For years, it seemed like the toughest NHL division was the Metro. Even if the Central competed, it was mostly on the strength of the Blues and Blackhawks. But with the Winnipeg Jets leading the way, the Central has taken the imaginary crown.
The race really comes down to these two. Sure, the Atlantic has Tampa, but nobody else significant. All eight Metro teams would be no less than fourth place in the Atlantic. Same with the Central. Five NHL teams have fewer than 40 points. Three in the 30s, two in the twenties. None of those teams are in the Metro or the Central.
Last season, nine teams had more than 100 points. An arbitrary number, but a nice round one. Four of those teams were in the Metro. The New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets all crossed the threshold. No other division had more than two.
Winnipeg had just 87 points. Colorado made the division a laughingstock with 48 points, the lowest full season total since our boys had 39 in their first season, then the Atlanta Thrashers. The Avalanche wouldn’t have even made the playoffs with 48 points during the lockout season.
There’s been a total of 1464 points accrued by NHL teams roughly halfway through the season. The Central division is the only one with seven teams, as the other three have eight apiece. The Metro has 394 combined points. The Central is tied with the Pacific for second with 357. An entire separate team couldn’t keep the central out of last. The Atlantic has only 356.
Points may not be your bag. People haven’t been too fond of it since the ‘Loser Point’ institution in 1999. But that’s not the only statistic that makes the Central Division look like the league’s top.
The depth of this division is staggering. The Chicago Blackhawks took home first place with 109 points last season. Chicago is a good team. Nobody would be shocked if they won the Stanley Cup this season. They’re in last place in the Central. They have 46 points through 41 games. If they win their next four, they’d be in second place. The Blues have four games in hand, so that would tie things up.
Thirteen teams have a goal differential above +10, and six of them are in the Central. They’re the only division without a team having a negative goal differential. Last season saw no division have more than four teams in the plus.
The three bottom dwellers last year – Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars – are all on pace to outproduce their point totals for last season. That’s paramount in making this division as tough as its been. The New Jersey Devils are also on pace to smash their total by over thirty points this season. The Penguins are regressing a bit, coming off of two Stanley Cup wins, as are the Capitals.
The Flyers got better, probably because they don’t have Steve Mason (I’m sorry Steve). The Hurricanes are improved too, but the Rangers are always a Henrik Lundqvist decline from collapsing (Although I’m starting to think he never will). The Jets are on the rise. The Blackhawks and Blues still have strong cores. The Avalanche basically have to get better, and Nashville just made the Final.
Next: The Winnipeg Jets are switching spots with former dynasties
There’s no reason to believe this division won’t be the toughest going forward. Paul Maurice has done a great job, but his most difficult work lies ahead of 2017-2018, when the Jets are still looking to compete. They’re ahead of the game in this rebuild, but can they stay ahead with this company?