The NHL’s Central Division was arguably the best during the 2024-25 season, as it had five teams qualify for the playoffs, including the Presidents’ Trophy winners. While there’s been some turnover in the Central this offseason, it once again looks like it should be one of the best, if not the best, divisions in the NHL.
Chicago Blackhawks
- Additions: Andre Burakovsky, Sam Lafferty
- Subtractions: Alec Martinez, TJ Brodie, Pat Maroon, Philipp Kurashev
- Net of 1 win added
The Chicago Blackhawks had a relatively quiet offseason compared to the previous year. Their main additions, Andre Burakovsky and Sam Lafferty, are not expected to make a significant impact, with a combined value of -0.2 wins. However, by moving on from Alec Martinez, TJ Brodie, Pat Maroon, and Philipp Kurashev—all of whom were net-negatives last season—the team has created more opportunities to integrate young talent onto the roster.
Related: NHL’s Metropolitan Division Is Weakest It’s Been in Years Entering 2025-26
Though the Blackhawks shed some deadweight this offseason and should inject more youth and skill into the lineup, they’re unlikely to make a substantial jump in the standings in 2025-26. While Connor Bedard could have a breakout season, the team remains in the thick of its rebuild. Reaching 70 points is possible, but a return to playoff contention still appears to be several years away.
Nashville Predators
- Additions: Nick Perbix, Nic Hague, Erik Haula
- Subtractions: Colton Sissons, Jeremy Lauzon
- Net of 1.8 wins added
Good news, Nashville Predators fans. General manager Barry Trotz kept himself in check this offseason. Nick Perbix was an underrated addition, though we’ll see if he can handle a bigger role than he had with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Erik Haula struggled mightily with the New Jersey Devils last season, but he should be fine if the Predators keep him in a bottom-six role.
Overall, the Predators did improve this offseason, though that Nic Hague contract extension is egregious. The problem is that Trotz can’t undo what he did last summer when he signed Brady Skjei, Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos to pricey contracts that have all bombed. All those players are on the wrong side of 30 and may not improve from here on out, and with the Central Division being as strong as it is, it’s probably going to be another tough season in Nashville.
Utah Mammoth
- Additions: JJ Peterka, Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev, Vitek Vanecek
- Subtractions: Michael Kesselring, Josh Doan, Matias Maccelli, Nick Bjugstad
- Net of 2.5 wins added
The Utah Mammoth took a step forward last season, finishing with 89 points in the standings, and general manager Bill Armstrong has put them in a position to make another jump in 2025-26. They had a relatively busy offseason, acquiring JJ Peterka in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres and signing Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev and Vitek Vanecek in free agency.
While the Mammoth did lose some decent players, the additions outweigh the losses. There’s already plenty of young talent in Salt Lake City with Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther, and they should only improve this coming season. The Mammoth’s over/under is set at 93.5, and they should compete for a playoff spot in the Central.
St. Louis Blues
- Additions: Nick Bjugstad, Pius Suter, Logan Mailloux
- Subtractions: Nick Leddy, Zach Bolduc, Radek Faksa, Ryan Suter
- Net of 1.6 wins lost
The St. Louis Blues have had an interesting offseason. Nick Bjugstad and Pius Suter are solid players who will add more center depth to the Blues, but is it better than what they had before? Suter is coming off a career season that saw him total 25 goals, but he’s unlikely to repeat that performance since it’s well off his career averages.
Bjugstad is a decent fourth-line center, but even when combined, he and Suter might not be better than Zach Bolduc, whom the Blues traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Logan Mailloux. Bolduc’s play was worth 2.4 wins while Bjugstad and Suter were worth 1.7 combined. That might seem incremental, but if Suter is due to regress, the gap may be wider. The Blues did shed some deadweight this offseason, but with the Mammoth on the rise, they may find themselves in a battle to hold on to a playoff position in the Central.
Minnesota Wild
- Additions: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nico Sturm
- Subtractions: Frederick Gaudreau, Gustav Nyquist, Declan Chisholm
- Net of 0.1 wins lost
The Minnesota Wild have had a relatively quiet offseason, with Vladimir Tarasenko being their primary addition. Tarasenko is a good bounce-back candidate and could benefit from playing alongside some of the Wild’s top-six talent. Otherwise, GM Bill Guerin played it safe and rounded out the edges of the team’s forward group by signing Nico Sturm and Nicolas Aube-Kubel to bolster the bottom six.
Even though the Wild and Guerin stayed quiet this offseason, they’re essentially running back the same squad that totaled 45 wins and 97 points a season ago. They also did that with Kirill Kaprizov missing large chunks of the season due to injury, so while they may not have done much this offseason, they should still be in the thick of the playoff race in the Central, assuming they stay relatively healthy.
Colorado Avalanche
- Additions: Victor Olofsson, Brent Burns
- Subtractions: Jonathan Drouin, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Lindgren, Miles Wood
- Net of 0.7 wins lost
The Colorado Avalanche have had plenty of roster turnover over the last year, leading to a quiet offseason (a theme might be developing here). Their two offseason additions — Brent Burns and Victor Olofsson — were modest. Burns still has some gas left in the tank and should be fine playing a lesser role with the Avalanche than he did with the Carolina Hurricanes. Olofsson quietly had an excellent 2024-25 campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights and could replace some of the offense they lost by letting Jonathan Drouin walk in free agency.
Losing Ryan Lindgren and Miles Wood should be addition by subtraction for the Avalanche. Otherwise, they look poised to compete for the Central Division title again. They have one of the best cores in the NHL, and regression from the Winnipeg Jets should make the race for first in the Central more competitive.
Dallas Stars
- Additions: Vladislav Kolyachonok, Nathan Bastian, Radek Faksa
- Subtractions: Mikael Granlund, Mason Marchment, Matt Dumba, Evgeny Dadonov, Cody Ceci
- Net of 1.6 wins lost
The Dallas Stars entered the 2025 offseason in one of the most precarious cap situations in the NHL, so most of their summer was about shedding salary to get cap-compliant. Out are key contributors in Mikael Granlund, Mason Marchment and Evgeny Dadonov, and in are…not many players of note.
Nathan Bastian and Radek Faksa are quality fourth-liners, but they’re no replacements for Granlund, Marchment, and even Dadonov. The Stars will be better off without Matt Dumba and Cody Ceci on their blue line, and Vladislav Kolyachonok is a decent depth defender, but they are a slightly worse team than they were last season. Still, their top-end talent is among the best in the NHL, and they should also be in the running to take first place in the Central.
Winnipeg Jets
- Additions: Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, Cole Koekpe, Jonathan Toews
- Subtractions: Nikolaj Ehlers, Brandon Tanev, Mason Appleton
- Net of 2.9 wins lost
The Winnipeg Jets are the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners, but it may prove difficult to repeat that effort, let alone come close to it. Losing Nikolaj Ehlers, whose play was worth about 2.2 wins last season, will sting, and they did not do much to replace him. Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke are decent bottom-six forwards, but none are likely to come close to replicating Ehlers’ production.
Jonathan Toews is a wild card for the Jets, but I remain skeptical that a 38-year-old who’s been away from the game for over two years will have a significant impact for them. The Jets should still be a good team, but they’re primed to regress from the 116-point season they just had; it’s almost impossible to be better. They should still be a playoff team, but I’m not keen on them challenging for first place this season.
How Will the Central Shake Out?
The Central Division was arguably the best in the NHL last season, and it’s probably going to be highly competitive again. Nashville and Chicago are the only teams I see being non-factors, but everyone else should have a chance at qualifying for the postseason:
- Avalanche – 107 points
- Stars – 104 points
- Jets – 99 points
- Wild – 96 points WC1
- Mammoth – 94 points WC2
- Blues – 91 points *
- Predators – 78 points *
- Blackhawks – 71 points *
*eliminated from playoff contention
The Central could very well get five teams into the playoffs again. I’m buying Mammoth stock and think this will be the year they break a long playoff drought dating back to their days as the Arizona Coyotes. That’ll push the Blues, who qualified for the postseason with 96 points last season, out of the picture.
But even though I have the Blues out, it could be the Mammoth, it could be the Wild. Heck, it could even be the Jets, though I doubt that’ll be the case since they have Connor Hellebuyck. There should be six teams that compete for playoff spots this season, making the Central as much of a gauntlet as the Atlantic is shaping up to be.
Advanced stats from Evolving Hockey
