The NHL’s 2025-26 common season is nearly underway, and one of many league’s deepest divisions is the West’s Central Division.
6 out of 8 groups within the division enter the season favored to make the playoffs. The one two not favored are Nashville and Chicago.
Though the Predators are form of in a choose’em state of affairs with +200 odds to make the playoffs, whereas the Blackhawks have the worst odds to win the Stanley Cup within the league.
Right here’s a full preview of this hotly contested division with odds as of October 7.
Colorado Avalanche
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +850
- Win Convention Odds: +425
- Win Division Odds: +210
- Make Playoff Odds: -1000
Colorado shares one of the best odds to win the division with the workforce that ousted them within the first spherical final yr, Dallas.
Sure, after a 49-24-4 season final yr, which landed the Avalanche in third place within the Central, their playoff run was short-lived.
Following a 5-1 rout in Sport 1 over the Stars, they surrendered a 1-0 collection lead and located themselves dealing with elimination down 2-1 getting into Sport 4. They had been capable of lengthen the collection to a seventh sport however misplaced 4-2 within the closing sport in Dallas.
The primary spherical exit wasted a really robust season from Nathan MacKinnon, who completed the yr with 32 objectives and 84 assists. MacKinnon additionally had seven objectives and 4 assists within the collection in opposition to the Stars.
This yr, they’re returning a lot of the identical forged from final season, together with middle Brock Nelson, who was picked up on the commerce deadline and re-signed this summer season to a 3-year, $22.5 million contract.
This yr figures to be one other stable alternative for Colorado to get again into the Stanley Cup Finals after two first-round exits and one second-round exit since their championship in 2022.
A lot of that may come right down to whether or not they can get previous Dallas, who’ve eradicated them in back-to-back seasons.
Talking of their convention rival, it stays to be seen simply how a lot the Avalanche will remorse the best way they dealt with Mikko Rantanen final season. Rantanen figures to be a major piece within the Stars’ success going ahead, and he was on the Avalanche final season.
Possibly Rantanen didn’t wish to register Colorado, or maybe they couldn’t make the financials work, however now he’s in your division rival, and if final yr’s first spherical was any proof, he’s going to actual revenge each time he performs you.
Dallas Stars
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +900
- Win Convention Odds: +475
- Win Division Odds: +210
- Make Playoff Odds: -1000
Dallas had a extra profitable season than the workforce above that additionally has +210 odds to win the Central Division, however nonetheless fell wanting a Stanley Cup berth.
The Stars completed second within the division final season after a 50-26-6 report. Throughout Dallas’ playoff run, they first eradicated the Avalanche, then one other division foe, the Jets, earlier than a rematch within the Convention Finals in opposition to the Oilers. Edmonton beat Dallas in 5 video games.
It was the third-straight yr that the Stars bowed out one spherical wanting the Finals. In 2023, they misplaced in six video games to the Golden Knights, and in 2024, they misplaced in six to the Oilers.
Regardless of the addition of Rantanen, Dallas was unable to enhance upon its end from final yr.
That possible led to the choice by the Stars’ entrance workplace to half methods with head coach Peter DeBoer, who had led Dallas for 3 seasons and had a successful share above 60% throughout his tenure.
Dallas introduced in Glen Gulutzan, who most lately served as an assistant coach in Edmonton, as his alternative. Gulutzan already had a run as head coach with the Stars within the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
He was elevated from head coach of their AHL affiliate however was fired after his second season, having did not make the playoffs in both of these seasons.
Possibly Gulutzan can smuggle some Oilers pixie mud in his pocket to sprinkle onto the Stars and lead them over his former workforce.
Winnipeg Jets
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +2500
- Win Convention Odds: +1100
- Win Division Odds: +550
- Make Playoff Odds: -250
Winnipeg had 116 factors and a 56-22-4 report within the 2024-25 season, incomes them the Presidents’ Trophy.
They narrowly escaped falling sufferer to the trophy’s curse final yr, eeking out a double-overtime victory in Sport 7 of the primary spherical in opposition to the Blues. They had been eradicated within the following spherical by Dallas in six video games.
Forward of the 2025-26 season, they’ve gone from a Presidents’ Trophy-winning workforce final season to having solely the third-best odds to win the division.
That will appear somewhat off, however there’s a observe report of regression the season after a Presidents’ Trophy win.
4 out of the final 5 groups to win the trophy didn’t win their division within the yr after. Moreover, no workforce for the reason that Capitals in 2017 has received back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies.
The 2023-24 winner for the Presidents’ Trophy, the Rangers, fully bottomed out final season, regardless of bringing again an almost similar roster, ending fifth within the Metro and eleventh within the East.
I doubt that the Jets will flop as spectacularly as New York did, however there’s certain to be some degree of regression this season.
Their key to discovering success exterior of the common season is creating an id that isn’t so closely reliant on goaltending. Hellebuyck is heading in direction of being an all-time goaltender, however Winnipeg wants extra scoring to assist him.
That’s going to be more durable to do with out Nikolaj Ehlers, who signed with the Hurricanes this summer season.
Minnesota Wild
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +3500
- Win Convention Odds: +1800
- Win Division Odds: +775
- Make Playoff Odds: -150
Minnesota was a last-minute entrant into the playoffs final season after ending the yr with a 45-30-7 report and a fourth-place end within the Central. The Wild confronted Vegas within the opening spherical of the playoffs, finally dropping in six video games.
It was about to be a turbulent begin to the season in Minnesota when all indicators had been pointing to a Kirill Kaprizov holdout over contract disputes.
However, by some means, in a brief time frame, the 2 sides went from arguing over a reported preliminary provide of eight years, $128 million to the Wild entrance workplace handing Kaprizov a league-record $136 million extension.
Invoice Guerin by some means had worse negotiation abilities than Dunder Mifflin after they bought the Michael Scott Paper Firm.
I don’t know any NHL fan exterior of Minnesota who would say that Kaprizov is worthy of constructing essentially the most cash in league historical past. Not even Connor McDavid, who simply signed a two-year, $25 million extension in Edmonton, will make as a lot as Kaprizov in AAV.
Whether or not or not Kaprizov can stay as much as that greenback quantity stays to be seen.
A extra attention-grabbing storyline for me is second-year Wild defenseman Zeev Buium. I believe that Buium, who’s nonetheless eligible for a Calder Trophy win this season, will be capable of carry over his prominence on the NCAA degree to skilled hockey.
Utah Mammoth
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +4000
- Win Convention Odds: +2500
- Win Division Odds: +1000
- Make Playoff Odds: -118
After their inaugural season, the place they went the Washington Soccer Crew route, Utah enters this season lastly having a reputation.
The artist previously referred to as the Utah Hockey Membership went 38-31-13 of their first season in Salt Lake final yr. Regardless of flirting with a playoff berth down the stretch, they didn’t qualify for the postseason final yr and in the end completed in sixth place within the Central Division.
Now the Mammoth have an improved roster and are favored to make the playoffs.
Over the offseason, Utah added Buffalo ahead JJ Peterka with a 5-year, $38.5 million contract. Additionally they signed some veteran expertise like defenseman Nate Schmidt and ahead Brandon Tanev.
It wasn’t the fireworks offseason that Mammoth proprietor Ryan Smith had signaled they might be in for — there was no late-breaking try at a Mitch Marner signing — however they improved sufficient across the fringes to hopefully make the playoffs.
They want some additional maturation of their first line — at present projected to be Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Peterka — to take care of the remainder of the Central Division.
Guenther, 23, and Cooley, 21, have proven glimpses of their quick careers within the NHL that they may very well be worthy of a top-line ahead spot, however Utah wants them to ship on these expectations.
St. Louis Blues
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +5000
- Win Convention Odds: +2500
- Win Division Odds: +1200
- Make Playoff Odds: -115
The ultimate workforce within the Central Division that’s favored to make the playoffs resides in St. Louis.
After shortly choosing up fired-Bruins coach Jim Montgomery early on within the yr, the Blues had a resurgent season, incomes a playoff spot after falling quick the 2 years earlier than.
St. Louis had a 44-30-8 report, incomes them fifth place within the Central and the ultimate Western Convention Wild Card spot. They began off the season with a 9-12-1 report beneath coach Drew Bannister, who had been employed only one season earlier than.
Following that poor begin and the hiring of Montgomery, the workforce went 35-18-7 the remainder of the best way.
26-year-old ahead Jordan Kyrou led the workforce in scoring final yr with 36 objectives and 34 assists. Their success was additionally bolstered by a rejuvenated goalie in Jordan Binnington, who had practically career-year numbers for the Blues.
Regardless of that success final yr, I don’t get why St. Louis is favored to make the playoffs. The Blues lack the star energy that I believe is required to stay aggressive on this convention. They’ve an general stable workforce and a Jack Adams-contending coach, however there’s no headline participant.
I might see them sneaking into the playoffs as soon as once more, however I’m undecided about it in any respect.
Nashville Predators
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +12500
- Win Convention Odds: +6600
- Win Division Odds: +5500
- Make Playoff Odds: +200
Nashville could also be on the up-and-up as a metropolis, preventing with Scottsdale and Charleston to be the bachelorette occasion capital of America. Their NHL franchise, although, isn’t going to be aggressive with anybody this season.
The oddsmakers have set their line as a slight favourite to not make the playoffs, at present at +200, however the Predators are far worse than that.
If Nashville does something aside from tank this yr, it is going to be to the detriment of its fan base.
The Predators completed final season with a 30-44-8 report, ending second-to-last within the Central Division. Only a yr earlier than Nashville made the playoffs, they misplaced within the first spherical to the Canucks in six video games.
Over the past 5 years, the Predators have both did not make the playoffs or have been eradicated within the first spherical.
I don’t know what the course of this workforce is, they clearly don’t have the right combination of expertise or teaching to contend on this division.
Sure, they may sneak into the playoffs, however what could be the purpose? They’re not getting previous the primary spherical.
Chicago Blackhawks
- Win Stanley Cup Odds: +50000
- Win Convention Odds: +30000
- Win Division Odds: +30000
- Make Playoff Odds: +1600
Chicago shares the worst odds to win the Stanley Cup with their basement-dwelling buddies in San Jose.
The Blackhawks had a 25-46-11 report final yr and completed in final place within the Division and second-to-last within the convention. Final yr was the fifth straight season that Chicago didn’t make the playoffs. The workforce has not been to the postseason for the reason that Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews period ended.
Their misfortunes final yr earned them the third general choose in final summer season’s draft, which they used to pick out Swedish defenseman Anton Frondell. However the 18-year-old is not going to play within the NHL this season and can as an alternative proceed his growth within the Swedish Hockey League.
One other season of dropping, and the Blackhawks could run the chance of dropping the generational expertise who was supposed to exchange Kane, Connor Bedard.
Since Bedard was drafted, the workforce hasn’t even marginally improved. They’d 26 wins within the yr that earned them the primary general choose. In Bedard’s debut season, they’d 23 wins, and final yr, they solely improved that by two wins.
If the Blackhawks can’t pull one thing collectively within the 2025-26 season, Bedard could begin changing into extra of a vocal critic than he has in years previous. And if the preseason odds are any indication, Chicago could also be headed down a path the place they may fail the Bedard period earlier than it even will get off the bottom.
Greater than every other group, the Blackhawks should be aggressive this season.
