2024-25 NHL Central Division Preview Part 1
We preview the NHL's Central Division for the upcoming 2024-25 regular season.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to Overtime Hockey Talk.
Speaker:I am Mark Paul.
Speaker:This is my co host, Justin Baker.
Speaker:Justin, it is, we're back on the train here and getting out of
Speaker:the summer vibes where we do a show every three or four weeks.
Speaker:I know
Speaker:man.
Speaker:glad to be back at it.
Speaker:it is.
Speaker:and, this is our first show that we've done since the horrible tragedy, of the
Speaker:Goodrow brothers, Johnny and Matthew.
Speaker:And, I don't have a whole lot.
Speaker:To say other than it's just freaking terrible.
Speaker:And I, in my lifetime, don't think I ever remember someone who was
Speaker:still really like playing and was this good and is just gone.
Speaker:And it.
Speaker:is, it's horrible.
Speaker:Like from a hockey standpoint, horrible from a family standpoint, unimaginable.
Speaker:Yeah, it's, it sucks, right?
Speaker:that's the only way to put it.
Speaker:It's just, it's a shitty thing and, another, I hate to say it,
Speaker:but, you always harp all the time, don't drink and drive, call Uber.
Speaker:there's reasons we have these options available, right?
Speaker:And, Yeah, it's terrible, man.
Speaker:I think that, the closest thing I was thinking about it the other day
Speaker:was, just the Vladimir Konstantinov.
Speaker:I know he, he ultimately didn't lose his life, but, it was still,
Speaker:it's still hit pretty hard.
Speaker:And,
Speaker:And in a lot of ways he lost, he definitely lost the life he was living
Speaker:before.
Speaker:And as far as his hockey career, it definitely ended in a flash.
Speaker:And I think he probably would have gone on to win a Norris.
Speaker:Maybe Lidstrom has one fewer Norris if it's Not for
Speaker:that, but as he was a very underrated defenseman.
Speaker:but yes, our, of course our hearts go out to, the Goodros family.
Speaker:And, and at this point, we just hope that something can.
Speaker:out of what, what occurred that, impacts people in a positive way.
Speaker:And I think we're seeing a lot of, a lot of hockey players and
Speaker:people around the world showing a lot of love to their family.
Speaker:And, it is cool to see how people rally around each other.
Speaker:you just wish that you didn't have to do that.
Speaker:All right, we'll leave it at that.
Speaker:And, we will move into our central division.
Speaker:Preview, for the 2024, 25 season and no easy transition between
Speaker:that and, talking about a preview.
Speaker:but we have the entire NHL to preview here before the regular season begins.
Speaker:So we are going to start with the central division and, the, we'll just go
Speaker:alphabetical order through the teams and.
Speaker:Talk about what we think about what they did in the off
Speaker:season and where they're going.
Speaker:And ultimately we'll give some predictions and, maybe the order that we think
Speaker:the central division will end in and, here and there, some surprise things
Speaker:that we think will crop up, maybe some players that you might not expect to
Speaker:make the team that, may be able to slide into the roster and make an impact.
Speaker:And, Also some guys that have had good seasons and maybe we think,
Speaker:Hey, this guy's going to slide off the bandwagon here a little bit.
Speaker:And, different players hit 30, 35 and things can change real quickly.
Speaker:So let's start with the Chicago black Hawks.
Speaker:They once again, are maybe the easiest team to talk about in this
Speaker:division, because I think once again, They are, if not the worst,
Speaker:they're likely to be near the bottom.
Speaker:Yes?
Speaker:Yeah, that's an easy prediction right there.
Speaker:I, I.
Speaker:I think if just looking at it, obviously we could talk all day about, Utah.
Speaker:I think that's going to be a big focus with this division.
Speaker:But for me, really Chicago's right there at the bottom.
Speaker:I, I think when you look at, what other teams have done and
Speaker:it almost seems like, every team.
Speaker:To me is going to almost take a step forward.
Speaker:Whereas I think Chicago, even though they added pieces, I just don't
Speaker:even see them taking a step forward.
Speaker:The only thing to talk about really with this team is a dart.
Speaker:And that's really, yeah, Todd Bertuzzi or Tyler Bertuzzi signed, they signed
Speaker:a couple other, veteran pieces,
Speaker:Yeah, Pat Maroon comes in there, which like, he's not moving a needle, he's
Speaker:just Pat Maroon is a good luck charm.
Speaker:That's really all he is.
Speaker:a good guy in the room, but he is the four leaf clover.
Speaker:he's the guy that you, he's the rabbit foot that you're hanging from your
Speaker:locker room door in hopes that he does something positive for your team.
Speaker:the decent little signings like Laurent Bressois.
Speaker:I like that addition.
Speaker:3.
Speaker:3 million bucks.
Speaker:he gets paid, I think probably more than he would have gotten anywhere else.
Speaker:I'm sure that's why he went there, but yeah, he's been, he
Speaker:was good behind, hello buck.
Speaker:And I think that he maybe looks at this as an opportunity to finally
Speaker:sneak his way into being a legitimate, at least a one B type of goalie.
Speaker:I think we've seen those flashes from
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:him.
Speaker:he was good last year.
Speaker:he wasn't.
Speaker:And I wouldn't, listen, we all know Murazic has a lot of health issues, right?
Speaker:He constantly gets injured almost every year.
Speaker:so I think this is a good signing for Chicago because they got a guy who, in
Speaker:my opinion, he'll probably end up playing 30 to 40 games, so he'll be able to just
Speaker:slide in there and, as bad as I think this defense is going to end up being
Speaker:anyways, I don't think there's going to be any loss as far as goaltending
Speaker:quality if it's Mrazic or Brassois, so either one, I'm happy with, I think
Speaker:this is going to be a decent enough tandem for a team that we all know,
Speaker:again, it's going to be at the bottom,
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Goaltending is.
Speaker:for a bad, for a team that is going to be bad or not going to be, I'll
Speaker:say this, I don't think they're going to be easy to play against.
Speaker:I think that's why they went out and went, let's target,
Speaker:Hey, let's target a Pat Maroon.
Speaker:Let's target a Tyler Bertuzzi.
Speaker:Let's target.
Speaker:TJ Brody,
Speaker:is TJ Brody that great anymore?
Speaker:No, but is he going to, is he going to give everything he's got?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Alec Martinez, another guy who is he going to give all he's got?
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:he's got a Stanley, he's got two Stanley cups.
Speaker:He has a Stanley cup winning goal, I believe.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:And,
Speaker:and then, Hey, two votes here at Rynan, not a bad signing there either.
Speaker:he's, he is someone I'll say he will push the needle.
Speaker:No, he's, he isn't necessarily somebody that you can have be by
Speaker:himself, but you get them with Bedard.
Speaker:I think that's a lot better option than what Taylor hall
Speaker:was coming in there last year.
Speaker:I think a healthy Taylor Hall is going to help push the needle a
Speaker:little bit, but is he the line driver heart trophy guy he once was?
Speaker:No, but I still think he's capable of a 60 to 70 point season.
Speaker:again, it depends on who he plays with, but he could still be a
Speaker:guy that contributes well enough.
Speaker:I think to, again, to make this team exciting, and tough to play against.
Speaker:Yeah, And the, when you look up and down this roster, they bring in Ilya Mikheyev,
Speaker:they re sign Dickinson, they've got, Nick Foligno there for another couple years.
Speaker:It really is a team that they have done a really nice job at going,
Speaker:we just need to surround Bedard with some guys that can play.
Speaker:I'll say, I think they're going to be more competitive than last year.
Speaker:That doesn't mean they're going to be better in the standings per se,
Speaker:but I do think that there'll be more competitive because of the players that
Speaker:they're surrounding themselves with.
Speaker:They've done a better job this year than they did last year.
Speaker:in terms of the talent, like Tara Vinan and Bertuzzi alone are.
Speaker:Those are two good players to bring in on the wing and to fill out your top six.
Speaker:yeah, let's I'll be honest, they're not going to score a league low
Speaker:179 goals next year, so they'll do a little better than that.
Speaker:Let's yeah, let's hope not.
Speaker:That's you think you'd think that's a, that's not going to be the case, but
Speaker:you there, maybe the issue isn't going to be, can the forward score the issue
Speaker:really is going to be who is going to pass the puck up to those Seth Jones is
Speaker:It's only Seth Jones.
Speaker:Is Seth Jones.
Speaker:I was thinking about Seth Jones, trying to go, where is Seth, when he got
Speaker:traded to Chicago, there was still a lot of talk about, who Seth Jones, or
Speaker:is it Wierensky who is driving that?
Speaker:And I think a lot of people lean towards Wierensky.
Speaker:Seth Jones and Darnell Nurse, are they not?
Speaker:In the same conversation, like if Seth Jones is on a good team, because let's
Speaker:face it, nine and a half million dollars is a lot, for a cap it, but does it do
Speaker:anything having them there in Chicago?
Speaker:No, actually it helps them because it gets them to the floor.
Speaker:If he's on a good team, we're talking about how bad his contract is.
Speaker:Nobody's talking about it.
Speaker:Cause he's in Chicago and it doesn't matter anymore.
Speaker:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker:I don't give him, I don't think he's as bad as darn ill nurse, but, that
Speaker:contract man is just not, he's not good, not fun to look at if again,
Speaker:if he's on another team, right?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And yeah, I just, I don't look at Alec Martinez as a guy who's.
Speaker:Going to drive play from the back end.
Speaker:I don't definitely don't look at that way from TJ Brody.
Speaker:Brody, if there's any redeeming quality, it's just his ability to lock things up in
Speaker:the corner, but he's not moving the puck.
Speaker:uh, Alex Vlasic.
Speaker:He's, he can move the puck somewhat, but it's not as if he's somebody that
Speaker:is going to go out and grab you 50 assists over the course of a year.
Speaker:so I just don't know who's going to move the puck for them.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:the fact is the Blackhawks have a lot of young defensemen in the pipeline.
Speaker:And I think even though.
Speaker:Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker:These guys aren't going to move the puck.
Speaker:They're not going to move the needle.
Speaker:but Alec Martinez, TJ Brody, they're good veteran guys to have in there to
Speaker:help mold and, help grow these youngsters and hopefully in, in the next, three,
Speaker:four years now we're talking about, a team that's developed and these young
Speaker:defensemen have come up and they've, again, developed and grown into, to,
Speaker:capable top four, top six defensemen.
Speaker:And, again, we were talking about a playoff Blackhawk team.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:The, the athletic did rank Chicago with the number one prospect
Speaker:pipeline in the NHL, which, Is,
Speaker:a good and a bad, it's a good and a bad list to be on.
Speaker:No, but Dard's not on the pipeline.
Speaker:He's already in the, on the team.
Speaker:So now he doesn't count, but, some, some nice guys that, that are going to
Speaker:be coming up, Merrick, Menacker and, it's the Blackhawks are, of course,
Speaker:you're going to have a pipeline of players because you've been terrible.
Speaker:So you're drafting high.
Speaker:Those players are all ranked high.
Speaker:So yeah, the pipeline to me, there's been a lot of teams
Speaker:that, Oh, they have the best.
Speaker:Watch how good this team is going to be and it doesn't necessarily
Speaker:mean that your team is going to go and win the Stanley Cup.
Speaker:It just means that you have a lot of you drafted high.
Speaker:And so you drafted a lot of highly rated players.
Speaker:Anyways, Chicago Blackhawks.
Speaker:I think we're in agreeance that they're going to be definitely near the bottom of
Speaker:this division, but maybe more fun to watch
Speaker:more competitive.
Speaker:and you just want to see them score maybe an extra 40 goals, get up
Speaker:above that 200, two to 10 mark.
Speaker:And then you're probably winning an extra four or five games.
Speaker:But, here's the real question, right?
Speaker:Bidart, over or under 80 points, where you got him?
Speaker:Oh, over under 80 points.
Speaker:I think with the additions that they made this year, if he's healthy all
Speaker:year, I say that he's over 80 points.
Speaker:I think that, that.
Speaker:The development arc and looking at where he was last year, I think it's
Speaker:very safe to say 80 points is a, I think if he's less than 80 points.
Speaker:I don't want to go as far to say that it would be a disappointment,
Speaker:especially if he's showing some improvements defensively, I think
Speaker:that if he's under 80 points, they, the Blackhawks probably didn't score
Speaker:more than 200 goals again, right?
Speaker:Like he only has 80 points.
Speaker:Who else is going to get the other 120 goals?
Speaker:Not that he's getting 80 goals by any means, but,
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:yes, they would have to, at 52 points last year, they won 23 games.
Speaker:I think an extra five wins, with those, 30 to 40 goals.
Speaker:And you look at it like 290 goals against, that's a lot of goals
Speaker:against, only what the sharks, the ducks, the blue jackets had more
Speaker:goals against than the black Hawks.
Speaker:So it not with Bruce wall, you get that second goalie in there
Speaker:who can play, maybe you let in 20 less goals throughout the year.
Speaker:Yeah, maybe.
Speaker:And if you can get 30, 30 or 40 more the other way, you're looking at least
Speaker:a five, five, but even a 10 game swing, even with 33 wins, they're still only
Speaker:at 72 points, which still has them last place in the central division.
Speaker:Oh, they could be third to last in the Pacific, the way the Pacific was going.
Speaker:Okay, let's move on from the Blackhawks and we'll ultimately, we'll give a full
Speaker:prediction of the entire division, but let's, let's go to the Colorado Avalanche.
Speaker:Ah, yes.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:The Avalanche are in a really.
Speaker:Is it like an awkward position because of what's going on with
Speaker:Natchooshkin and Landis Cog?
Speaker:Those
Speaker:are two key Cogs in your top six.
Speaker:And I know Landis Cog, it's almost like, he he wasn't there last year.
Speaker:So you're used to him not being there, but that's just a, you're
Speaker:wondering, is he coming back?
Speaker:what's going to happen here?
Speaker:I, I.
Speaker:What do you think about what with Landis Cog?
Speaker:What do you think
Speaker:I've heard he's coming back.
Speaker:The rumor is that he's going to be available to season at what point?
Speaker:That's a whole other question, right?
Speaker:I think they're trying to get him back for training camp so he
Speaker:can start the season with him.
Speaker:But I don't, I haven't been keeping up on it if I'm being completely honest.
Speaker:But, I think regardless, you still have to plan around him not being available.
Speaker:Just like you have to not plan on Nachushkin being available.
Speaker:And I don't know, again, if he's going to, once he gets out of, the NHL
Speaker:assistant program, what his availability is going to be like, or what kind
Speaker:of player he's going to be like.
Speaker:And then, of course, does the team welcome him back in the room as well?
Speaker:obviously, Landeskog, right?
Speaker:It's an easy transition.
Speaker:You can start him off with some less minutes and just slowly work
Speaker:him back after being off for, Gosh, it feels like five years now, but
Speaker:with Nachushkin, you got to build back that trust factor too, right?
Speaker:And I think, a lot of that gets a little easier because if you just
Speaker:show up, you go play and you produce guys will, Guys will welcome you
Speaker:Yeah, people can get over it.
Speaker:I don't, the issue to me with Natchooshkin is gonna be somewhat of
Speaker:a trust issue and whether or not, I understand addiction is not a, oh, you're
Speaker:all better now and You can say, you shouldn't, you can't be mad at somebody
Speaker:because they struggle with something.
Speaker:that, that's just, yes, you can say that it's just not rooted in reality.
Speaker:It doesn't mean you can't be angry at somebody and it doesn't mean
Speaker:that you ever have, you never have to trust that person ever again.
Speaker:That's a, that's your right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:if you say, Hey, I understand like this person's working on this.
Speaker:That doesn't mean that you have to want to be their teammate.
Speaker:You could say, Hey, I'm rooting for you, but I can't have you in.
Speaker:my life either.
Speaker:there's, there are a lot of other people to consider.
Speaker:And the fact that this is not just the first time this
Speaker:happened, this is the second
Speaker:time that this happened.
Speaker:I think that it would be fair if some players said, I
Speaker:don't want him on the team.
Speaker:I don't trust that he's going to be here.
Speaker:We're going to rely on him all season.
Speaker:And what's going to happen?
Speaker:We don't know.
Speaker:unless you can, unless Natchushkin is willing to put himself onto a leash
Speaker:and lock himself in a hotel room.
Speaker:And there's going to be some people that don't trust them.
Speaker:And
Speaker:I,
Speaker:hotel room.
Speaker:you're not wrong that if a player starts to produce and they're doing
Speaker:well, guys will, people have short term memories, people will go.
Speaker:Whatever.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:he's putting a big points.
Speaker:He's helping us win.
Speaker:Let's see how, let's see if this lasts.
Speaker:It doesn't mean that you necessarily believe that he's
Speaker:going to, that it's going to last.
Speaker:You probably hope that it will, but, that's a tricky situation
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:it's the second time.
Speaker:if it, if this, if we're talking the first time that something happens,
Speaker:people are far more forgiving.
Speaker:and hopefully, hopefully they can all figure it out.
Speaker:But, with Landis cog, actually, they're going to be doing an Amazon docu series,
Speaker:and he's one of the 10 players that are going to be following.
Speaker:So he will definitely be back if, if he's on board for some kind of documentary,
Speaker:then he'll be, I'm assuming he'll be back.
Speaker:So for me, if he's back, you've got a healthy McKinnon and Rantanen
Speaker:and Nichushkin returns, which.
Speaker:I don't think that Natchooshkin has been cleared from the assistance program.
Speaker:So I think that, that's going to just be
Speaker:seeing where that kind of all ends up.
Speaker:Maybe he starts the season on.
Speaker:I don't think that it's, do you start the season on IR?
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:You,
Speaker:LTIR and not count against the cap?
Speaker:yeah, that's right.
Speaker:yeah, but you don't get scammed, but the problem is for, a Colorado team that
Speaker:lacks a lot of depth, they still can't spend that money because the, you don't
Speaker:have any control when he comes back.
Speaker:Once the NHL players, this is a program clears you that cap just
Speaker:starts right back up, regardless if you want to have him on your team or not.
Speaker:So for a
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:because they can't trade him right,
Speaker:now.
Speaker:that'll be it.
Speaker:Like when he comes back, do they trade him?
Speaker:No, and let's, 6.
Speaker:125 for the next four years, it's a longer deal.
Speaker:He's only 29.
Speaker:So the deal ends when he's 33 at 6 million bucks.
Speaker:maybe he, you go somewhere else.
Speaker:It's not as if he's a bad player.
Speaker:Like it's not as if he just got bad at hockey.
Speaker:he's good.
Speaker:he puts up almost a point per game.
Speaker:He's valuable.
Speaker:And I think if you can.
Speaker:If you can bring him back into the fold, I think he's probably more valuable
Speaker:to you at this stage of Colorado's, this iteration of the avalanche.
Speaker:you need high level players and you're not going to trade in a Chushkin and
Speaker:bring back up another high level guy.
Speaker:You're going to trade in Chushkin and what, maybe get a prospect,
Speaker:maybe like a.
Speaker:second round pick, like no
Speaker:bad teams giving up their first round pick, maybe a second round pick,
Speaker:maybe a better team, you trade them to a team in the Eastern conference
Speaker:that has some space that isn't worried about their first round pick.
Speaker:Maybe they're willing to trade a first round pick
Speaker:to
Speaker:I wouldn't take that
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But the, you look at the East and you go what if now, what if Boston is
Speaker:willing to trade a first round pick and go up, I can't see it happening.
Speaker:I, you're right.
Speaker:I can't
Speaker:see a team, Maybe Washington.
Speaker:Utah could be the one team just because they like to make splashes.
Speaker:I think
Speaker:Yes, but I don't think they're trading a first round pick because the they'll know,
Speaker:Hey, we're not, we're not projected to be.
Speaker:Maybe they make the, there may be, maybe we make the playoffs is like,
Speaker:Ooh, maybe we could make the playoffs.
Speaker:Like it's very,
Speaker:it's definitely top 10 protected if I'm trading it.
Speaker:That's for sure.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:That's, and that's fair.
Speaker:like a team like Carolina, they could use a guy like Rod Brindamore or,
Speaker:I don't know, maybe do some things, but anyways, he can't be traded and.
Speaker:And until he returns and we'll find that out, the other thing that is
Speaker:going to be up for a discussion is going to be Miko Rantanen.
Speaker:He's only 27.
Speaker:He's about to be a UFA at the end of the year.
Speaker:He's at 9.
Speaker:25 million.
Speaker:And Yeah.
Speaker:I say that he's definitely due for a raise.
Speaker:So
Speaker:Colorado is going to have to figure that one out.
Speaker:And that deal has definitely.
Speaker:What was that?
Speaker:A six year deal at 9.
Speaker:25 and that deal has, it's worked out, I'd say for both player and team.
Speaker:It was a good deal at the time.
Speaker:It remains a good deal.
Speaker:It's not like nobody's getting ripped off.
Speaker:Nobody's getting huge benefits.
Speaker:but I'd say that next year, we're looking at William Nylander kind of money.
Speaker:I was going to say our Timmy Panarin money, right?
Speaker:That 11
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:11, which is, I think that's what me landers at 11.
Speaker:So Yeah.
Speaker:I, you're looking at least that now maybe he's willing to go 10, five or something
Speaker:like that for on an eight year deal.
Speaker:Yeah, we'll consider the fact that if they sign him to an eight year deal,
Speaker:he'd be what, 36 at the end of it.
Speaker:And even on an eight year deal, I think he'd probably want 11.
Speaker:So that's going to be a tough deal for Colorado and he can sign an extension now.
Speaker:And so you gotta, maybe be asking the question, what's
Speaker:what's Colorado thinking here?
Speaker:I would assume that they don't think that they can lose them.
Speaker:No, you already.
Speaker:you're hurting as far as death is concerned already, right?
Speaker:you brought in Casey Middlestad.
Speaker:You gave up a, Tremendous defensive product or prospect or player, whatever
Speaker:you want to call him in Bowen Byram.
Speaker:And then, again, you managed to keep Drury on the cheap.
Speaker:And so that just to me is already proof that you're struggling cap wise to
Speaker:maintain depth because you have guys like McKinnon and Rantanen and Landis
Speaker:Gog who are going to eat up a ton of cap space and you just don't have the
Speaker:money to bring them guys to replace them.
Speaker:So if you lose a guy like Rantanen, you're not going to go out and free
Speaker:agency and sign somebody to replace him.
Speaker:So It's going to be a, it's going to be a hit and you can't even, I would be,
Speaker:argue to say that even if you sign two guys at, five and five, you're still
Speaker:not going to replace that productivity.
Speaker:And and the cap's going to go up.
Speaker:They've got 17 million available next year.
Speaker:And there's a, there's not a whole lot of other UFAs that you're go,
Speaker:they also got to sign this guy or like an RFA, Kovalenko's an RFA and
Speaker:not like a huge deal for, money wise.
Speaker:Brandstrom will be an RFA, but.
Speaker:We're not sure what that's going to end up looking like.
Speaker:And then really your only other question Mark going into next year
Speaker:would be the goaltending situation.
Speaker:Gorg, Georgiev will be a UFA.
Speaker:but the goaltending situation to me right now is probably their
Speaker:biggest question Mark, because can, do you trust that Georgiev can
Speaker:win you not just a playoff series?
Speaker:Cause this is a team that.
Speaker:Has Stanley cup aspirations.
Speaker:can he win you the, that big game?
Speaker:he had some good games in the playoffs, but he had some rough games and his
Speaker:regular season was not great, eight, nine, seven save percentage for a high
Speaker:level team is not good enough and.
Speaker:when you're having to rely on your backup goalie so often, you Frank
Speaker:who's was hurt a bunch of last year.
Speaker:And, I'm just wondering, is your, you have the answer or are you out
Speaker:here looking for another goalie?
Speaker:just waiting in the weeds, seeing what kind of, what transpires and
Speaker:eventually you're going to go out and grab a guy, maybe at the deadline,
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I definitely think they're going to give, gosh, how do you pronounce his last name?
Speaker:And Noonan.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:They're going to give him a shot at an opportunity.
Speaker:he looked good in limited.
Speaker:in limited opportunities last year, now if you put the pressure on him,
Speaker:because I don't think you want to try to play, Gorgia have 60 plus games again.
Speaker:So you're going to give this kid is 24 year old, untested,
Speaker:goaltender, an opportunity to play 20, 30 games in this league.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:Can he hold up, right?
Speaker:So if he doesn't hold up, I do think you're going to see Colorado
Speaker:take a stab at a goaltender.
Speaker:And they could even hit the free agent market, bring in a Martin Jones or
Speaker:somebody like that, who could come in and give you 15 good games and,
Speaker:hopefully provide some stability, especially if there's any kind of injury.
Speaker:God forbid, Gore Gab goes down.
Speaker:I think you're just, you're up shits Creek.
Speaker:So
Speaker:that's what I'm looking at is that
Speaker:either guy goes down, who are you bringing up?
Speaker:Cause you're two goalies that are, right now in the minors are
Speaker:Kevin Mandoli's and Trent minor.
Speaker:That's,
Speaker:I'm not confident.
Speaker:my guess is that they're out, there, there are some goalies that are out
Speaker:there like a martin jones, so my guess is, they're, they've been looking
Speaker:around and that those conversations usually at this time of year, training
Speaker:camp comes in, we start to see some of those other goalies get snagged up.
Speaker:Uh, my guess, maybe there's been some conversation with Rantanen And they're
Speaker:going, are we going to sign into an extension or are we just letting
Speaker:this, are we letting it hang out?
Speaker:And as of right now, I haven't heard a whole lot about that
Speaker:extension, but that doesn't mean that they're not in communication
Speaker:about, I'm sure that they are,
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I'm sure Gore gives hope and he has a bounce back season for that contract too.
Speaker:Because if you're his camp,
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:For him.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:as low as it can be right now.
Speaker:So
Speaker:yeah, he played 60 games.
Speaker:He won a lot of them.
Speaker:So there's that, I don't think that he's not going to go out and be able
Speaker:to get another 3 million contract, but I think the hope certainly was that.
Speaker:Hey, I'm number one goalie in Colorado.
Speaker:Let's go out, seize this.
Speaker:And I can be a five, 6 million goalie.
Speaker:And so far that has not happened.
Speaker:where do you drop this avalanche team in terms of, where they
Speaker:fall in the central division?
Speaker:We didn't really hit a lot on defense, although I would say
Speaker:that defense is their strength.
Speaker:as far as their depth, they brought in a Shillington, they bring in a Dahan
Speaker:and, Brandstrom as a, an experiment.
Speaker:but Makar, Taves, Gerrard and Manson, there's few teams with
Speaker:a better top four than that.
Speaker:So it's almost like.
Speaker:Yeah, we can talk about all these other things, but ultimately they've got a lot
Speaker:of guys who can get their star forwards the puck and then, Mikhail Makar is
Speaker:basically Conor McDavid on defense.
Speaker:yeah, you could almost say that.
Speaker:listen,
Speaker:I did say it.
Speaker:You did say that.
Speaker:That's very true.
Speaker:I still think, especially considering, I think the subtractions that Winnipeg
Speaker:has, yeah, I'm confident Halibut's gonna have another sna like season
Speaker:Willie win the sna, who knows?
Speaker:But it's still gonna be a good season from him regardless.
Speaker:and I'm starting to get worried too, because he's one of those guys that,
Speaker:you know, over the, gosh, over the course of the last five, six years,
Speaker:he's played more games than anybody.
Speaker:So I start to wonder when we might start to see a little regression
Speaker:or when they say, you know what?
Speaker:We got to play this guy only 55 games, right?
Speaker:We got to give him a break, but, all that being said, I think Winnipeg
Speaker:fell a little bit in my eyes.
Speaker:And so I still think Colorado is still capable of finishing in
Speaker:that top three in this division.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah, I definitely don't see the missing the playoffs by any means, unless
Speaker:the goaltending really falls apart.
Speaker:but I think it's more likely that Georgiev bounces back a little bit.
Speaker:And has a little bit better of a regular season.
Speaker:If he's not playing as much, let's limit them to 50 games and then
Speaker:see what else can come in there.
Speaker:I just think they're just too dynamic offensively, not
Speaker:to be in the conversation.
Speaker:and if Natchooshkin comes back and you at, or you just add Landis cog and he's
Speaker:healthy and he actually can, if he's just a shell of himself, it might be
Speaker:tough to watch, but, it doesn't sound like that's, the case, I think that.
Speaker:Hey, you didn't have your captain all last year and now he's back.
Speaker:So that's a big boost.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:let's go to the Dallas stars.
Speaker:Definitely one of the favorites for the division once again.
Speaker:And, he had a pretty decent season last year and, that they find
Speaker:themselves in this, similar position.
Speaker:They didn't have to go out and.
Speaker:Do a whole lot in terms of it's not like they had to give anybody huge deals
Speaker:or there, there wasn't a ton to do for the Dallas stars this off season as
Speaker:they prepare for, what is going to, how their team's going to be shaped over
Speaker:the next three years, because a Jamie Benz, a UFA at the end of this year.
Speaker:And that's a huge anchor to take off.
Speaker:It doesn't mean that he won't stay, but he won't be eating up.
Speaker:9.
Speaker:5 million of the cap.
Speaker:And, that's, they bring back, do Shane's still there at 3 million bucks.
Speaker:Dad and I was still there, Wyatt Johnson, he will be an RFA at the end of the
Speaker:year, so he'll get a big deal there.
Speaker:There's going to be some reorg of where guys fall in terms
Speaker:of the salary cap structure.
Speaker:Hey, walking into this next year, the Dallas stars look pretty similar.
Speaker:to what they look like last year, other than Joe power tires.
Speaker:Yeah, that's a big loss.
Speaker:not only just from a production standpoint, just.
Speaker:from a locker room standpoint, right?
Speaker:But I think, again, this Dallas stars team, they're very well built.
Speaker:They have a lot of, they have great leadership in that locker room already.
Speaker:And yes, losing a guy like Joe Paz is going to suck, but I think they've got
Speaker:enough guys in there that are leaders like Jamie Ben, for example, They'll be fine.
Speaker:they're a well run organization.
Speaker:They have a great culture there.
Speaker:and, winning doesn't hurt, right?
Speaker:So they've got guys who know how to win there.
Speaker:they went out last year and beat Vegas in the playoffs, which I thought were the
Speaker:two best teams in the Western Conference.
Speaker:And somehow, that's why I hate the current playoff format.
Speaker:They ended up playing in the first round and, it, it turned out to be a great
Speaker:series, but for me, I'm interested to see how this backend plays out because
Speaker:right now we've got, Harley not re signed.
Speaker:He's an RFA still no contract in place.
Speaker:I think they'll eventually get something done, but, if you start missing training
Speaker:camp, history has shown us that guys that.
Speaker:again, hold out on contracts and miss training camp.
Speaker:They just have a shitty year.
Speaker:So, when you've got to rely, outside of height, mural high skin, and
Speaker:you've got Matt Dumba who joins in there, Brendan Smith on the back
Speaker:end, Esalen Dell, I'm just on, he's an okay number four defenseman, but
Speaker:outside of that, you don't have much.
Speaker:how are these new guys on,
Speaker:I was going to say, I really didn't love the two defensive signings this
Speaker:off season for Labushkin and Dumba
Speaker:Labushkin three years at 3.
Speaker:25 million for a guy who is really a six defenseman is.
Speaker:Not one of Jim Nils best signings.
Speaker:maybe they feel like he's the perfect fit for something.
Speaker:I'm guessing, after losing Tav, like Tav was a fantastic fit.
Speaker:he goes and he signs in Toronto, I'm guessing that they went
Speaker:well, we can't have Tav.
Speaker:So let's like, let's go get Dumba and Labushkin and that kind of, there's
Speaker:two guys that are tan of light a little bit, but I just don't see that at all.
Speaker:Labushkin's not good.
Speaker:And
Speaker:I know, cause he's been on the Maple Leafs 17 times, they've traded for him.
Speaker:Every year for the last three decades, it feels and, he just, he's never been good.
Speaker:He has not been good.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:why they brought him back and he just, he's pretty garbage, but maybe
Speaker:they feel like he can fit some role.
Speaker:Matt Dumba, I guess you're paying them for what he could be again.
Speaker:Not necessarily what he was last year.
Speaker:Cause last year he just, he wasn't a good fit anywhere he went.
Speaker:but maybe they think they can turn that around.
Speaker:they did need some right handed shots on their defense as well.
Speaker:So that kind of fills that need.
Speaker:I guess you're going, maybe we can have Labushkin play with Heiskanen and
Speaker:it'll, because he did play with Morgan Riley and he still wasn't good, but it
Speaker:freed up Riley to go and do some things.
Speaker:Maybe they feel that way about Heiskanen and Labushkin.
Speaker:I'm not sure.
Speaker:I didn't like the signing at all,
Speaker:no, I'm with you.
Speaker:And I
Speaker:not for three years.
Speaker:no.
Speaker:Oh God, no.
Speaker:Yeah, no.
Speaker:Take a one year flyer on a guy.
Speaker:But you know what?
Speaker:three.
Speaker:I'm still hoping I'm, I keep waiting because Heiskanen to me is still a Norris,
Speaker:a Norris level type defenseman in this league and they have to continually play
Speaker:him on his off wing because they can't find anybody to play on their right side.
Speaker:And I think that's really to me is what's holding him back is because they lean
Speaker:on him a little bit too much right now.
Speaker:Um, maybe Thomas Harley, will help, alleviate some of those minutes, but
Speaker:they can't get him signed either.
Speaker:that's, if you just get Labushkin 3 million bucks, what are
Speaker:you gonna have to pay Harley?
Speaker:So
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:that's a good, that is a great point.
Speaker:okay.
Speaker:and all that to be said, Hey, Dallas still does have 6.
Speaker:2 million left in cap space.
Speaker:Most of that probably going to Harley,
Speaker:but yeah, I think it is fair to say, they mostly stayed the same.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:They lose Pavelsky.
Speaker:but.
Speaker:Bringing back Duchesne at a low cost deal again, like he was very good for
Speaker:the stars last year and I think with the rest of the, Robertson, the route Bay
Speaker:hints like this team is still fantastic.
Speaker:a top two team in the division for my money.
Speaker:I don't see them going anywhere and we didn't even get to goaltending and
Speaker:like Ottinger's going to be great.
Speaker:And he's in a contract year and that means more money for my boy, Jake Ottinger, so
Speaker:Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker:Cause to me, he was just, he was average last year.
Speaker:and you look at his numbers, they again, just pedestrian.
Speaker:So I think we're going to see more out of him.
Speaker:I think he'll be better.
Speaker:and thank God, no offense to Ryan Suter, but, they got that slow
Speaker:fricking defenseman out of his way too.
Speaker:So that'll only help out and you're for sure.
Speaker:there we go.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Dallas, I think somewhere in the.
Speaker:Definitely in the top three of that division.
Speaker:I don't know, there's a scenario where they get, if they have
Speaker:an injury on the backend, that could be really tough for them.
Speaker:we'll see what happens.
Speaker:I, there, I don't see them falling out of the top three.
Speaker:Like I look at the rest of this division and I go, what, like who else is going
Speaker:to see Colorado's in the top three.
Speaker:And you've got Winnipeg, Dallas, and then Nashville.
Speaker:that's about it for competing for the top three.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:let's move on to the Minnesota wild, who maybe are the most up
Speaker:or down team in this division.
Speaker:Like they might be the toughest team to pick where they're going to fall.
Speaker:Cause it wasn't the two years ago they made the playoffs and last
Speaker:year they really fell off a cliff.
Speaker:But I think there's a scenario where this team could get back, you've got a whole
Speaker:year of Boldy and Faber signs is big deal.
Speaker:8 million bucks.
Speaker:Like this team's ready to roll.
Speaker:And, I think there's a chance that the Minnesota wild kind
Speaker:of have a bounce back year.
Speaker:Yeah, for me, it's all going to hinge on Marco Rossi, and really what he does and
Speaker:what his development is because this team, we've talked about it for years, but.
Speaker:obviously they've been hamstrung by Parisi and Suter's buyouts, but they've lacked
Speaker:a true number one center for so long.
Speaker:And you have guys like Zuccarello, who, in my opinion, their contractor,
Speaker:his contract's way undervalued as far as what he brings in and gets paid.
Speaker:And I think he's phenomenal on both ends.
Speaker:And obviously Kaprizov is just a phenomenal.
Speaker:he's phenomenal to watch.
Speaker:So when you got those two guys and you have nobody in the middle who can really
Speaker:dish the puck or nobody that just, provides that responsibility as far as
Speaker:two way play goes, I think, that's the one thing I think this team really lacks.
Speaker:And they got lucky last year.
Speaker:I think with Faber, they found themselves the number one defenseman.
Speaker:And this kid, I think he's gonna be a superstar in this league as
Speaker:far as, defensemen are concerned.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:Gosh, that to me is going to be the biggest question mark, is whether or not
Speaker:Marco Rossi can take another step and show that he is that guy that they drafted to
Speaker:potentially be that number one center.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:and if he can be that guy, that's a huge, if he walks out and he's a
Speaker:true number one center, that's a, that's an amazing boost for that team.
Speaker:I'll also say maybe even more.
Speaker:Kirill Kaprizov had a slow start, but I know he, he still had a, as
Speaker:far as numbers go, he's, he had a great year, he had 96 points.
Speaker:It's felt like he started a little slower.
Speaker:I think that we need to see that.
Speaker:Pace not be so back end heavy.
Speaker:I think he started to pick up the pace once the season was gone.
Speaker:No, you're right.
Speaker:he traditionally does that.
Speaker:I've looked at the numbers over the years and he starts slow.
Speaker:And, again, in this league, you have to get off to a quick start because when
Speaker:you're chasing teams like Colorado and Nashville and Dallas all year long,
Speaker:it's going to be tough to get wins when, you're already behind the eight ball.
Speaker:So I, just as a, just as an aside, I thought, you said they haven't
Speaker:had a number one center in a while.
Speaker:And I was like, who would I say are the best centers that the wild have had,
Speaker:Oh
Speaker:it's, yeah.
Speaker:Miko Koivu is really the one number one center.
Speaker:And he really was more like a, he was a really good number two center, I think on
Speaker:a team that, that could have won something like he was not going to be the number one
Speaker:center on any Stanley cup winning team.
Speaker:Like he, he was good, but he wasn't great.
Speaker:He was never a superstar, not one iota of a superstar.
Speaker:He was very good.
Speaker:like his brother Saku Koivu in Montreal.
Speaker:He was very good.
Speaker:He had some years where he was.
Speaker:He put up some decent points, and.
Speaker:He's a really good center and he got to play with Marion Gabrick and,
Speaker:Marion Gabrick absolutely benefited from him being able to, he took
Speaker:all the defensive responsibilities.
Speaker:He was a true two way.
Speaker:Centerman.
Speaker:And, I'm sure that he was voted up there in the Selkie trophy voting at some points
Speaker:during his career, but you've got him, I think Pavel Demitra was on the team at one
Speaker:point and he played center a little bit.
Speaker:Eric Stahl was a center on the wild.
Speaker:And I think for
Speaker:Yeah, he had a 40 goal season.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, and then I think we're going, Jonathan Erickson, AC is probably the
Speaker:next best center that's played there.
Speaker:They just
Speaker:have had no centerman, over the, and this is a team that's
Speaker:been in the NHL since 1998.
Speaker:So for those guys in the 25 years of your franchise's existence, those are
Speaker:the four best centers to play for you.
Speaker:I think you've got an issue.
Speaker:He got to start identifying some centers.
Speaker:Now they've had some great wingers, no doubt about it
Speaker:on the wingers.
Speaker:Um, can Kirill Kaprizov get going and from a goaltending
Speaker:standpoint, it's Philip Gustafson.
Speaker:Can he find himself again and be who he was two years ago?
Speaker:And Marc Andre Fleury feeling the, in the rest, is Fleury
Speaker:going to come back and still be.
Speaker:serviceable.
Speaker:he's getting up there.
Speaker:He's 39 years old.
Speaker:He'll be 40 this year.
Speaker:So
Speaker:not too many goalies have successful 40 or 40 year old career.
Speaker:yeah, he was mediocre last year.
Speaker:and so was their whole goaltending situation.
Speaker:I'm not overly optimistic about it.
Speaker:let me just put it that way.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:yeah, their top six is fine.
Speaker:Boldy, I think Boldy takes a step.
Speaker:I think Faber takes a step on the back end and then, we'll see if Marco Rossi
Speaker:can, and if some things fall into place, if players have really good years and
Speaker:They're younger players take big steps.
Speaker:I think there's a chance they Could be, a wildcard team because
Speaker:more or less, because I think St.
Speaker:Louis is like, sounds like St.
Speaker:Louis shopping.
Speaker:Some guys, they might take a step back.
Speaker:I don't know that Utah is still very good.
Speaker:Chicago is not very good.
Speaker:And there might be a window there.
Speaker:could
Speaker:Probably not, but there's a window.
Speaker:like we said too, if Gorgiev has a terrible year again, obviously Colorado
Speaker:is going to score some goals, but maybe that costs them a few extra wins.
Speaker:And maybe Minnesota takes advantage of that.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And the best news for the Minnesota wild is that next year.
Speaker:They get 14 plus million dollars off their cap from the buyout that.
Speaker:they made a Parise and suitor who suitors just getting paid by a half a dozen teams
Speaker:in the NHL right now, because he just keeps getting signed and bought out.
Speaker:So yes, an additional 15 million in cap space next year.
Speaker:and that.
Speaker:Includes Brock Faber already being signed to an eight times 8.
Speaker:5 million deal.
Speaker:They don't really have other than Marco Rossi will be an RFA next
Speaker:year, but it's coming off as an ELC.
Speaker:He hasn't been super productive so far.
Speaker:Even if Rossi goes out and What What did we say?
Speaker:Like he had 40 points, let's say he goes out and gets 60 points this year.
Speaker:He's still probably not getting more than like six, 6 million.
Speaker:I like a little short term deal because you're going to go, Hey, yes, you had a
Speaker:60 point season, but let's see you do it again before we sign you to a huge deal.
Speaker:So I would suspect some kind of bridge deal, unless he's absolutely fantastic.
Speaker:And in which case that does leave the wild, some room to go out and do some
Speaker:things, in free agency next year.
Speaker:That's where they are.
Speaker:They're just a, like a sitting duck.
Speaker:They have to wait and see, but I think there's a shot that they'll,
Speaker:there'll be more interesting this year
Speaker:because of the progress that their young players made last year.
Speaker:All Right.
Speaker:So we have done the first four teams in the central division.
Speaker:And, I think we'll take a, we'll stop there.
Speaker:You can head over to the next episode.
Speaker:We're going to post these at the same time.
Speaker:So you can head over to the next episode for, the second half of
Speaker:the central division preview.
Speaker:That'll be the national predators, the St.
Speaker:Louis blues, Utah hockey team.
Speaker:I know the hockey club and the Winnipeg jet.
Speaker:So go over, listen to the next episode.
Speaker:thanks for listening.
Speaker:Don't forget.
Speaker:You can find us on Twitter and, or X and Instagram.
Speaker:Tick tock at OT hockey talk, and we'll see you at the second half
Speaker:of the central division preview