The St. Louis Blues are that team in the Central Division in 2024-25, or at least it may be the case on paper. General manager Doug Armstrong didn’t appear to improve the Blues enough to compete with the likes of the top four teams on this list, all of whom should be trendy playoff picks for fans who like to make those ‘way too early’ predictions.
But the Blues have their strengths, including a remarkable goaltending tandem, a top-six that could be better than advertised, an improved bottom-six, plus experience at the defensive rotation. That said, Armstrong could always swap that experience for newer, younger players this season, depending on factors like how the team fares early, what kind of offers he gets, and from whom.
So where do the Blues stack up at midsummer, roughly two months before training camps are set to kick off around the league?
8 - Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild did nothing impressive for the most part last season, and they did nothing impressive this offseason. Not that they had the money to, so it shouldn’t surprise any of us if 2024-25 happens to be a throwaway season and a rebuild is on the horizon. If that occurred, why not bring in a new era by switching to those uniforms reminiscent of the old North Stars as the primary so fans would have a reason to watch?
7 - Utah Hockey Club
I like what the Utah Hockey Club did this offseason in making two trades for defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino. These are a pair of established talents who will help continually invigorate the NHL’s latest fan base that stretches far beyond Salt Lake City. But, Utah still looks more like a team geared to win in the future as opposed to the present.
6 - Chicago Blackhawks
At the beginning of the month, I speculated whether Utah and the Chicago Blackhawks did enough to pass the Blues. On paper, I like where both teams are headed, but the Hawks made so many moves that the first thing on everyone’s mind should be how quickly the new puzzle pieces will mesh - something we’ll get a better idea of in the preseason.
5 - St. Louis Blues
The Blues remain in that phase where they should continue to slowly ease their longtime veterans out of the lineup in favor of younger talent. It’s something they’ve been doing among the forwards, but now, it’s the blue line that needs work. The faster Doug Armstrong can move one or two of them, whether sometime in the late summer or during the season, the quicker the new core will be in town.
4 - Nashville Predators
Few teams had more of a sense of urgency than the Nashville Predators, something we found out when they signed a few 30-something-year-old free agents. The likes of Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei, and Steven Stamkos are enticing, but can they mesh in Nashville, and how much more good hockey do they have left?
3 - Winnipeg Jets
It’s easy to rank the Winnipeg Jets behind the Predators because the latter looks so much better on paper. But right now, Connor Hellebuyck is the toughest goaltender in hockey to beat, and as long as he’s in Winnipeg, the Jets will be a playoff-caliber team.
2 - Colorado Avalanche
You got two of the game’s best players in Denver plus an entire core in the thick of their prime. Goaltender is my only real concern with the Colorado Avalanche, but Justus Annunen’s sample size was more encouraging than anyone could have asked. If he cuts into Alexandar Georgiev’s ice time, the Avs could be the toughest team in the Central to beat.
1 - Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars took the right view and did nothing drastic in the offseason (so far) because they didn’t need to. This is a team that has been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals and there’s no question that they’ll be looking for another deep playoff run in 2025.