00:00So we're wrapping up our NHL previews today, going team by team, looking at the point totals
00:05given out from Vegas.
00:08So let's go into the Central Division now.
00:11This division looks like a juggernaut, again, going into the 26-27 season.
00:16But I think there's a little bit of room for hope on a couple of interesting teams
00:21at the bottom part of this division.
00:23So let's take a look at how the Central is going to fare going into the 26-27 season.
00:34All right, we're going to start at the bottom and work our way up.
00:37Chicago Blackhawks, under 79-and-a-half.
00:40I've talked about it before.
00:41I hate how this team has gone about the last couple of off-seasons.
00:45And just in general, the Conor Bedard experience out in Chicago, I really don't like what they
00:51have been doing with this player and how they have been surrounding him.
00:54The Byram trade, I think, is, like, good player, bit of an overpay, is going to help the product
01:00that you see on the ice.
01:01But I just don't think they have the forward group to be able to really, really sustain
01:06anything in what is, again, a juggernaut of a division here.
01:10So I'm going to go under 79-and-a-half with Chicago.
01:13Also going under 85-and-a-half, the St. Louis Blues.
01:17Their total is at 85-and-a-half, as I mentioned before.
01:20I just don't see it.
01:22They make the trade in the off-season that kind of signals, like, hey, everything's for
01:27sale now.
01:28And they already made some, like, rebuild-type moves at the deadline last year.
01:32So you're not coming in with the same team that, like, made a bit of a push toward the
01:38end of the season last year.
01:39And I just, I feel like they are going to, it's going to be a tough start to the season
01:43for them.
01:43It's going to fall off.
01:45And they're going to be selling pieces off.
01:47So I think I'm pretty confident on an under here with St. Louis.
01:51Next up, the Winnipeg Jets.
01:52Their total is 85-and-a-half.
01:54I'm going over.
01:55I just, I get the Connor Hellebuck thing is kind of hanging over everything.
01:59And, well, don't worry, we have Stuart Skinner.
02:01Has never been a sentence that anyone in hockey has uttered.
02:04But there is still a really good roster here.
02:07Morrissey can stay healthy.
02:08The forward group, not as deep as they would love.
02:11And they are perpetually looking for a number two center.
02:14But at some point, I think they're going to get something for Connor Hellebuck.
02:17And be able to really help this team out.
02:20And, again, this is a roster that won the President's Trophy a couple of years ago.
02:23So, do I think they get back to that?
02:25I do not.
02:25But, I still like this group to go over 85-and-a-half.
02:29Same with the next one.
02:30Nashville Predators.
02:30Their total is 85-and-a-half.
02:32I got them going over.
02:34That's going to be one of the picks that we click here.
02:36And I got them making the playoffs at plus 200.
02:38I think that it obviously took a while for everything to gel with the new players that
02:43were coming in.
02:43But it's year three with some of those guys.
02:45You're adding some exciting young talent in Maverick Bork.
02:48And I still think there's something there in Nils Hoaglander as well.
02:50So, I think that there's reason to be optimistic out in Nashville right now.
02:55I get it's a tough division.
02:57But I think that they can make some noise here.
02:59So, I'm going to go over 85-and-a-half.
03:02And I got Nashville making the playoffs at plus 200.
03:05Next, the Minnesota Wild.
03:07I have them under 101.5.
03:10I think at some point they're trading Quinn Hughes here.
03:12And now we have seen, like, Carolina pivoted from moving Rantanen.
03:16Got Stankoven.
03:17Went pretty well for them.
03:18So, I think Minnesota still makes the playoffs.
03:21Obviously, I have them ahead of a team that makes the playoffs.
03:25But I do think that there's maybe a bit of a step back.
03:28This season, relying a little bit more on the young goaltender, Wallstead.
03:32Maybe there's a couple growing pains there.
03:34And, again, really good roster.
03:36We'll see what they get in a Quinn Hughes move.
03:38This is really banking on them, you know, not keeping him.
03:42But I do think a bit of a step back gets taken there for Minnesota.
03:45But a step forward for the Utah Mammoth.
03:47I have them over 96.5.
03:51They were able to take that step in the season here.
03:56I think they kind of understand how to play winning hockey now.
03:59I think that was a good development year for them.
04:01A lot of it relies on Vemelka between the pipes for this team.
04:04And how sustainable that rise was.
04:07How good he can be going forward.
04:09But I think he can be good.
04:10And I think that this is a team that can take another step here in the Central Division.
04:14So, I like Utah over 96.5.
04:17Dallas over 100.5.
04:20They still haven't figured out their blue line situation.
04:24But Ottinger can still be one of the best goalies in the league.
04:26Not as consistent as they would like.
04:28But I still really like the forward group.
04:30I just think last year didn't go great for them at the end of the season.
04:34This is a very talented team.
04:35They have an uber aggressive general manager.
04:38And there's some pressure on them to get this thing going a little bit.
04:40So, I think they get there.
04:42I like Dallas over 100.5.
04:45And Colorado, 107.5.
04:47I'm going over.
04:47I think this is one of the best teams in the NHL.
04:50The goaltending situation really worked for them.
04:52They have an incredibly deep decor.
04:54And they were aggressive at the trade deadline.
04:57A lot of those things stick around.
04:58I don't love Nelson as your number two center.
05:00And losing to Chushkin is going to be a bit detrimental to this team.
05:04But we've seen at the trade deadline, they will make the moves to be able to be successful.
05:09And they can be pretty aggressive there.
05:11So, I like Colorado winning this division again.
05:13I think they are the best team in hockey right now.
05:16So, I have them over 107.5 points.
05:20Even though, again, it's a big number.
05:22I grant you it's a big number.
05:23But I like them going over that mark right now.
05:26I'm trying to see.
05:27I put my bracket together.
05:29Is that it?
05:30No, that's the NFL.
05:31All these preview episodes just kind of run together.
05:33And I meant to type it all out.
05:35But it was written out.
05:36So, it's not in here.
05:37So, we'll figure it out.
05:39Either way.
05:40I have Colorado doing well this season.
05:43Over 107.5.
05:45Toxic, in the Twitch chat, what are the chances you think the Wild can sign Quinn Hughes?
05:49I think, like, they can.
05:51I would give it, like, 35% chance of signing him.
05:54But I think that if he was going to sign there, it would have happened already, right?
06:01So, they've had this runway to kind of get this thing figured out.
06:04He just, he wants to go somewhere else.
06:05So, we've seen Minnesota will overpay to get it done with the Stars.
06:09Maybe that's something that happens here.
06:11So, that's why it's not, like, a 5% chance or anything like that.
06:14Like, there's a better, there are better odds that Quinn Hughes is a member of the Wild
06:17than there is that Hellebuck stays with the Jets, right?
06:20But that's about it.
06:22I think that he is probably on his way out.
06:24But, yeah.
06:24What do you guys think?
06:25Let me know in the, let me know in the chat.
06:29Or, in the comments, after the fact, what do you think of my picks here in the Central?
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