Which team is going to win the Central Division next season?
NHL Network: Bruce Boudreau on who he thinks is going to be the top team in the Central Division this season.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Erika Wachter: “So we’ll circle back to where we began. And that was the best team in the division last year. Of course, it was the Dallas Stars who took that title. Who do you anticipate grabbing that this year?
Boudreau: “Well, again, I think, I think anything is up for grabs, but I do think Nashville has made the steps that they can get ahead of Dallas.
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I mean, I mean Colorado’s got the star power, but I don’t know if they’ve got, there’s so much with injuries withm with Colorado. And I mean, I don’t know who’s coming back. I mean, (Valeri) Nichushkin is, you know, is maybe till Christmas, even if they want him back. Landeskog, yeah, who knows if he’s gonna play again. I mean, but they, they’re going to be dangerous because Nathan MacKinnon is Nathan MacKinnon. (Mikko) Rantanen and is Rantanen. But I mean, I think they’ll be there.
I think Dallas will be there but I don’t think Dallas got any better, even though they, losing (Joe) Pavelski, I think hurt. But I mean, they also lost (Chris) Tanev and (Jani) Hakanpaa, and Ryan Suter, who played big minutes for those guys. And I don’t, I think they, on defense when they got (Matt) Dumba, (Ilya) Lyubushkin, Brendon Smith, I don’t think are quite as good as those guys. So I think they, if they get 113 points they’re still gonna be there but I think they’re probably 100 point plus team but I don’t know they’re much more than that this year.
Wacther: “Alright, so if you called it right now, that you would say…”
Boudreau: “I’d go Nashville, and Colorado is going to be in, those three teams. And I’m even looking today, I’m looking at Minnesota and I think Minnesota improved a little bit. There big thing is they’re gonna get (Jared) Spurgeon back, a healthy Spurgeon for a year. (Brock) Faber’s got another year under his belt with a, he’s got a big deal but he’s only a basically a second-year player. So mean he’s going to be better.
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So I mean, I think with the little bit of third and fourth-line adjustments that Minnesota has made, they’re going to be a little bit better this year. So I mean, I think that whole Central Division race is going to be tight like it’s always been.”