THN.com/podcast. From THN On The 'Dub': WHL Trade Deadline Chaos and Bedard Watch Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk1MTUwODg1MTAwMjAxMTU5/usatsi_19355312.jpg] The NHL’s regular season is upon us, and with it, we bring you letter grades for each of the 32 teams this year. This is the third division-by-division file. We began the process with the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-mid-season-grades-metropolitan-division] and the Atlantic [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-mid-season-grades-atlantic-division]. Following our three stars of the week column [https://thehockeynews.com/tag/three-stars] Sunday, we’ll complete the process Monday with the Pacific Division. Now, to the Central: 1. DALLAS STARS (25-11-7, 57 POINTS) There were many questions about the Stars heading into the season – mostly about their aging core of stars, most notably, highly-paid forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The veteran duo answered back in the best way possible: Benn is third on the team in goals, with 15, and he’s fourth in points, with 37 in 43 games. Seguin, meanwhile, has generated 18 assists and 28 points in the same number of games. Those aren’t superstar-level stats, but Dallas has new superstars – 23-year-old winger Jason Robertson with 29 goals and 58 points, goalie Jake Oettinger, who is one of the best at his craft in the game today (.924 save percentage, 2.28 goals-against average), and blueliner Miro Heiskanen, who averages 25:18 in ice time and chips in 24 assists and 31 points. So the team doesn’t need to rely on Benn and Seguin to carry the load. And that’s having said nothing about 38-year-old fountain-of-youth-drinker Joe Pavelski (28 assists, 40 points in 43 games) and stellar forward Roope Hintz (19 goals, 44 points in 40 games). There’s so much to like in Dallas, but they have had their weak points: in the 10 games that went past regulation time, they’ve only managed three wins. No NHL team is flawless, and the Stars can be beaten. But they’re the second-best defensive team (averaging just 2.58 goals-against per game), and they’ve got enough offensive juice up front to give them great chances to win every night. So far, so good. Grade: A 2. WINNIPEG JETS (28-14-1, 57 POINTS) We have to admit it – we didn’t like the chances of Winnipeg in our pre-season burning questions piece [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-burning-questions-winnipeg-jets], but they’ve come out and performed admirably through 42 games, posting a 28-14-1 record. However, 14 regulation losses number aren't ideal. If they won a few of those games or took more to overtime, the Jets would be first in the Central. Their defense corps is quietly one of the better groups in the league, and difference-maker/star goalie Connor Hellebuyck is a phenomenal workhorse, with a 21-10-1 record, 2.41 GAA and .925 SP in 32 appearances. Coach Rick Bowness deserves praise for coming in and giving the Jets stronger structure to their attack plan. Their offense is productive enough to give them an advantage more often than not. The question now is, can they sustain this level of play? We’re still not totally convinced, but you have to give credit where it’s due – the Jets have earned their respect thus far this season. Grade: A 3. MINNESOTA WILD (23-14-4, 50 POINTS) The Wild are another team we weren’t crazy about in our pre-season burning questions piece [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-burning-questions-minnesota-wild], but they also have rebounded from a tough start (7-8-2) and got offense by committee. Superstar scorer Kirill Kaprizov has led a mixed bag of talent to a 23-14-4 record. Wild fans must be encouraged by that but worried the Central teams below Minnesota in the stands – the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche – all are nipping at their heels, and it wouldn’t surprise these cynical eyes to see the Wild battling hard for a wild-card berth. They’re clearly capable of living up to high standards, but they’ve also been a very streaky team that has lost to San Jose twice, so there’s still work to be done. Again, though, credit where it’s due. Grade: A 4. ST. LOUIS BLUES (21-19-3, 45 POINTS) The Blues put together a veteran team with significant playoff expectations this season, and they haven't turned out to be a playoff-worthy team through 43 games and a 21-19-3 record. As it stands, they’re still in the mix, with only four standings points separating them from the final Western Conference playoff berth, and they’re just five points behind the Wild for third place in the Central. St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong has some crossroads choices when it comes to veteran (and currently injured), soon-to-be unrestricted free agent forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly. It looks like it’s time for some foundational change for the franchise, but we always get the sense Armstrong prefers retools-on-the-fly rather than basement-to-ceiling rebuilds. So we expect the Blues to remain in the playoff mix, although their flaws have tempered our lofty expectations of them in the pre-season. Grade: B 5. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (19-16-6, 44 POINTS) Nashville is another so-so group we’ve expressed doubt about recently [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nashville-predators-are-stuck-in-the-nhls-mushy-middle] and stand behind today. They’ve got the NHL’s sixth-worst offense (averaging just 2.76 goals-for per game), and star goalie Juuse Saros cannot dominate every game for them, so their 19-16-6 record is only good for fifth place in the Central and 10th spot in the West. Flirting on the fringes of the playoffs is often the destiny of this franchise, and it feels like they need to get out of the NHL’s mushy middle. If they’re out of the playoff picture by season’s end, there surely needs to be considerable alterations made to the roster. Grade: C+ 6. COLORADO AVALANCHE (20-17-3, 43 POINTS) It just doesn’t seem right when a defending Cup champion falls out of the playoff picture, and Avalanche fans have had to sit back anxiously and watch the injury bug devastate the first half of their season. The Avs are just 20-17-3 through 40 games, and they’ve had to deal with injuries to stars Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, and savvy veterans Josh Manson and Evan Rodrigues. That’s a ton of talent to be missing, but Colorado hasn’t quit. Still, they’re presently on a rough stretch, going 1-6-1 in their past eight games, and they’ve been outscored 34-22 in that span. Is there cause for concern the Avs won’t be able to overcome their first-half problems? Sure there is. But if they get their key players back, they will be within their grasp to become a top team again. Grade: C+ 7. ARIZONA COYOTES (13-23-5, 31 POINTS) A Coyotes team that was rightfully bent on tanking the season has, for the most part, looked much like the overwhelmed bunch we thought they’d be. They have the NHL’s fifth-worst offense (averaging just 2.73 goals-for per game) and the league’s sixth-worst defense (allowing 3.71 goals against per game). Much of their roster will be playing on another team by the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline, as Yotes GM Bill Armstrong knows he has to keep building for the future. That’s going to result in Arizona remaining at the bottom of the Central for the rest of this season, at least. In one sense, they deserve a higher grade for taking the most proven route (a full rebuild) to franchise rejuvenation, but we’re grading them on the product they put on the ice. And, for the most part, that product has been gnarly. Grade: D 8. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (11-25-4, 26 POINTS) The Blackhawks also made it crystal clear last summer they were entering a full rebuild season. They put together a roster that impressed no one and acquired veteran players on one-year contracts that will probably be moved by the trade deadline. Hawks GM Kyle Davidson has been fearless in his short tenure as team architect, but he’s likely soon to be known as the man who traded superstars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. After he does that, Davidson will put a lid on the most recent golden era for the Original Six franchise. Chicago has the Western Conference's worst record with an 11-25-4 mark, and it’s bound to be just as ugly in the second half of the year. They’re committed to the tank, and if they win the draft lottery and select phenom forward Connor Bedard, all this losing will be well worth it. Grade: F
