Not in the Central

This is not a playoff team

Chicago is due

If Crawford stays healthy I think they edge out Avalanche, Jets, Blues, Wild. Only teams I see giving them a problem is Preds and Dallas

The Avs are stacked, the Blues and Jets are great teams, and so are the Preds and Stars. The Central is probably the hardest division in the NHL and will almost certainly send five teams to the playoffs. Chicago is not walking into the playoffs unless something goes very wrong for one of those five teams.

Agreed with the Aves. We'll see about the Blues and Jets. The Jets lost ALOT on the back end and who knows what's going to happen with Laine/Connor. They also have a terrible farm system. We'll see what Binnington does going forward. He's not going to surprise anyone anymore. Teams will learn his flaws and we'll need to just wait and see how he adjusts. Also, they could be cup drunk next year too.

Avs don't really have the goalie to do much damage. They got better up front but lost a major factor in Varlamov and I don't see Gurbauer being THE guy. Blues wont do that again...Binnington had a great run but id be willing to be he regresses quite a bit, Jets lost Trouba, Chiarot, Myers and Hayes. Not saying Chicago is going to walk intot he playoffs but the other teams will not be as good as last year I'm willing to bet.

That 2nd line up front won't work. Kane, Cat and Strome would score a lot of goals but would be a nightmare for the Hawks defense when they are on the ice. Switch Shaw and Kane.

Kubalik is not a 4th liner, he's a sniper. He should either play 1st line or 3rd. Nylander or Sikura will go to the AHL, both will not be on the roster. Perlini is missing also although he may get traded.

Can I know the reason everybody thinks Nylander has to have another year in the AHL?

Hes already spent 3 years in the AHL showing he can play the pro game, clearly.

4 points in 12 games in the NHL last year on a not so good Buffalo team, likely playing very sheltered 3/4th line minutes.

I can see them beating out the jets and wild. If the central sends 5 teams to the playoffs I think they could sneak in as a 2nd wildcard after NSH/STL/DAL/COL (in no particular order)

Nylander has major consistency issues and work ethic issues that are widely known. If you watched him in the AHL, half the games he was non existent on the ice like he didn't want to be there. He was invited to the Hawks prospect camp and was the only guy with NHL experience. On the last day of camp the players played a scrimmage and nylander was not good whereas players like Kurashev, Boqvist, Dach, Hagel, Beaudin all stood out as they should. Maybe the guy has an addiction issue or something, but like his brother, people question his work ethic despite having all the talent in the world.

I don't think St. Louis is a lock and neither are the Avs. Binnington will regress this year IMO and Avs goal tending is a question mark...goal tending is the most important position on the ice. Also, Jets are not better then they were last year so they are an even bigger question mark and if they make the playoffs will be the last wildcard. Dallas looks really good, Preds I'm not entirely sold on being better but should get a seed.

I think the Hawks are a wild card spot given that until they were mathmatically out of the race last year (last 5 to 7 games) they had the 2nd or 3rd best record in the entire West from January on and Kane was in a slump for a month during that.

It will be a very competitive year in the Central and would stack rank the teams as...

Dallas
Preds
Blues
Avs...wild card
Hawks...last wild card
Jets...miss playoffs

They *might* be a playoff team IF Crawford stays healthy, or if (a) Lehner plays like he did last season; (b) Boqvist gets called up and plays in more than half of the games, which I believe he will; and (c) that second line you have there is the scoring driver of this team - if Strome and DeBrincat can continue the paces they have set for themselves...and all of this happens, then forsure Chicago has a pretty decent change of making the playoffs.

As a Hawks fan with complete confidence in them making the playoffs, I want to save all these posts where people say they aren't a playoff team.

I will also own up to saying this if they don't.

Preach, bro!!
Also, you guys have to try Kuba with Kaner, these two would work wonders together

I think Grubauer has the tools to take over. He was phenomenal towards the end of last season and the playoffs. He also always had great numbers in Washington. I think last year was the last year of his "development" and I predict he'll be a great #1 starter. Not Vezina caliber, but good enough with all of the offense the Avs can throw at people and with their great back end.

I don't think the Blues will repeat, but they didn't really lose anyone except Maroon. They're a very solid team top to bottom, and Binnington looks like he has the tools to be a solid #1 (again, not Vezina caliber, but really good). It sucks to lose Trouba and Myers for Winnipeg, but their forwards are still so stacked (I believe they'll get Connor and Laine deals done) and Hellebyuck is a solid goalie. Preds and Stars got better in my opinion this offseason.

I don't envision Chicago being a top-5 pick again, but it's all going to depend on 1.) Will Keith and Seabrook be paper weights again? 2.) Can Lehner repeat last season/Crawford stay remotely healthy? and 3.) Will anyone in the bottom six contribute anything? Their top six is stacked of course, so maybe Kane/Toews/DeBrincat/Strome drag the team to an 8th seed, but I feel like that is the toughest division in hockey. Even the worst team (Minnesota) isn't a complete disaster, so there's no easy night anywhere in that schedule.

I agree the division is the toughest.

That said, with the additions of De Haan, Maatta on D and Kubalik, Nylander, Shaw, Smith, Carpentar adding to the front to help the bottom 6 and penalty kill and of course Lehner in case Crow isn't healthy; one can argue the Hawks are the most improved in the offseason. That doesn't consider if Boqvist or Dach play either (which I don't think either gets more then 9 games). Given that plus the Hawks just missed on the wild card (their record counts the last 5 games as throw aways since they were mathmatically out at that point) I do see the Hawks taking the last wild card spot. Compared to the Jets, the Jets got worse with Trouba and Myers departing and the Hawks vastly improved.