Speculation: Order of Finish in the Central for 2018-19

[TK 421]

This is a fun preseason topic to discuss. Where did the various Central teams off season moves leave them?

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[Dbrownss]

Winnepeg
Nashville
St. Louis

Minny
Colorado
Dallas
Chicago


The top 3 can finish in any order and the bottom 4 will have to battle their way up.

 

[pawnjohn]

Winnepeg
St. Louis
Nashville
Colorado
Dallas
Minnesota
Chicago

 

[Itsnotatrap]

Winnipeg
Nashville
St. Louis
Colorado
Dallas
Minnesota
Chicago

 

[Ranksu]

1. Winnipeg
2. St. Louis
3. Nashville
4. Dallas
5. Colorado


6. Minnesota
7. Chicago

 

[BlueDream]

Winnipeg
Nashville
St. Louis
Colorado
Dallas
Minnesota
Chicago

This is what I'm predicting too. The top 4 make the playoffs.

WPG, NSH, STL are contenders. COL is trending up. CHI is re-tooling (albeit poorly), DAL is meh, but at least has some potential. Minnesota is just in no-man's land, I don't even know how their fans could have any hope for their direction. I think they'll start sliding.

 

[67Blues]

Nashville is due for a Bluesy type regression year so I'll say

Winnipeg*
St. Louis
Colorado
--------------------- Wild Card
Nashville
--------------------- Golfers
Dallas
Minnesota
Chicago

* President's Trophy winner

 

[The Note in MI]

STL
WPG
NSH
DAL
COL
MIN
CHI

 

[AVictoryDive]

Winnepeg
Nashville
St. Louis

Minny
Colorado
Dallas
Chicago


The top 3 can finish in any order and the bottom 4 will have to battle their way up.

I really agree with the last part of this.

 

[BleedBlue14]

I'd have to go

Laine
Rantanen
Granlund
Rinne
Koivu


Ohh you meant teams

WPG
NASH
STL
DAL
MINN
COL
CHI

 

[Stealth JD]

Rather wait until pre-season for the 'official' vote, since the off-season is still on-going, but I think Nashville & the Peg take a step back. STL and Colorado move up, Dallas & Minnesota spin their wheels in the mud and Chicago goes straight in the shitter:

STL
WPG
NASH
COL

MIN
DAL

CHI

Taking 1st in the division should very well be the expectations of this club, and it's critical to any post-season success to avoid that 2/3 hell-matchup in the Central.

 

[Frenzy31]

I think the Blues made a lot of solid moves this off season and with the progression of the youngsters, I think it will go like this:

StL - Most active offseason - will depend on Yeo and improved PP more then anything else
Wpg - Lost Stas with no replacement and that was a big loss as he was one of their better players down the stretch - and led the kids well. That is a very large unfilled void.
Nash - I like our forward depth better, and the D is pretty similar - plus all the Subban drama and they stood pat this offseason

It is very possible that the Central only send 3 teams to the playoffs as West made some solid additions.

Col - made a few underrated moves and improved goal-tending, I think they might surprise a bit, but still have issues on D beyond EJ
Minn - As others have said, stuck in no mans land - too many vets
Dal - Still no real additions to the defense, which is like swiss cheese
Chi - Not bad enough for a top 5 finish, but not good enough to be above 10.

 

[Mike Liut]

STL
WPG
NSH
DAL
COL
MIN
CHI

Ditto

 

[Blanick]

Something I think we need to consider is that we are going to have a ton of turnover in our forward core. O'Reilly, Perron, Bozak, Maroon, Thomas and maybe even Kyrou. That is 5 to 6 forwards that did not play here last year. While I think this is the best forward core we have had in the last decade plus a lot of these players have never played together before. There could be some "growing pains" while we find out who has chemistry with who and develop our lineup.

I still think that we end up in one of the top 3 spots but I could really see us having a slow start while we find chemistry and then a hot finish once it is found.

 

[A Real Barn Burner]

I think the Blues made a lot of solid moves this off season and with the progression of the youngsters, I think it will go like this:

StL - Most active offseason - will depend on Yeo and improved PP more then anything else
Wpg - Lost Stas with no replacement and that was a big loss as he was one of their better players down the stretch - and led the kids well. That is a very large unfilled void.
Nash - I like our forward depth better, and the D is pretty similar - plus all the Subban drama and they stood pat this offseason

It is very possible that the Central only send 3 teams to the playoffs as West made some solid additions.

Col - made a few underrated moves and improved goal-tending, I think they might surprise a bit, but still have issues on D beyond EJ
Minn - As others have said, stuck in no mans land - too many vets
Dal - Still no real additions to the defense, which is like swiss cheese
Chi - Not bad enough for a top 5 finish, but not good enough to be above 10.

Nice rundown. Other than Blues making the Playoffs I want Chicago to miss the Playoffs by 1 point so their pick isn’t to high lol.

 

[The Note in MI]

Something I think we need to consider is that we are going to have a ton of turnover in our forward core. O'Reilly, Perron, Bozak, Maroon, Thomas and maybe even Kyrou. That is 5 to 6 forwards that did not play here last year. While I think this is the best forward core we have had in the last decade plus a lot of these players have never played together before. There could be some "growing pains" while we find out who has chemistry with who and develop our lineup.

I still think that we end up in one of the top 3 spots but I could really see us having a slow start while we find chemistry and then a hot finish once it is found.

My hope is that the talent overcomes the growing pains.

 

[Blanick]

My hope is that the talent overcomes the growing pains.

I hope so too. I am actually very excited about our team this year. I think I'm tempering my own expectations as a self defense mechanism. By-product of being a 32 year old Blues fan.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

Something I think we need to consider is that we are going to have a ton of turnover in our forward core. O'Reilly, Perron, Bozak, Maroon, Thomas and maybe even Kyrou. That is 5 to 6 forwards that did not play here last year. While I think this is the best forward core we have had in the last decade plus a lot of these players have never played together before. There could be some "growing pains" while we find out who has chemistry with who and develop our lineup.

I still think that we end up in one of the top 3 spots but I could really see us having a slow start while we find chemistry and then a hot finish once it is found.

I agree with this, and I think until he proves otherwise, you kinda just have to assume Allen will be streaky, even by goalie standards. If he plays consistently well, or if Thomas and/or Kyrou play dynamically year one, then we have a shot to be at the top.

I think objectively, though, 3rd is the right place to project over the course of a long season. Even at that, I’m thinking the Blues best game could very well be at or better than anyone’s best game.

 

[simon IC]

1. Nashville. I think they have something to prove.
2. Winnipeg. Losing Stastny hurts, but still a powerhouse. Look out if Hellebuyck lives up to his contract.
3. St. Louis. Made the most improvements, but that is a lot of new faces. I wouldn't be surprised by a sluggish, confused start while players get used to each other and lines are juggled. Could cost a few points in the competitive Central. Aaaand ... there's Allen.
4. Colorado. Improved and pumped after last seasons emotional finish. Still not good enough, yet.
5. Dallas. Not with that defense and goaltending.
6. Chicago. Bad, but not as bad as some Blues fans think, (Or rather, want ).
7. Minnesota. Stood pat, and have a whole lot of mediocrity.

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

I think it'll end up looking something like this.

1. Winnipeg - Lost Stastny, but too much young talent and Hellebuyck looks to have figured it out.
2. St. Louis - Improved a lot and now have the scoring punch to survive some of Jake's bad games
3. Nashville - Down turn of Rinne is going to have an effect. Defense is still arguably #1 in NHL, but their forward core is now behind St. Louis and Winnipeg
4. Dallas - New coach with an offensive uptempo game. Bishop will have to step it up a bit and their defense will need to improve, but they have some firepower up front.
5. Colorado - MacKinnon stepped into god-mode territory last season. I think he'll come close to repeating.

6. Minnesota - I don't know. I just think they're due for a hard right turn down. They'll have a season similar to St. Louis last year.

7. Chicago - Unless they get Panarin back and Crawford plays all season, they're toast. Cam Ward is a shell, Seabrook is still there, and Kunitz is nothing to write home about.

 

[Oberyn]

I feel like the Blues could finish anywhere from 1st to 5th in the division solely due to Allen. Far too much volatility in his play and it could sink our team if he continues to shit the bed.

 

[Evocable Manager]

I feel like the Blues could finish anywhere from 1st to 5th in the division solely due to Allen. Far too much volatility in his play and it could sink our team if he continues to **** the bed.

And to add on, I do not like Yeo as a head coach. His offensive strategy doesn't have a good track record and he doesn't use his players as well as you'd hope, his PP's are the most brutal thing I've ever seen from a pro hockey team.

Coaching and goaltending need to see significant improvement.

 

[BlueDream]

Something I think we need to consider is that we are going to have a ton of turnover in our forward core. O'Reilly, Perron, Bozak, Maroon, Thomas and maybe even Kyrou. That is 5 to 6 forwards that did not play here last year. While I think this is the best forward core we have had in the last decade plus a lot of these players have never played together before. There could be some "growing pains" while we find out who has chemistry with who and develop our lineup.

I still think that we end up in one of the top 3 spots but I could really see us having a slow start while we find chemistry and then a hot finish once it is found.

I'm not too worried about that because I think it's important to remember that chemistry can happen in many different ways. Stastny and Tarasenko were here for 4 years together and never really developed much chemistry.

Meanwhile, Schenn and Schwartz clicked on their very first shift and never looked back.

Same with Vegas - a group of all new guys somehow connected perfectly.

So yeah, it'll definitely be interesting to see who gels with who and we need to give this group time but I don't necessarily think tenure has all that much to do with it. There's other factors.

 

[Bluesguru]

1) St. Louis
2) Winnipeg
3) Nashville
4) Minnesota
5) Hawks
6) Dallas
7) Colorado

 

[Frenzy31]

And to add on, I do not like Yeo as a head coach. His offensive strategy doesn't have a good track record and he doesn't use his players as well as you'd hope, his PP's are the most brutal thing I've ever seen from a pro hockey team.

Coaching and goaltending need to see significant improvement.

I am not basing or judging Yeo based on last year. That line up stunk. It I do have concerns about the PP.