Bleedin' Blue
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St. Louis Blues: Central Division To Return To Toughest Division Status

By Todd Panula

NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 07: St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) is shown during Game Six of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues, held on May 7, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 07: St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) is shown during Game Six of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues, held on May 7, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO. – APRIL 04: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nelson Nogler (62) collides with St. Louis Blues leftwing Zach Sanford (82) while going after a loose puck during an NHL game between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues on April 04, 2017, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. The Jets won, 5-2. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO. – APRIL 04: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nelson Nogler (62) collides with St. Louis Blues leftwing Zach Sanford (82) while going after a loose puck during an NHL game between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues on April 04, 2017, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. The Jets won, 5-2. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets continue to be the enigma of the division. They have the top-end talent to take everyone down, which they proved by scoring the second most goals in the Western Conference last season.

They have seen to their own, re-signing Mark Scheifele, who is coming off an 82 point season. Finnish sensation, Patrik Laine already took the league by storm with 36 goals and 64 points and had room to improve.

Defending is their problem though. They scored 249 as a team, but allowed 256. It’s a rare year when you make the playoffs allowing more goals than you scored.

It almost happened though. Winnipeg only won one fewer game than Nashville did. Turn some of those losses into overtime decisions and you might have a fight on your hands for that eighth spot instead of a seven point gap.

The defending and goaltending will still be the question mark of this team though. Steve Mason was brought in, but how much will he help? Mason is an upgrade, but he’s still a middle-of-the-road goaltender unless he hits his stride at 29, which is possible.

The Jets are going to give everyone problems. They already gave St. Louis problems, taking all five games last year.

They still seem like they are a couple years and a few pieces away. It is great to have all those goals, but they have to figure out a way to keep more out.

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