SALT LAKE CITY – With the relocation of the Utah Hockey Club from Arizona to Utah this offseason, there have been a lot of new changes for the franchise. A new ownership group, new branding, new city, new arena, new practice facility and a new fanbase – just to name a few. But with this long list of changes, one of the few things that will remain the same is that the Utah Hockey Club will play in the NHL’s Central Division.
Arguably the toughest division top to bottom in the NHL, the Central Division includes the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks. Last season, the Stars, Jets, Avalanche and Predators all qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
What makes the division so challenging is that the minimum requirement to make the playoffs in the division last year was 47 wins with 99 overall points. Additionally, the top two teams in the division (Dallas & Winnipeg) had more points than 11 of the other 14 playoff teams, and Dallas eventually made the Western Conference final but lost to Edmonton in six games.
So obviously, the level of competition within the division is very high which makes it incredibly difficult to punch a ticket to the playoffs.
2023-24 Record: 52-21-9, 113 points, Western Conference Finalists
After making the Western Conference Final last season, the Dallas Stars remain one of the best teams in the NHL and that may be an understatement. Arguably a super team with a super roster, eight Stars scored 20 or more goals last season, and the vast majority will be back this year.
Led by a collection of talented forwards in Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston alongside some of the best veterans in the game, Dallas is a top three offense with a lot of recent playoff experience.
This may be their year, and you can almost guarantee they’ll win the division as they scorch every net in the league.
2023-24 Record: 52-24-6, 110 points, Lost 4-1 to Colorado in First Round
Built around a strong defense and one of the best goaltenders in the league in Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg had an impressive regular season in 2022-23 but just couldn’t put things together in the playoffs with an overwhelming first-round loss.
This season they’ll run it back with essentially the same squad and will look to correct one of their most disappointing postseasons after such a strong initial year.
2023-24 Record: 50-25-7, 107 points, Lost 4-2 to Dallas in Second Round
The Colorado Avalanche have one of the strongest and most impressive cores in the league with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog.
When fully healthy, this team is a top five offense and capable of winning another Stanley Cup like they did in 2022.
2023-24 Record: 47-30-5, 99 points, Lost 4-2 to Vancouver in the First Round
Nashville was a good team last year and they only got better this offseason as they signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei to long-term-contracts.
Now, that may end up being a double-edged sword signing these older players to long deals as it creates an incredibly thin window to win, but it definitely lifts their ceiling to a contender now.
2023-24 Record: 43-33-6, 92 points, Missed Playoffs
St. Louis took another step back this last season as they missed the playoffs for the second straight year and have failed to do much of anything since winning the cup in 2019.
One thing is for sure though, they’ll compete every single night and are capable of creating problems for any team in the division.
2023-24 Record: 39-34-9, 87 Points, Missed Playoffs
Minnesota has played underwhelming hockey for a while now but luckily; they’re entering the final season of nearly $15 million in dead cap space from the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts.
For now, the Wild don’t pose as much of a threat, but they can also compete with anybody and have one of the most experienced goaltenders in the league in Marc Andre Fleury.
2023-24 Record: 23-53-6, 52 points, Missed Playoffs
Chicago is in full rebuild mode after finally moving off their aging core and embracing the future.
While they do have a generational talent and perhaps the next great face of the league in Connor Bedard, they don’t have much else and are one of the worst teams in the entire NHL.
2023-24 Record: 36-41-5, 77 points, Missed Playoffs
The last couple of seasons have been all about development for the Utah Hockey Club as they hit the reset button four years ago.
The team certainly took the next step in their rebuild this offseason by adding veteran defensive depth in Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino, but it will still likely take some time before this squad is a well-oiled machine.
Now stepping into the 2024 season, there’s certainly potential for a playoff spot this year but that’ll require new chemistry, a leap from several of their young prospects such as Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther and the puck will need to bounce their way on more than one occasion.
One thing that is for certain though is that they’ll be competitive and create havoc in the division. Maybe they will surprise some people, but this franchise still needs time.
Fans can watch the Utah Hockey Club’s first game on October 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Click here for the full schedule.
