Before the 2023-24 NHL season THN.com featured which individuals from all 32 teams were on the hot seat ahead of the season. Today, it is the Central Division's turn to have its picks revisited.

Prior to the beginning of the current NHL season, THN.com focused on which people in the league were on the hot seat as an individual under great pressure to perform well. Now that we’ve just passed the halfway point of the season, we’re revisiting our hot seat picks and discussing if they’re still on it. Saturday, we began with the Atlantic Division’s teams, Sunday, we turned our attention to the Metropolitan Division; and today, we’re breaking down the Central Division.

CENTRAL DIVISION (ranked by current place in the standings)

Team: Colorado Avalanche

Pre-season Hot Seat: Ryan Johansen, C

Current Status: Hot seat not as hot, but still warm

Lowdown: Eyebrows were raised this past summer when the Avalanche traded for veteran Nashville center Johansen, and although he hasn’t been a total bust with Colorado so far this season, his $8-million salary cap hit is high for someone who has 11 goals and 18 points in 49 games. By comparison, Colorado is getting essentially the same production from first-year Av Miles Wood, and he’s got a cap hit of $2.5 million. Johansen is averaging only 13:53 of ice time this year, and at age 31, he’s probably not going to rebound to his peak form. The Avalanche have him under contract through the 2024-25 campaign, and we wonder whether they’d still do the deal with the Preds if they had a mulligan for it. Our guess is Colorado GM Chris MacFarland would look for a younger, better option.

Team: Dallas Stars

Pre-season Hot Seat: Jamie Benn, LW

Current Status: Hot seat still hot

Lowdown: As the Stars’ second-highest-paid player ($9.5 million cap hit), Benn has not produced at an elite level this season, posting just eight goals and 29 points in 49 games. The fact Dallas has been a top team in the league – and the fact that Stars top forwards including Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene are having solid seasons – has taken some of the heat off Benn, but don’t fool yourself. He’s under contract through the 2024-25 season, but if his downward trajectory continues, it’s difficult to envision the 34-year-old getting anywhere close to the same amount of money on a contract extension. Dallas no longer needs Benn to do the heavy lifting for them, but Benn is experiencing what all players eventually experience – Father Time eroding their talents. And until his salary comes down significantly, he’s going to feel pressure to produce more than he has this season.

Team: Winnipeg Jets

Pre-season Hot Seat: (tie) Mark Chipman, owner; and Kevin Cheveldayoff, GM

Current Status: Hot seat significantly colder

Lowdown: The Jets had their share of skeptics at the beginning of the season, but they roasted out to a fantastic start, and challenged for top spot in the Central. Cheveldayoff needed a big year from his team to silence the critics, and after he doubled down on his core by signing key veterans to lucrative contract extensions, the roster has rewarded him. Chipman has also heard criticism for sticking with Cheveldayoff for as long as he has, but so long as Winnipeg remains a top-flite team and a bona fide contender for first place in the Central, he has the heat off him and the organization.

Team: St. Louis Blues

Pre-season Hot Seat: Jordan Binnington, G

Current Status: Hot seat is colder

Lowdown: The Blues have had an inconsistent season thus far this year, but lately, they’ve rebounded, with five consecutive wins before the all-star break. And Binnington has been a difference-maker for them, putting up a .907 save percentage and 2.97 goals-against average. That’s significantly better than his 2022-23 numbers (.894 SP, 3.31 G.A.A.), and St. Louis needs him to be at least as good if they’re to scratch, claw and maintain a spot in the wild card race in the Western Conference. Binnington’s $6-million cap hit is not a small amount, but if he can continue to give the Blues a shot at winning more nights than not, St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong will be happy to live with Binnington’s salary.

Team: Nashville Predators

Pre-season Hot Seat: Andrew Brunette, coach

Current Status: Hot seat is cooler

Lowdown: The Predators entered the all-star break as a Jekyll-and-Hyde team, generating a 7-8-1 record since Dec. 23. Brunette was definitely under pressure to lead the Preds into playoff contention, and though Nashville is clearly not an elite team, there’s no sense Brunette’s job is in jeopardy. Predators GM Barry Trotz is walking a fine line between his team contending for the post-season this year, and planning to be a strong group in the long term, but changing bench bosses isn’t going to affect Nashville’s competitiveness one way or another. Brunette had a solid reputation when he got the Preds job, and nothing that’s happened since the season began has altered that.

Team: Arizona Coyotes

Pre-season Hot Seat: Bill Armstrong, GM

Current Status: Hot seat notably cooler

Lowdown: We’ve gotten accustomed to the Coyotes being a punching bag for the rest of the NHL, but this season, Arizona has taken a step forward, The ‘Yotes have stumbled since Christmas time, going 4-8-1 in their past 13 games, but the playoffs are no longer a bridge too far for them. Indeed, if they can get back to their early-season form, the Coyotes will be playing meaningful games through the rest of the regular-season. They may still fall short of being a playoff team, but at the very least, Armstrong’s vision is starting to be realized. Another veteran addition here or there, and another youngster or two who grows their game significantly, and Arizona could earn a wild card berth in the West. That would keep Armstrong in power for the foreseeable future. Days are looking brighter in the desert, and credit for that has to go to the GM.

Team: Minnesota Wild

Pre-season Hot Seat: Dean Evason, coach

Current Status: Hot seat boils over

Lowdown: We predicted Evason would be the first NHL coach fired this season, and we were wrong – he was the second coach fired. But in fairness to him, Evason was in charge of a Wild lineup that, simply, doesn’t have nearly enough elite firepower to keep up with the Joneses in the Central; it didn’t matter who was coaching Minnesota – it was all about the wrong all-around mix of talent. The Wild now need a miracle to make the playoffs, and Evason’s replacement, John Hynes, probably won’t be blamed if Minnesota isn’t a post-season team. The franchise is at a crossroads of sorts, and GM Bill Guerin is the main management figure now on the hot seat. He needs to either have a clear plan for the future, or tricks up his sleeve to turn around their year this season. Anything less will likely result in a change at the top of the management pyramid.

Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Pre-season Hot Seat: Taylor Hall, LW

Current Status: Not applicable

Lowdown: The Blackhawks have been about as dismal as many (this writer included) predicted they would be this season, but you can’t fault Hall for that. He’s been out of the lineup since Nov. 19 with a season-ending injury, and even if he was healthy and playing alongside star youngster Connor Bedard, Hall wouldn’t have been able to lift the Hawks into playoff contention. Hall is signed through next season at a $6-million cap hit, so he will have more runway with which to redeem himself, but for now, he’s an experiment that hasn’t panned out as planned. You can’t fault him for that, but you also can’t pretend his injury hasn’t damaged any hope the Blackhawks had of playoff contention.