The NHL Central Division features one of the most successful teams in the recent history of the NHL in the Colorado Avalanche. But there are plenty of other competitive teams to take part in the competition in this division as well in the 2023-24 season, as we saw in what was another interesting season in this Western Conference division.
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Central Division Betting Odds
Check back before next season for the latest Central Division odds.
Central Division Results
The winners of the Central Division in the NHL during the 2023-24 season were the Dallas Stars. Dallas won this division by just three points over the second-place Winnipeg Jets, while the Colorado Avalanche finished in third place at six points back of Dallas. All three of those teams played very different styles of hockey, which created a compelling race for the top spot, which the Stars eventually won.
Also qualifying for the playoffs out of this division during the regular season were the Nashville Predators, who ended up in the Wild Card with 99 points on the year. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, and Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs. While the Blues and Wild were decent this season, the Coyotes struggled late and are moving to Utah, while the Blackhawks were one of the worst teams in the entire NHL.
2024-25 Central Division Outlook
Going into next season, the big question will be how the big three teams in this division position themselves. Hanging onto existing talent while adding additional pieces is so hard to navigate in the NHL. But the team that does the best job of that will have the inside track to grabbing first place in this division during the 2024-25 campaign.
Of course, how the Central Division shakes out in the NHL next season could change dramatically based on how teams make changes in free agency and through other means. But for now, the current top-three in this division look likely to be the top-three again next year, unless one of the teams in the bottom-five really does something drastic to improve its roster.