Central battle - Dallas vs St. Louis

[Uncle Scrooge]

Two teams that i think will bounce back this year. Mix of injuries, covid issues and underachieving this past season, take your pick.

Summer isn't done, but they can both ice full rosters already so i could see them going in with what they have. In any case, let's say these are the teams.

Obviously spitballing lines, make your own in your head if you like.



Benn - Seguin - Radulov
Robertson - Hintz - Pavelski
Kiviranta - Faksa - Gurianov
Raffl - Glendening - Comeau

Lindell - Klingberg
Suter - Heiskanen
Sekera - Hakanpaa

Khudobin
Holtby
(Oettinger)

E: Kero, Hanley

VS



Perron - O'Reilly - Buchnevich
Saad - Schenn - Tarasenko
Sanford - Thomas - Kyrou
Barbashev - Sundqvist - Clifford

Krug - Parayko
Scandella - Faulk
Mikkola - Bortuzzo

Binnington
Husso
(Lindgren)

E: MacEachern, Walman

Who you got?

Click to read more...

 

[generalshepherd141]

They'll both be decent playoff teams. I have the Blues just ahead of the Stars, but either way wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Hockeyholic]

I think Nill is gone if Dallas doesn't make the playoffs.

 

[Kcb12345]

Tarasenko will be gone soon

Buchnevich and Saad are great additions though imo.

I'm gonna go with the Stars though, roster just seems stronger top to bottom if everyone stays healthy, especially defensively.

 

[Gurglesons]

St Louis. I think Buch is going to have a monster season.

 

[Regal]

I like Dallas' defense better and I think their forwards have more potential depending on how the vets play.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Homer voted for STL. I think STL has had a good offseason. Dallas isn’t far behind though.

 

[Backcheckmonster3]

Dallas cosmic suns.

 

[Captain Awesome]

I just broke the tie and picked Dallas, but I'm a Stars fan. I think it's close enough that I almost wish you had waited to see what happens with the Tarasenko situation to vote. I'm pretty worried about the Stars mediocre goaltending derailing the entire season at this point, if that doesn't happen, I'd expect these teams to be within a few points of each other, around the bubble, fighting for the last wildcard spot or 3rd in the central.

 

[BB88]

Dallas defense should be elite so them slightly

 

[jetsforever]

I'd say Blues but could be either

 

[jonlin]

If Hintz is keeping progressing and Dallas stay healthy I think its them. Having a 2C with PPG+ and a solid D is gonna take them far.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I almost wish you had waited to see what happens with the Tarasenko situation to vote.

Yeah i guess. But i wanted to see what people think if things stand the way they are.

If Tank is gone to a team like NJ and the Blues just want the space and some lesser piece/futures, then Dallas pulls ahead pretty definitively i think.

You mentioned the goaltending situation and while it's definitely a wild card, the positive is there are 3 bodies who can all play. Who takes the net and how much Oettinger stirs the pot time will tell, but odds are over the course of the long season, more often than not they have a guy in net who at least gives them a chance. I think the team is good enough to win games with league average goaltending.

 

[wetcoast]

They'll both be decent playoff teams. I have the Blues just ahead of the Stars, but either way wouldn't surprise me.

Pretty much this for me, it's a coinflip and might just come down to injuries.

 

[Stealth JD]

Dallas has better D. STL has deeper forwards. Goaltending is a toss-up.

When in doubt, I go with the better D. Blues fan voting Dallas.

 

[LaMasquerade]

Depends on how many games Hintz gets to play next year. I mean it will difficult for Dallas to play the second line shifts shorthanded in those games he's injured...

 

[Dr Pepper]

Both should be playoff-bound.

Dallas needs to figure out what they're doing in goal, but I like the rest of the roster as it stands now.

A full season with a healthy Seguin should work wonders for them.

 

[Boreal01]

Blues have a better group of forwards and Dallas has a superior defensive group so it comes down to goaltending

I would personally take Khudobin over Binnington but I wouldn't fault anyone for going the other way

 

[dalewood12]

I picked the Stars. I think they make a significant rebound next year and go deep into the playoffs.

 

[triggrman]

Tough for Dallas to stay healthy with that many guys 32 and up

 

[BrettHullsToe]

Dallas has better D. STL has deeper forwards. Goaltending is a toss-up.

When in doubt, I go with the better D.

This is how I see it. Blues will win the regular season series where good forwards have the most impact, but Stars get the edge in the playoffs where defense matters most.

 

[NiagaraKraken]

Blues. Buch and Tarasenko can go off.

 

[libertarian]

Unless there are still some major changes this off season on either team I go with Dallas over the Blues quite easily. Dallas D is much better then the Blues and I don't think the Blues offence can make up for it. Either way I don't think either team will beat out the Avs and Jets for the top 2 spots. While I can see the Stars battling with the Jets for 2nd I see the Blues only as a PO bubble team that I do expect to make the POs only because the Central will have 5 PO teams make the show.

 

[Meatball]

I'm obviously biased, but it should be an interesting matchup between two teams that did really well this offseason.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

Defintely favour Blues forwards over Stars forwards, but Stars take the battle of the D quite handily.

And I don't trust either goaltending cores prior to game one of the season.

I loathe what St Louis did with their stout D corps. Bringing in Faulk was a mistake, losing Pietrangelo and signing Krug was just compounding on the mistake, in my opinion.

I think Dallas wins this one if the Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski line has it's mojo, but primarily because of their D.

St Louis has the better top line, and easily better forward depth.

What happens with Tarasenko will probably settle it.