There could be some big changes this season in the Central Division. After the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, they faced a rough off-season trying to re sign all of their key players. They could not get them all back, and a couple of their Central Division counterparts took this opening to get a lot better.
1. Francois Beauchemin, Colorado Avalanche
He may not be the most well known player on the list, but he is the best. Over the last three years, Beauchemin had a 62 +/- while playing at least 22 minutes a game. Those are some top line stats, and he proved he was a top line defender in last years post-season. He put up 9 points in 16 games and played 25 minutes a game. He will join a Colorado defense that struggled last year. They gave up 2.7 GAA, which put them in the bottom third of the league. With Beauchemin, the team should see fewer goals in their own net.
2. Patrick Sharp, Dallas Stars
This was the move that brought in the headlines this off-season. Sharp was an important piece in the Blackhawks Stanley Cup puzzle. His game 5 goal was an important turning point in the Stanley Cup Finals. He is a proven scorer, with 4 seasons of 30 or more goals. He will be joined by a plethora of talented forwards, which only makes him more effective. If he plays with Tyler Seguin or Jason Spezza, expect plenty of fireworks from a team that already had over 3 goals a game last year.
3. Johnny Oduya, Dallas Stars
He was one of those top four defenders that won the Blackhawks the cup last year. He played over 24 minutes a game along side star defender Niklas Hjalmarsson in the post season. His 28 +/- over the last three years show how consistent he is on the blue line. By taking away Sharp and Oduya from the Blackhawks, the Stars took a major chunk out of the gap between them and the Blackhawks.
4. Antti Niemi, Dallas Stars
The Stars were not just satisfied with adding to their forwards and defenders, they also added to their goalies. Kari Lehtonen had an off year last year, so they decided to give him some competition in the form of Antti Niemi. Niemi is a solid starting goaltender, with a career 2.33 GAA. He also has 32 career shut outs, showing he can dominate games. He was also the starting goalie for the Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup team alongside reunited teammate Patrick Sharp.
5. Carl Soderberg, Colorado Avalanche
With the departure of Ryan O’Reilly, the Avalanche were looking for someone to fill the third line center role. Enter Carl Soderberg, who was third on the Bruins last year with 44 points. He was able to be one of the most productive players the Bruins had last year while not getting that much ice time, which is something the Avalanche are hoping he will do again this season. He is a late bloomer, who had his breakout season two years ago with 48 points.
Honorable Mentions
Mike Reilly, Minnesota Wild
A young defender with a lot of promise. He played on USA’s World Championship team, and was a star at University of Minnesota.
Cody Hodgson, Nashville Predators
A top-10 pick, Hodgson looked like a future star when he scored 20 goals to go along with 44 points in 2013-2014. Since then he has floundered, and a change of scenery might be precisely what he needs.
Artem Anisimov, Chicago Blackhawks
Entering his prime at 27, Anisimov has looked like a productive player as long as he is healthy. With the talent around him in Chicago, he should be productive.
Trevor Daley, Chicago Blackhawks
Daley was brought in from Dallas to replace the loss of Oduya. He had mixed reviews in Dallas, and we will have to wait and see if he has what it takes to be a top four defender in Chicago.