![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790211279_144_.jpeg\")
FILE \u2013 Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, center, draws up a play during a time out in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Feb. 26, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski, File)\n<\/p>\nFILE \u2013 Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, center, draws up a play during a time out in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Feb. 26, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski, File)\n<\/p>\n
In a top-heavy Central Division headed by Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota, the prevailing belief entering this season is which of the five other teams can compete for one or both of the Western Conference\u2019s wild-card playoff spots.<\/p>\n
Not so fast, counter those on the outside looking up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of good players here, and our expectations are raised,\u201d Nashville Predators<\/a> forward Ryan O\u2019Reilly said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge we\u2019re looking forward to,\u201d added St. Louis Blues captain Robert Thomas.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s a growing sense of belief in Utah, where the Mammoth clinched their first playoff berth in only their second year.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s good to embrace it,\u201d forward Logan Cooley said in assessing the challenge of cracking the top three.<\/p>\n Easier said than done.<\/p>\n The Central\u2019s Big 3 are showing few signs of slippage following a season in which they ran away from the field and became the West\u2019s only teams to top 100 points, led by the Presidents\u2019 Trophy-winning Avalanche (121).<\/p>\n And while the rest of the division is playing catchup, Colorado made a big splash to secure its core by re-signing Cale Makar<\/a> to the richest contract in NHL history. The Stars retained Jason Robertson by re-signing their leading scorer to a one-year $12 million deal. The Wild, meantime, are in talks to re-sign Quinn Hughes<\/a> in a deal that could approach Makar\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cI think pressure is a privilege,\u201d Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog said. \u201cIt\u2019s not to say that you go every single day of the regular season waking up and thinking \u2018Oh, it\u2019s Cup or bust.\u2019 But I think you\u2019re aware of it.\u201d<\/p>\n On the rise<\/p>\n \u2014 The Wild have reason to believe following a season in which they beat Dallas in a six-game, first-round playoff series. It was Minnesota\u2019s first playoff series win since 2015, and only the fifth ever. Injuries hurt the Wild in losing their second-round series to Colorado.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a big learning curve for sure,\u201d Matt Boldy said. \u201cYou can\u2019t replicate playoff hockey, so it\u2019s the more you\u2019re in it, the more you learn. \u2026 So a step in the right direction, but not quite there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 With a talented young core already in place, the Mammoth added veteran depth<\/a> this offseason by acquiring Vincent Trocheck in a trade with the New York Rangers and signing former Islander captain Anders Lee in free agency.<\/p>\n \u2014 The Blues\u2019 mix of youth and experience is showing signs of blossoming for a team that has reached the playoffs just four times since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re a team that can surprise a lot of people,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have much expectations outside of our locker room, and I think we can be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 The Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> have nowhere to go but up after their fourth consecutive eighth-place finish. Their 29 wins and 72 points were the team\u2019s most since the 2019-20 COVID-shortened season. The urgency to win was reflected in Chicago adding defensemen Bowen Byram and Ian Cole, and the return of Patrick Kane. Young captain Connor Bedard will be out early in the season recovering from an injury.<\/p>\n On the decline<\/p>\n \u2014 The Winnipeg Jets are coming off their worst season in a decade, feature an aging core and have a major question mark in net with Connor Hellebuyck suspended<\/a> for refusing to report to training camp after going public with his trade demand.<\/p>\n \u2014 In Dallas, aside from Robertson\u2019s uncertain future beyond this season, might this be the last hurrah for the Stars\u2019 stalwarts, captain Jamie Benn and forward Tyler Seguin? Benn re-signed to a one-year contract while Seguin is entering the final year of his deal. The Stars took a step back last season in being eliminated in the first round after reaching the conference finals three straight times.<\/p>\n On the hot seat<\/p>\n \u2014 It\u2019s win-now for Predators coach Andrew Brunette, who enters the final year of his contract and with Nashville overhauling its front office<\/a>. Chris MacFarland left Colorado to take over as Predators GM, with Rob Blake filling the role of executive VP of hockey operations.<\/p>\n \u2014 In Chicago, how much more leeway does Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson have in overseeing a team that\u2019s finished last in the division in each of his four full seasons on the job?<\/p>\n \u2014 Entering his 15th season, Winnipeg\u2019s Kevin Cheveldayoff is the NHL\u2019s longest-active-serving general manager. He took a risk by not trading Hellebuyck in June, and may be hard-pressed to now find a team willing to take on a 33-year-old goalie with five years left on his contract with an annual $8.5 million cap hit.<\/p>\n Predicted order of finish<\/p>\n Colorado, Minnesota, Utah, Dallas, St. Louis, Nashville, Chicago, Winnipeg.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno, and AP Sports Writers Stephen Hawkins, Teresa M. Walker and Dave Campbell contributed. ___<\/p>\n![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790211280_177_.jpeg\")
FILE \u2013 Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) skates with the puck during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday, May 9, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr, File)\n<\/p>\n![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790211281_903_.jpeg\")
FILE \u2013 Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn, left, is congratulated by center Tyler Seguin for a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski, File)\n<\/p>\n