's potential, and the Winnipeg Jets' need for a strong second-line center are key highlights.

00:00 Welcome to Overtime Hockey Talk

00:34 Nashville Predators: A Transformative Offseason

10:38 St. Louis Blues: Strategic Moves and New Beginnings

15:49 Utah Hockey Club: New Team on the Block

19:58 Bubble Playoff Spot Battle

20:50 Arizona Hockey Club's Potential

21:26 Winnipeg Jets' Season Outlook

26:32 Goaltending Strategies and Concerns

30:18 Central Division Predictions

36:03 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Previews

Hello and welcome back to overtime hockey talk.

I am Mark and this is Justin and we are here doing.

the second half of the central division preview, we are going to hit the remaining

four teams, the Nashville predators, St.

Louis blues, the Utah hockey club, and the Winnipeg jets.

If you missed.

Episode part one of the central division preview, that's the black

Hawks, the avalanche stars in the wild.

Go over, check that out and subscribe to the show wherever it is.

You listen to podcasts and Justin, we are, We're going through the

second half of this central division.

The Nashville predators, 100%, the most mind blowing off season, maybe for any

team that we've seen in some years,

Yeah.

like they had a fun off season.

They completely changed their team this off season.

Yeah.

When's the last time you've heard of a team that's added two 40 goal scores

to the roster in free agency, right?

Never.

and a top four defenseman and a backup goalie, and they re signed their,

star goalie to a long term deal.

what an off season for this team.

And they go, and they were able to re sign Alexander Carrier as well,

who has been with the Predators.

they signed him before and, he's been really good for them playing

that kind of checking role, a really good off season for Barry Trotz.

I think this is his second off season as general manager.

Yeah.

And he absolutely like knocking it out of the park.

Isn't even a good enough analogy.

Yeah.

This is like when Gary Bonds would hit a ball so far into

the water in San Francisco and.

53 kayaks just tried to surround the ball.

that's this kind of off season that, Barry trots just had.

so as far as the player, Scott Wedgwood backup goalie signs Alexander

carry a three year deal worth 3.

75 per year.

Alex, Jonathan Marsha.

So signs a five year deal, 5.

5 million.

They keep the cab hit low because clearly let's face it.

The predators are not necessarily looking at this situation going, like

now that you've got Marsha, so you've got Brady Shea coming in, you've got

Steven Stamko signing a four year, four times eight deal and sorrows, re signs.

Everything just shifted from, Oh, the predators might need to

rebuild to screw the rebuild.

Let's go.

Let's go, dad.

We're going to try and win the Stanley Cup like there did a window just randomly open

I

think so.

Yeah.

I think you

they left the window open for a burglar to get in there and a window just open.

How often have we seen a team that's about to go into a rebuild and.

Two years later, it looks like they might be able to compete for a Stanley cup.

I think that's fair to say, right?

they've got every piece.

When you look at teams that compete for Stanley Cup, right?

You've got two good forward lines right now with Stan, Coast and Marshall.

They clearly have that because they were very good.

Top heavy with that line of Forsburg Riley and goose last year.

So now they've got that, they've got a star defenseman in Roman Yosi and

now they've got depth on defense, which I don't get me wrong, Ryan

McDonough was okay last year, but.

this just is a whole new, Brady Shea is just a whole nother level

of defenseman and Alexander Carrier is an improvement on that as well.

And so you bring in those guys and you still get, UC Sorrows,

who to me is still a top easy top 10 goaltender in this league.

No concerns, no issues.

Where I look at it and I say, maybe they could use another top six forward, or

maybe they need a top four defenseman.

They don't have any of those issues.

Now maybe those guys aren't as sexy as like a Colorado.

You look at their top four defense, right?

And then you look at Nashville's and you say, okay, Roman Yo's there.

But outside of that, it's not as sexy.

But still they have pieces where you look at 'em and you could say they can compete.

Yeah.

I guess the only thing we

enter position to the predators is like, Hey, at the set and Ryan

O'Reilly could Ryan O'Reilly.

That's where they're weak, O'Reilly, Sissons, Novak,

guys goes down, what else you could find, because

it's not super pretty, as far as what's there, I think with the

Predators right now, they've got 11.

8 million in buyouts, to work the cap, so that's, it's, that's maybe another

thing to go, wow, how are they doing this, when they basically have the same

amount of money That the Minnesota wild have tied up in buyouts, but they just

went out and signed all these free agents.

Hey, taxes, man.

It.

very impressive.

Yes.

Yes.

The taxes help get some guys on cheaper deals.

but yeah, it's just, with the Steven Samco signing, I do think that maybe,

when all of a sudden done, we wrap it up, I think there's a chance that, I'd love

to hear the actual story behind, here's why we didn't sign Samco cause eight,

four times eight for a guy that just put up huge points, it doesn't sound bad.

You know, he's still a great player in this league.

I'm, I still am borderline in shock that Tampa Bay didn't make this happen.

It is a Tampa Bay move.

It's like a very Julian breeze bought to be like, don't care.

I don't think you're going to be good in three years.

So not signing you to that

Yeah,

and that

the thing was, is analytics, right?

The numbers say that Jake Gensler was the better player, right?

He was the guy to make the play on if you're going to spend that kind of money.

And so I, on one hand, I applaud them for making that move

to say, Hey, you know what?

We're going to say goodbye to our longtime captain.

Stanley cup winner, this 40 goalscore because we want to bring in a guy who

analytically looks better on paper.

and a lot of people will still argue.

Stamkos is just mostly a power play specialist at this point

in his career, but I still think he has something to give.

I still think he's a competitive player.

And if you put them on a second line, you don't have them have a

lot of responsibilities defensively.

He can go out there and produce, I think for, a team like

Nashville, that you, that, that.

That really needed the depth at the forward group.

and then to, to your point, when you mentioned about the center, the lack of

center depth, people forget Stamkos played center to, to start his career in Tampa.

So if, he had to fill in for 20 games at the center position,

he could probably do okay.

he

could do it.

I think Philip Forsberg played center for a little

bit

can.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I think they're better on the wing, obviously, but, I look at this team and

you go, Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marsha.

So Ryan O'Reilly Nyquist.

I look at this top six and I go, this is a top six that nobody wanted.

And

Screams Vegas, baby.

he's, yes, that's what I was thinking that man, These guys have to be good.

And even Brady Shay to, to some extent, there was a little bit of I don't

know if he's as good as this guy, like this team might be that like, Oh, you

like, can you not see Sam coast going?

Oh, you think that I'm like, I'm just a power play guy.

Do your analytics don't show you that I'm good anymore.

Here we go, baby.

And like this team could rip this team really could rip.

I hope they do.

I hope that this isn't.

Oh, Ooh, yeah, some of these, Oh, those teams were right.

Not signing them.

Cause this is a disaster.

I hope that, because doesn't this feel like you were playing NHL

25 and you traded for a bunch of Oh, that guy's easy to trade for.

And you just bring in a bunch of like 80 eights and suddenly

your crappy team's much better.

And you can go and win the cup, but that's how this team feels

A little bit of a cast off vibe.

And I hope they run with

Yeah.

And look at their head coach, Andrew Burnett, right?

He gets the most out of guys.

IE Hubert O.

So maybe he squeezes a little bit more juice.

Another cast

off

Another cast off.

was like, Oh, you helped us.

You helped us.

Oh, all Nah, let's just, let's get rid of him.

which in fairness for Florida, It was the right move.

It worked out

Paul Maurice is a freaking God.

okay.

where do you have Nashville ultimately falling in the central?

we can, obviously at the end of the show, we'll give our full standings predictions.

But, for this division, but for me, I think they're easily in that top

three conversation making the playoffs.

whether or not they get home ice advantage is another issue, because

I think, for this team, there's gonna be, I think, some early road.

Roadblocks, road bumps, whatever you want to call them, because these are guys, a

lot of guys, like Marsha Sow, Stamkos, they haven't played together before, so

it's going to take a little bit of time, I think, to gel, but I think ultimately,

after 10, 15 games, they'll have their mojo, they'll have it going, and who

knows, maybe, again, you go back to that, that misfits, the outcast, persona,

maybe they just come out, right out of the gate firing, maybe I'm completely

wrong, and they just say, F you, and we're just going to come out and start

putting up a five spot every night.

Right.

Yeah.

I think this team though might not be a super.

Entertaining regular season team.

This might be like, yeah, Hey, we get it.

we scored our two power play goals and we grinded the rest of the game and

sorrow saved our ass a couple of times.

And here we go.

this is how we're going to win games.

We're going to get to the playoffs and we're just going to keep playing

the exact same way into the playoffs.

but also, you consider Sam Coase, you consider a Ryan O'Reilly.

these are all guys who have done it before.

They've won Stanley Cups.

They've gone on deep runs.

They understand that the regular, you need to do well enough in the

regular season and then come playoff time, you click it up to a next level.

Otherwise, maybe you don't have the next level come playoff time and

you fall off because you've been playing at this crazy pace all year.

So that's why I think this team falls somewhere in the wild card.

I think they'll be just happy to toil around and keep

themselves in the conversation.

Move between the three in the wild card and they'll be there in the end and

they're not gonna worry about going and chasing tops in this division

because it doesn't matter to them.

They're just gonna get into the playoffs.

All right,

Okay.

St.

Louis blues.

Hey, love what the blues did.

they go in, they, they sign Alexander, tech CA.

They go when they do their two RFA, offer sheets with Dylan

Holloway and Philip Broberg.

They grabbed Matthew Joseph.

what else did they do?

Caspery Kapanen.

They re signed Bushnevich, which was, I think a lot of people

thought they would trade Bushnevich.

And, Hey, you think he signs six year, 8 million deal per year.

they go out and they, do what is mind blowing to the rest of the league.

They only sign Ryan Suter to a one year deal.

No, one's ever done that before.

Do you know that no one's ever signed Ryan Suter to a one year

deal, but they finally did it.

They finally figured out that's what you got to do.

So Yeah, the St.

Louis blues they fill out their roster, but in a different way with younger

players, by doing the two offer sheets, the Edmonton Oilers, maybe this is a

team that can bounce back from last year, Robert Thomas and Jordan Cairo both

had down years last year and, I think that they may have done enough at least

to provide some depth throughout the organization to make them a bubble team.

We're feeling bubble team with this guy, with these guys.

yeah, I could go bubble team with them.

listen, they, you always get a little boost, right?

Drew Bannister, new head coach in there.

The, the Craig Berube era is gone.

I'm a little skeptic with this team to see what we're going to get

in a full year of Drew Bannister.

But, and don't get me wrong.

I love a lot of the pieces you mentioned.

I love guys like, Brady Shen, Radek Fasca, Brandon Saad.

All these guys are good, but are, is it enough, right?

Do these guys just gel together and, produce enough for you to really say,

you can have a team full of 40, 50 point guys, you've got to have some guys

that can push the needle a little bit.

yeah.

as long as Cairo and Thomas don't get off to slow starts this

season, I think this, the St.

Louis team could be a, one that pushes, the only big question

mark I really have, if I'm being honest is back on defense, right?

When you've got Nick Letty as your top two defensive parent guy, and you

lost Tory crude for the entire year.

I'm not sure what we're going to have out of this St.

Louis back in the season.

I'm wondering if Broberg is your guy who's moving up with

Pareko.

you paid him enough to say, yeah, be that top four guy.

Yeah, definitely.

And somebody's gonna have to play that left side and, Scott Perunovich

maybe gets the opportunity to slot up and then, no way Ryan Suter's

playing that high up in the lineup.

He's a

could still probably play 40 minutes a night.

It just wouldn't be a very good 40 minutes.

And then, of course the other question mark, Binnington, how well does he play?

can Joel Hoffer push them again for some playing time?

He had a pretty good year last year, nine 14, say percentage to 30 games.

And I think you're definitely looking at him to hopefully take a step.

And then, I think Binnington, if he only has to play 40 games, I think

that he could be pretty decent.

So I think you maybe see.

I don't, Hey, he played 50 and 50 and 30, but I think if you could get that

a little bit closer together, I think maybe I'm not worried so much about the

goaltending knowing that Joel Hoffer is behind Bennington and you can slot

him in there and he'll play well.

can Cairo and Thomas, are they number one top line players or are they

just top six guys who need help?

That's going to be the question that gets answered this year, because

Two years ago, you went, these guys are top line guys last year.

You went, I don't think so.

And this is going to be the make it or break it.

there's, it's not like they're not going to get paid still, but, I think this

year is going to be the year that you go, can, can we rely on these guys or

do we need to figure something else out?

all right.

Where do you have the.

The blues slotting in.

You think that there are a chance they get the wild card spot or they, do you think

that they're far and away from that still?

this one's a coin flip for me, but I think ultimately they're

going to be a bubble team.

whether or not they get a wildcard position, I think is gonna, is solely

going to depend on if we can get repeat performances from, Bennington and Joel

Hoffer, they get that good goaltending tandem, which I think they're more

than capable of doing, as long as they produce enough, I think with the

additions of Holloway and Broberg, and of course, Hoping that Kairou and

Thomas have good starts this season.

I think they can push for a playoff spot.

Yeah, I definitely don't think that it's out of the realm of possibility.

I look at the Pacific division and I still go.

I don't know if there is four teams in there that will make the playoffs.

there's still a chance five teams from the central could make the playoffs too.

So I think given that they're, St.

Louis will be a bubble team probably somewhere.

I'd put them in like the 91, 92 point kind of range.

And then, can they, do they lose a couple extra, win a couple extra

and they're either in or out.

That's probably the.

Likely scenario for the blues for me.

alright, let's go to the Utah Hockey Club.

First year for this team in Utah.

And, new ownership, new building, only a few poles in the way of people watching

the games, so shouldn't be too bad.

they did just go out and sign Robert Bertuso to a one year deal basically.

League minimum.

They didn't do ton in free agency.

Kevin Stenland, not any big names that move the needle at all.

it's nice that they signed a Gimla, but it's just the sun.

So he hasn't, we don't know if he'll be a hall of famer yet.

but Utah coming into this year going, let's see really

what we have and let's see the development of our younger players.

And go from there like that's, yes, they, they traded for John Marino, at the draft.

That was a good, decent pickup.

John Marino is bounced around the last few years between a New Jersey and Pittsburgh

and, he hasn't found his footing since being traded from Pittsburgh.

He's such an enigma to me.

it cracks me up.

Like he'll get some playing time.

People get really excited about him.

And then the following year, they're just trading him off.

no, we changed our mind.

No, thanks.

I'm seeing, sorry, this is Super random.

There's no way that this is

Super random.

Something on, on puck Pedia.

Okay.

I was just making sure that it wasn't wrong.

on here, it says, I are head Brian little expected return.

September 15th, 2024.

It was like, there's no way.

Oh, it also says the same thing for Shea Weber.

That's funny.

I just was like, no, there's no way he's not coming back.

he's been basically retired.

Sorry.

That's too

but yeah, yes, sorry.

John Marino and Enigma.

Yes.

He's good.

And then he disappears from the conversation.

So really that probably means that he's like a number five defenseman.

He's good enough to slot up for a little bit, but in reality, like he, he needs

to play against lesser competition.

And that's probably John Marino.

And I think they helped him

do you think?

too.

they brought in Sergeyev, they got Sean Dursey re signed.

Those are gonna be, obviously your top two guys and Alka,

I like, or Valki, I'm sorry.

I like him on the backend as well.

I think these are.

they've got a decent defense up there.

And even Ian Cole, I could see him moving up and down, and taking

some minutes on, some games.

But, again, they put John Marino in a good situation now where I'm hoping he doesn't

have to feel the pressure of being a top four guy if they don't want him to be,

Yep.

A hundred percent.

and Hey, we're about to find out Mikhail Sergeyev all by himself, no

Hedman, and he's done it without Hedman before.

Hedman's had some injuries.

he's proven he isn't, he is a top defenseman.

It'll be interesting to see what he does.

he's now on an Island by himself here in, in

and let's face it.

what is he going to do?

How

Yeah, that forward group up front for Tampa way better than

what he's got in Utah right now.

yes, Clayton Keller, pretty much, a Clayton Keller, but then you're like Logan

Cooley, Dylan Gunther, what do they do?

And we don't really have an answer for that.

we know, Hey, Logan Cooley's got some flashes.

He had 44 points last year, a really good rookie season, but.

How does that translate to actually being good, Dylan

Gunther, 35 points in 45 games.

I think you're really excited for Gunther to come in and see what he can

do over the course of an entire season.

it's basically a 70 point season almost.

can these guys come in and take another step?

If you have Cooley and Gunther taking another step and you have

both of them up above 60, 70 points, this team's got a shot.

Maybe the same as St.

Louis, that might be in that conversation.

Hey, they, there's a scenario where I can see them finishing just above Chicago.

There's another scenario where you could go, Oh, wow.

Everything clicked and pieced together.

And now they're fighting for a bubble playoff spot.

yeah.

I think to me, it's going to ultimately depend on the back end and goaltending

what they get because you look at this team was able to score 256

goals last year, which I mean, look, Winnipeg scored 259 and managed to win.

Yeah.

again, put themselves in a two spot in this division.

yeah,

goaltender.

That's the,

they don't obviously have that on the, in between the pipes.

But, I think, with again, those additions I mentioned with Sergeyev,

getting Sean Dursey a full year of him in there and those sorts of

things, hopefully figure it out.

I think, this team could improve a little bit defensively.

and maybe with, the addition again of guys like, Josh Stone and some of

those other youngsters maybe taking another step defensively, you hope

that maybe this team, again, brings that goals against down a little

bit more and then ultimately, they could score enough in my opinion to

potentially push for a playoff spot.

this is the first time that I'm interested in watching the Arizona,

Oh,

was,

hockey club.

First time in a long time.

Oh, I guess they're actually not the same team, right?

This is an expansion team.

I'm sorry.

The expansion team, Utah hockey club.

I'm confused.

okay.

With that said, Hey there bubble team, they've got question marks.

So to the blues, so to the wild, those are probably the three, like three,

maybe they could do something and someone's going to break through one

of those three likely to break through.

I think if there's one team that we're worried about taking a step

backwards, who could enter into that fold is probably the Winnipeg jets,

the jets had a really good year last year, a really good year, everything

went well for the Winnipeg jets.

Connor Hellebuck wins the Vesna.

Can he win the Vesna again?

Do they need him to win the Vesna in order to make the playoffs?

I'm going to say

I'm with

Or not necessarily win the Vesna, but you have that kind of season.

Yeah, I would agree with you because you look at what this team again, only

scoring 259 goals there last season.

But the thing was, they were keeping the puck out of the net.

I think it was 31, 32, something around that number, gains in a row where they

were letting in two or, two or fewer five on five goals against, it was crazy.

So they're going to get the defense from this team.

But at the same time, is there a defense maybe a little bit worse now?

They lose a guy like Brandon Dillon.

obviously Josh Morrissey and Neil Pionk, we know what we're

getting out of those guys.

but the rest of the defense, to me is a little sus, if I'm being honest.

Yes.

Yes.

The defense is a big question, Mark.

I don't know.

I, I.

The jets seem to be this team that go, let's sign who we can, which

to be honest, this off season really wasn't anything at all.

They didn't really make any moves as far as, going out and to sign

people, of course they trade Rutger McGregor to Pittsburgh.

they brought in Dylan Coughlin from the hurricanes.

Like they, they go and they make a few trades, but nothing

that was, needle moving.

so pretty much this is the same team coming back for the most part.

And what did the Winnipeg jets do?

They wait until December and they go out and they make a move.

They make a trade and they bring somebody in who can fill the

hole that they need filled, which for this team now it's defense.

Like I would suspect that they'll be in.

And around any defensemen that's available to try and bring them

in and shore this group up.

I do think the one, one big benefit Kyle Conner missed 17 games last year.

So to have a healthy Kyle Conner all year long, Nicholas Ehlers really

struggled not having Kyle Conner there.

I think that's probably what you're looking at.

Like maybe there's the improvement with just staying healthy, being

able to score some more goals.

And then you got to sign, re sign Cole Perfetti.

He's an RFA and he's still has yet to be signed.

And Cole Perfetti, I think is, he's the answer to me for your

goaltending or for your goal struggles.

yes, he had 19 goals in 71 games, but he.

Barely played like he was not put in situations to really score.

We're not given the amount of ice time to go out and knock your socks off.

I think that he's a 30 35 goal scorer given.

Normal ice time for a top six forward.

So a healthy Connor Culper Fetty actually getting ice time and being

put into the right situations, which is also going to elevate healers.

I think there's your solution for an extra 15 to 20 goals.

you hope so.

I think Gabe Velarde is going to take another step.

I think he's, again, you get a full year of him being healthy.

I think he's more than capable of being a 30 plus goal scorer.

It could put up 70 points.

But, the concern I have is who is playing second line center to this team, right?

You lost Sean Monahan, who I think fit like a glove.

fit like a glove.

so now, your number two center might end up being bland domestic off,

which to me is very concerning.

maybe gable already takes, he moves between the wing and center a lot.

So maybe he fills in on that second line center spot permanently.

and then the other question mark is, If you're Winnipeg, I've heard

and I feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, Nicholas Ehlers once out of

Winnipeg, he doesn't want to resign.

he's a UFA after the season.

So at what point, maybe it is December, like they typically do

they pull a trigger on Ehlers and bring in a top four defenseman,

maybe do a one on one swap Casey Middlestad, Bowen Byram kind of thing.

But maybe they move him out to, to bring in, somebody else, or maybe to bring

in a second line center at this point.

Yeah, And let's say the second line center, this has been a

conversation back to the Paul

Stassney trade,

right?

They grabbed all Stassney from the St.

Louis

blues.

And that was the first time that they, they traded for them and they

that's just always been their issue.

They've always been looking for somebody behind Mark Shifley.

They go out and they trade.

And that's generally what they do.

And I would suspect that they do something like that again.

they'll wait till someone becomes available.

Maybe a, one of these teams who is a bubble team struggles early on.

And they just go, Hey, like we, we can make this move with Winnipeg and, we

can trade a mid level guy who Winnipeg's interested, that's, that would be.

The likely scenario to me is they'll go out and they'll trade.

Cause nobody wants to sign there anyways.

Too cold.

Yeah, you're not wrong.

Sorry.

The, goaltending wise, I do what they did bringing in

capital Kakanen and Eric Comrie.

I know both those guys didn't have great seasons last year.

Comrie, especially eight 74, say percentage in 10 games.

capital Kakanen played 37 games.

the six with New Jersey were really good.

The 31 with San Jose at an eight, nine, five, say percentage with

the San Jose sharks who were absolute dumpster fire last year.

it's pretty solid.

So I think he'll be a decent replacement for Brosseau, who they lose.

I think they're the reason that they went out and signed two other goalies as well.

I think I wonder, are we going to start seeing, Hey, not only are we

going to not have Hellebuck, but.

Play 65 games.

Let's have him play 55 if they can still get into the playoffs playing 55.

Let's not dress him.

I think we're going to start seeing that there's enough teams with

three goalies on their roster where there's just no, why dress a guy?

Why make them go through warmups and do all these things and use his body and

sit there on the bench, just let them not play, give them an actual night off.

I think there's a chance that maybe a few times in the year

that they do that with Hellebuyck.

Yeah, no, I absolutely 100 percent agree.

I think it's time.

Like I mentioned earlier in the show, it's just, it's time to start lowering

his games, played every year because it's going to start to take its toll.

And, I don't get me wrong.

You can sign all the goaltenders you want at 9 million bucks,

eventually you get, you got to start giving them some time off.

You got to give them a break.

You got to give them relief because, today's NHL.

Go talk to

go talk to Florida.

Florida about what they did for Bobrovsky and look at what it did.

It took them from Bobrovsky was winning Vesna trophies too.

And I know he went to Florida.

He struggled a little, he struggled in the beginning.

and it's not the exact same situation.

It's more like.

Look, every time he gets to the playoffs, he's just, he's struggling because

he's played these tough games all year.

So just drop them a little bit.

And I say, just, all you get to do is five games.

He doesn't even dress.

Tell him just not even to come stay home, hang out with your family.

Watch the game on TV.

That's what I'd be doing.

I know it'd be sitting in the press box or something, but we're just, yeah.

Bring your kids and watch the game from the press bar from the, from our

box, have it be a little bit different.

You get to watch the game with, with your dad or

something.

you

don't know.

That's what I, but okay.

Winnipeg, Jess, where do you think they.

They're going to

Yeah.

I Fall is the key word, right?

How far do they fall?

I guess it really, for me it all depends on how soon they act on getting

a number two center or how well.

Does a guy like get ball already fill in.

But I, I think, as much as I'd love to say, how about it's going to have

as, as good of a season as he did last year, I think ultimately they're not

going to be as good defensively, just losing a couple of pieces on the back

end and giving him some nights off.

I think they'll take a hit to their goals against there, but, I'm hoping

like we talked about earlier, a full year of Kyle Conner, Gabe Alardi,

Cole Perfetti, taking another step.

they'll supplement that with a few more goals scored.

um, I think that, we're going to see them hover right around that 3

4 spot in this division, for sure.

And hopefully, again, that means playoffs,

I would agree.

I think they're definitely a playoff team.

they just find their way into the playoffs for the most part.

that's what this team does.

They find their way into the playoffs.

whether you think they're going to make the playoffs or not,

they just go when they do it.

So I, and I think, as long as they get Colper Fetty signed.

Before training camp, if they don't, that's disaster.

That's the one disaster point that could happen.

That could have a really negative effect on the rest of their season.

Okay.

that is the central division.

It's time to give our full break to our full, prediction on

where you think teams are fall.

Who's, who's at the

bottom.

number 8, pretty easy, I think this is the Blackhawks.

Yes, I agree.

Chicago Blackhawks.

They're trying to be in the bottom.

One more crap season for the blackhawks.

number seven.

Yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, maybe, this one might surprise you a little bit,

but I'm gonna go Minnesota Wild here.

Okay.

Doesn't surprise

Yeah.

I just, again, I'm, I don't have a lot of faith in Marco Rossi being able to

step up and be a number one centerman.

and I think, Zuccarello, he's getting up there in age.

I think he's going to slow down and I don't have a lot

of faith in the goaltending.

And usually for me, when I'm on the fence about a team and they have

terrible goaltending or even subpar goaltending, it's just, that's

the decision maker right there.

So for me, they're at number seven.

I'm going to go with St.

Louis

Ooh.

Okay.

Nice.

think that they, their defense is just not good enough.

And that's going to hurt their goaltending.

And it's going to, it's going to cause problems everywhere else.

Because nobody can get the puck to those forwards.

No matter how good some of those forwards

may be.

and then my number six is the Utah Hockey

Club.

I, I think they might get off to a fast start.

But I don't think that they're younger guys.

Are going to be quite there to put up a whole

season.

And I don't think that the Melca is going to be as good as he has

been, because now he's going to be on a team with some expectations.

And I think there's some fall off there.

for me at number six, I'm gonna go St.

Louis Blues.

I'm with you there.

I think their defense takes a little hit.

and ultimately I just, I think, drew Banister to me is not the guy

I think who's gonna be able to, take some of these veteran guys,

these pieces they have and just.

Elevate them to the next level

Okay.

where are you with number

five.

I got the Utah hockey club.

I think they're just, they're going to have that Vegas

effect come out of the gate.

New club.

I think, it's just going to be exciting.

Guys are gonna be playing a little bit more amped up than,

they, would on any other team.

And I think that's going to translate to a few extra wins early on that

just keep them, maybe a few, like two or three points above St.

Louis, in my opinion.

Okay.

I agree.

I think they have a quick start.

I don't know how, That translates to the end, but I agree,

they'll have a quick start.

my number five is the Minnesota wild.

I think they have a shot at the playoffs, because of guys like Boldy and Faber

and, younger and Rossi coming up

Good.

I hope so.

Number

four,

the Winnipeg Jets for me.

Yeah.

I think that's going to be the Nashville predators for me at number four.

Like I said, I think they're just going to float.

They're not going to care.

Just get us into the playoff.

There'll be times where they're probably higher up in the division.

And then they just pull it back a little bit at different points during the year.

And, I also think of anybody, veteran players can sometimes go down for a little

bit, get hurt, not as durable sometimes.

So I think that could hurt them too.

But ultimately I think they find themselves in securely

in the first wildcard

Okay.

Yeah, for me with the Jets at number four, I just, I think you're going to be, too

reliant on, your top line Schifley and, Connor and Ehlers scoring all your goals.

And then there's going to be question marks about, is he, we're going to

be there, this culprit Freddie sign.

and so ultimately I just don't think they're going to have enough juice to.

To really go any higher than that, but they'll make the playoffs.

Okay.

Yeah.

I have Winnipeg at three because I think Winnipeg is, they'll make a trade.

I've no doubt.

They'll make a trade.

Kevin shovel day off has making been making trades for second line

centers since I was in diapers.

All right.

Yeah.

For me at number three, same as last year, Colorado.

okay.

I just think there's too many concerns up front as far as depth at the forward

group and what you're going to get with, the true skin and Landis, God returning.

and I just don't have a lot of faith in Gorgia to have a bounce back year.

and especially in a contract year, I think this is where, he's going to feel

a little bit of pressure, And, this is maybe something new where now he's feeling

it because last year didn't go so well.

So I think he, he stumbles a little bit.

Okay.

I'm going Dallas at

number two.

I think Dallas has a little bit of the Tampa Bay vibe of we don't have

to finish first to win the cup.

So let's just.

And I know they didn't think they could finish first last year, made it to

the finals, but, I think number two, they'll just not float in the regular

season, but they're just going to get done what they need to get done.

They'll get home ice advantage and

Okay.

Yeah.

Number.

And that leaves Colorado at number one.

for me at number two, I've got Nashville.

I just think they're just going to be too amped up with this new team.

I think they're going to be exciting.

I think they're going to play that whole misfits card and kind of want to go

prove people wrong every single night.

So that'll be exciting for me to watch.

And I love what they did on the back end.

More importantly, I think this will be, a lot of fun to watch, but

for Dallas at number one, my main reason I think you're going to see.

Wait, so you have Nashville at number

Nashville at two.

Yes.

And Dallas at number one.

Okay.

Okay.

think with Dallas, they've got, a lot of youngsters like Wyatt Johnson, Logan

Stankovan that are going to take leaps, play, again, bigger roles on this

team with the departure of Joe Pobb.

But, surprisingly last year, what we didn't really talk about was, really

down years from Jason Robertson and Rupe Hintz and, yeah, does that have, anything

to do with Joe Pobb, maybe moving off that top line and Wyatt Johnson coming

in maybe, but I think, I think you're going to have better years from them in

a bounce back season for Mountain Deer.

Okay.

I like it.

Yeah.

number one, number two, it probably separated by a few points, which, which

may just be the head to head matchups between those team, two teams or what

ultimately makes a difference there.

yeah.

I also think that color Colorado could go out and make a move as

well, which if new choose skin doesn't come back, there's your move.

And it'll be interesting to see what that is.

Okay.

There's your central division preview.

let us know what you think at OT hockey talk on social media.

And, until, our next, I guess we'll do someone in the east metro next.

Sure.

Let's do it.

All right.

Metropolitan division next week.

Enjoy, the, what remains of the summer football, all the good

things and, hockey training camp coming in just a couple of weeks.

Can't wait.

We'll talk to you guys soon.