The Blackhawks may not be very good this season but they should have company near the bottom of the newly created Central Division thanks to the Red Wings.
But there will be multiple teams competing for the playoffs and for the Stanley Cup. To be precise, four teams from each division — the East, Central and West and the Canadian North — will make the playoffs this season.
Here are some predictions on who those 16 will be:
Central
The defending Stanley Cup champions winning this division is not a bold take, even with Nikita Kucherov out for the season after hip surgery.