Proteau predicts Wings win Central

by Christy on Aug 24, 2007 2:03 PM CDT in News Comment 2 comments

I don't think many people would be surprised or even disagree with Adam Proteau when he makes the claim that the Detroit Red Wings will win the Central.

Why No. 1? Because season after season, I anticipate the Red Wings will take on water, only to see them sail along without incident.
Granted, they're still depending on Dominik Hasek's health (mental and physical) to keep them afloat, and losing three of their top eight point-getters (Robert Lang, Kyle Calder and Mathieu Schneider) from last season will put more of a strain on Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom to power the offensive engine.
Nevertheless, coach Mike Babcock's emphasis on defensive responsibility from every position will help plug any holes that come his ship's way. And there is no better management group in the league than the one in Detroit. So long as they don't deal for Todd Bertuzzi again, the future remains bright.

The question of who will take second in the Central Division is up for debate. Proteau picked this order:

Detroit Red Wings

St. Louis Blues

Nashville Predators

Chicago Blackhawks

Columbus Blue Jackets

I still think the Predators will take second once again despite the loss of quite a few big name players. Do I think they'll finish as close to the Wings as they did last season? Nope. I believe that the Blues and Blackhawks made some (key word there being "some") improvements and while the Preds roster isn't any better, I don't think their lineup is worse than the Blues. Sorry Columbus, but I just don't see you guys rising from the bottom of the Central just yet.

If I had to pick the order of the Central Division at the end of the regular season, I'd say (1) Wings, (2) Preds, (3) Blues, (4) Blackhawks, and (5) Blue Jackets.

Where do you guys think these teams will end up in the Central? Vote in the poll below or leave a comment!

Poll

Which order do you think the Central will finish as?

Wings, Blues, Predators, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets

3 votes

Predators, Wings, Blues, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets

0 votes

Wings, Predators, Blues, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets

9 votes

Wings, Blues, Blackhawks, Predators, Blue Jackets

3 votes

Wings, Predators, Blues, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks

1 votes

Blues, Wings, Predators, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets

1 votes

17 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 2 comments

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Comments

Closer, perhaps?

I agree with you on the order in the division, but I think the Wings have taken a bit of a step backwards with the loss of Lang and Calder. Sure, there's young talent ready for an opportunity, but I don't think the Wings will run away with the Central by any means. Of course, with today's news that Steve Sullivan is going to be out three more months after another back surgery, the Preds may be fighting hard just to make the playoffs unless they find some help.

by Dirk Hoag on Aug 24, 2007 3:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Eh, I don't know if I agree...

Yes, we did lose offense in Bertuzzi, Lang, and Calder. But if you ask the majority of Wings fans, we didn't want Lang or Calder back. Yes, they did provide us with offense, but sometimes they were more of a liability than they actually were useful.

If the Preds had kept their big names and/or even improved, I would say that yes it would be closer and possibly another tight race til the end of the regular season. But that's not the case so I feel confident saying the Wings will win the Central fairly easily (assuming there are no key injuries, ie. Hasek or Lidstrom or Zetterberg). I'm not saying they'll completely run away with the division, but I think it won't be quite as challenging as last season.

by Christy on Aug 24, 2007 8:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs