The Hockey News: Campbell's Cuts: Campbell's Cuts: Central Division morphs from farce to force

Campbell's Cuts: Central Division morphs from farce to force

The rise of Jonathan Toews and the Blackhawks in only one part of the Central Division's rise to prominence. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Ken Campbell
2009-03-30 15:42:00

Take a look at the NHL standings today and you’ll notice they reveal tangible evidence of something people in hockey have known for quite some time – that after years of being a running joke, the Central Division is now the best in the league.

In fact, if the playoffs were to start today, all five teams from the Central would be in the post-season dance while the once-powerful Pacific Division would have four wallflowers. If that keeps up for another couple of weeks, the Central will be the first division ever to have all its members qualify for the playoffs in the 30-team NHL.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that the Central was being scoffed at around the league – and for pretty good reason. After all, it had the Detroit Red Wings and a bunch of bad teams. And there were many who suggested the Red Wings have padded their record over the past couple of years by playing roughly half their season against a bunch of patsies.

But that certainly isn’t the case now. First off, intra-divisional play has been reduced this season, which is probably a good thing for the Red Wings because the rest of the division has brought up its level of play dramatically.

Need proof? Well, going into Monday’s games, the Central has a 155-99-27 record in inter-divisional play for a winning percentage of .600, which is by far the best in the league. Against all other divisions, the Atlantic is 139-103-91 (.567), the Northeast is 135-99-37 (.566), the Pacific is 132-112-32 (.536), the Southeast is 128-110-40 (.532) and the Northwest is 133-118-21 (.528).

The Central is home to the current Stanley Cup champion and the league’s most successful franchise, will almost certainly produce the Calder Trophy winner for the second straight season, has some of the best coaches and brightest executive minds in the game and has a bevy of young, promising players who should make the division a force for years to come.

The Red Wings are showing absolutely no signs of slowing down despite years of bad draft positions and a veteran group of core players. The Wings have a farm team chock full of NHL prospects and have the managerial acumen to stay a legitimate contender for the foreseeable future. They’re a lock to once again lead the NHL in scoring and, if they get even decent goaltending, they stand a great chance to win their second straight Stanley Cup.

After years of bumbling mismanagement and incompetent ownership, the Chicago Blackhawks have two of the best young players in the game and have re-energized one of the most important markets in the league. They’ll likely run into some trouble if the salary cap takes a precipitous dive, but for now the Hawks are young, hungry and exciting to watch.

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Barring a collapse of biblical proportions, the Columbus Blue Jackets will make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Scott Howson has provided a steady hand as the GM and Ken Hitchcock is exactly the kind of coach the organization’s young players needed to take them to the next level. They are full of terrific young players and prospects, including Nikita Filatov, who was declared the No. 1 prospect outside the NHL in this year’s Future Watch edition of The Hockey News.

Despite an ownership mess and a very shaky market, the Nashville Predators have been the picture of stability since the first days of their franchise. Both GM David Poile and coach Barry Trotz have been with the team since its birth and together have slowly and painstakingly built a formidable group. With Ryan Suter, Shea Weber and Dan Hamhuis already there and Cody Franson and Jonathon Blum on the way, the Predators have the makings of one of the top defense corps in the league.

The St. Louis Blues, meanwhile, look like they’re on the verge of returning to contender status under new ownership and president John Davidson. T.J. Oshie is beginning to show signs of being a star in this league and Patrik Berglund is looking like a big-time future scorer in the NHL. David Perron has blossomed and if Erik Johnson can ever learn to drive a golf cart, he’ll bolster an already solid blueline.

In the Future Watch team rankings, Columbus ranked fourth, St. Louis fifth, Chicago seventh, Nashville 12th and Detroit 13th.

But the great thing is that for once, the present and the future both look promising for the five teams in the Central. The better thing is that nobody is laughing at them anymore. Instead, other teams are now fearing them.

Ken Campbell, author of the book Habs Heroes, is a senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Wednesday and Fridays and his column, Campbell's Cuts, appears Mondays.

For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

COMMENTS (21)

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Jim Reinecke Posted
(2009-04-30 08:15:03)

Jessie: And how about the hit that Oshie delivered to Nash in the rematch on Sunday? Could you have knocked over Number 61 on that exchange as well? *rolls eyes and anything else that's worth rolling*

Jessie Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:35)

@Jim--ahh, yes, because every infraction gets called each night and so that is truly the measure of penalty or not, right? *rolls eyes* Why would they send tapes for a charge--I said it was a charge, not that it was suspendable--the hit part of it was clean and he didn't get hurt on the play. I, like the rest of the jackets and their fans, am glad he did it--it woke the team up and they earned a point out of the game. Don't go glamorizing this grand hit that Oshie made when a. it was illegal by definition and b. he took several strides into a guy who was standing still and knocked him over. I could have done that to Nash had I had the speed Oshie had on that play. Talk about Oshie's competitiveness or goal scoring ability, but please don't embelish that hit for more than what it really did--woke the jackets up. The Blues are a very good team, the best in the league right now in my opinion, but get a hold of yourself...

Jim Reinecke Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:28)

@Jessie: Was Oshie penalized on the play? Are Howson and Hitchcock (sounds like a traffic law firm) sending tapes of the hit to the league office with the hopes of an Oshie suspension? And didn't Nash continue to be a going concern for the Jackets the remainder of the game, scoring their third goal, certainly showing no signs of injury? Just thought I'd ask. . .

Kaspar Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:28)

Tom Cotner....there are 18,000 plus Ranger fans that would gladly trade Redden for Campbell.....In fact if I showed the people I know your post they'd petition the Hawks to make you the GM

Jessie Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:26)

Yeah, Jim, that was a great 'charge' on Nash on Saturday--boy that would be tough to take a run at a guy standing still from the penalty box. The kid is a good player, but doesn't need to be taking 'Tootoo'-like runs at other teams' best players--he will find himself a target in no time.

Tiny19 Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:19)

Ken Campbell- These are words you will not here from me often so take them to heart. I really enjoyed this article and found it a very good piece. So the once dead Central is returning. It's about time. I argued this last year when more than half of the Wings losses were in the division, and got laughed at. Like you said, 'Who's laughing now." I'm glad to see the teams becoming more competitive in the former "Chuck Norris" division. It brings back the days of the late 80's early 90's when it was a real fight to get out of the division in the playoffs. I just hope that the teams can keep that competitiveness for more than just this year and maybe next, before the cap explodes on some of them. But with the young building teams in the Central, I expect many of the rivalries of the past to be rekindled for quite some time. Thanks again Ken.

Chicagodaina Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:08)

T.C., I would have emptied my savings account to see the Tallon-Russell fight (or carnage) that you mentioned. I'll sleep better tonight, just knowing it happened. Thanks.

TOM COTNER Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:04)

M C M : One thing is for sure; If you are an employee in the BLACKHAWK organization and you produce a sub-standard decision makiing results, the stamp on your forehead will read NFL, which stands for "NOT fOR LONG," as long as JOHN MCDONOUGH is in command, as well it should !!! He is absolutely focused on 1 goal only and clearly has a zero tolerance for stupidty. DALE TALLON is scampering around like a squirrel on top of a fence that just got slammed by a major snowstorm with little or no nutz inside the den for the winter season. Not only does BRIAN CAMPBELL not deserve his current salary, his talent only warrants a contract of less than $5mill. But the BLACKHAWKS mentality has always been to try and deceive the fans by overpaying for a player, as DT followed suit with CAMPBELL & HUET, to attract more season ticket holders. And not to be outdone, TALLON then decides to make a trade for a typical EUROPEAN TIDDLY-WINKIE like SAMMI PAHLSSON, by trading away a decent young defenseman like THE WIZ, who has been applauded several times since the deadline by the DUCKS announcers for his stellar play and intelligent decisions.

TOM COTNER Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:04)

It is my opinon that at the end of the season, MCDONOUGH will huddle with SCOTTY BOWMAN and SON, and soon thereafter announce the termination of TALLON as their GM. Perhaps Dale's brain matter is still scrambled from the BASHING he took at the old CHICAGO STADIUM in the 80's, while a member of the CANUCKS, courtesey PHIL RUSSELL in one of the most lopsided fights I've ever seen.

TOM COTNER Posted
(2009-04-30 08:14:04)

Now as far as the salary cap goes for the BLACKHAWKS, I made this suggestion recently since the NY RANGER fans are here in droves with warranted complaints about some of their over paid and under performing free agents as well. My idea was to trade BRIAN CAMPBELL to the BLUE SHIRTS for WADE REDDEN who I believe has a salary of around $5mill. But I am sure that GLEN SATHER and JOHNNIE TORTS will insist that the BLACKHAWKS take back at least 1 other player, so to even out the financial balance of the trade. Now as far as CHRYSTOBAL HUET goes, I was really hoping for a UFA signing this summer of WINGS goalie, NIKKI BACKSTROM, but that is no longer an option. But the suggestion makes sense for the HAWKS to complete a trade with the AVALANCHE, sending HUET west, perhaps for IAN LAPERRIERE, then signing free agent JOSH HARDING as the HAWKS new #1 guy, what with NIKKI KHABIBULIN moving on to a new team in the UFA market. In that respect, the HAWKS could rotate their 2 fine AHL goalies, COREY CRAWFORD & ANTTI NIEMI around HARDING as they fine tooth their games at the NHL level. As far as the new GM goes, you gotta believe it COULD AND SHOULD be SCOTTY BOWMAN, with his son waiting in the wings and learning under DAD'S TUTELIDGE . Remember, the APPLE never falls that far from the tree !!!

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