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Craig Custance, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Grading the offseason: Central Division

From top to bottom, the Central division is the deepest in hockey. Every single team in the division expects to make the playoffs this season, something that can’t be said anywhere else. There’s also a legitimate Stanley Cup case to be made for at least four, maybe five of the teams in the Central. It’s stacked.

It was also a fascinating division to watch this summer because the general managers were either really active (Chicago, Dallas, Colorado) or relatively quiet (Nashville, Winnipeg, Minnesota), further closing the gap in a tight division race.

Here’s a look at the offseason grades from the Central:


Chicago Blackhawks

Much like he did after winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, general manager Stan Bowman had to make tough decisions following a championship.

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