David Backes is the total package, and so are the St. Louis Blues. This may be the year they join the NHLs upper echelon.

We've looked at the Eastern Conference and now our season preview moves West and we look at the Central Division, where the Hawks have dominated in recent years. Will it continue this season?

St. Louis Blues

The Blues have a roster that's as deep as anyone else in the league and they are definitely trending in the right direction. Up front their forwards took some significant steps last season and with Paajarvi and Tarasenko in the lineup, there is more high end scoring potential to be realized. Chris Stewart enjoyed a rebound campaign last year where he looked more like the blooming power forward of 2 years ago rather than the 3rd liner who had struggled the previous season. David Backes brings everything you'd want in a leader and they've added significant depth up the middle with Derek Roy and Maxim Lapierre. Along the blue line the Blues have some stalwart veterans like Barret Jackman and Jay Bouwmeester, but more importantly they have two young studs in Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo. The one question mark may be in goal, but the Blues have depth there as well. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott are still there and have both taken turns looking brilliant in goal for the Blues, with Brian Elliott getting the bulk of the starts last season. But if (or perhaps when) those two falter, Jake Allen has been beating down the door and has shown he is definitely ready for the big show. When having a trio of Halak, Elliott and Allen in goal is considered your weak spot, you're in pretty decent shape.

Verdict: This roster has a real chance to do something special this year. If they can put it all together, nobody is safe. Prediction: 1st

Chicago Blackhawks

The fact I'm not picking them to win the division probably looks bad. Heck, you could even say it seems suspiciously like I have some sort of bias against the Hawks, given what they did last season and over the past few years in general. Two Stanley Cups in 4 years is a very impressive feat.However, this year there are some question marks. Will the shortened season and late running playoffs, followed by a short summer and a compressed Olympic year schedule hurt the Hawks, contributing to fatigue and injuries? How will the pressure of big new contracts effect starting goaltender Corey Crawford or power forward Bryan Bickell? Will young Brandon Saad manage to avoid the sophomore slump? And how will the loss of David Bolland impact the lineup? Most teams would love to have these kinds of question marks heading into the season. Of course, it won't be nearly enough to keep them from being among the top teams in the league and they're definitely a contender to repeat as champions, but perhaps there is a small chink in this years armor.

Verdict: Right there among the Cup contenders, but susceptible to a lull during the regular season. I took the Blues on a hunch, but few will be surprised if the Hawks win the division. Prediction: 2nd

Minnesota Wild

Last summer there was a lot of hype after adding Parise and Suter but it took some time for things to get rolling. Once they did, the Wild were much improved. This year they've added some strong complimentary pieces to the bottom 6 and will look to an infusion of youth to help them take the next step. Once Minny fans get over their shock (or in some cases, anger) after seeing Matt Cooke in a Wild uniform, they will love what he brings to the table. A gritty energy player who can chip in offensively, play anywhere in the lineup and in any situation and be a physical presence. The Wild will also look to youngsters like Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund to add secondary scoring. In goal, Nicklas Backstrom played a lot last season, 42 of 48 games, and his numbers slipped a bit from his career averages. He will need to bounce back, and perhaps being spelled a bit more often could help in that regard, but in any event, he can keep the Wild in games. Some more goal support for whoever is in goal would be a huge help. On the blue line, Ryan Suter was everything they hoped he would be when they signed him, and the addition of Keith Ballard (a Minnesota native) should improve a blue line that is solid though often unheralded. Raise your hand if you saw Jonis Brodin's phenomenal rookie year coming. Now put your hands down you liars.

Verdict: If some of their young players deliver, the Wild could be right there with the top teams. Either way, this should be a playoff club. Prediction: 3rd

Nashville Predators

As always, the question heading into the season for the Preds is 'who's going to score?', and finding a way to generate offense will not be easy for Nashville. Sergei Kostitsyn has left for the KHL and Martin Erat is gone as well. In their seemingly endless search for offense, the Preds may look to Filip Forsberg to step in and make an impact. Mike Fisher and David Legwand provide strong leadership and two way play, but need to contribute more on the scoreboard to help take some of the pressure off. Viktor Stalberg is the big off-season addition and should help, he's broken 25 points only once in his career so it may be wishful thinking to expect him to be a huge difference maker. On the plus side, their blue line is not an issue at all. Shea Weber leads a group as strong as any in the league and is one of the best defencemen in the world. They also had another potential franchise defenceman fall into their lap on draft day as Seth Jones slid down to them in the #4 slot. Pekka Rinne will provide solid goaltending, so there are no concerns there.

Verdict: Barry Trotz is known for his ability to get the most out of his players, but unless the offense delivers, they're touch and go to make the post season. Prediction: 4th

Dallas Stars

A new management team, new star players, new 1st round draft pick, new centers, new uniforms... the Stars have undergone massive changes over the course of one summer. Is it too much all at one? Maybe, but each change seems to be a positive one, starting with luring Jim Nill out of Detroit to take on the General Managers role. Nill got straight to work rebuilding the roster, dealing the reliable Loui Eriksson to Boston to add Tyler Seguin. Seguin will finally get an opportunity at center, his natural position, and that allows the Stars to shift Jamie Benn back to his natural position on the wing. The change should bode well for both players and if they build some chemistry they could end up being one of the best duo's in the NHL. 10th overall draft selection Valeri Nichushkin is intriguing as well. He has franchise player potential and it seems likely he will make the roster this season, though how much he will play is anyone's guess. If he adjusts quickly, the Stars may be much more dangerous than people think. On defence the Stars have a number of reliable veteran options, but they key is Alex Goligoski, who has been good but hasn't quite lived up to the potential he has just yet. Kari Lehtonen is under-rated in goal but as long as he stays healthy, he gives Dallas a chance to win every night.

Verdict: Dallas is a real dark horse team this season. If they respond well to the overhaul they could surprise, but for now, my expectations are tempered. Prediction: 5th

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets stand to feel the effects of re-alignment more than any other club. Sure they won't have to fly to Florida for 'divisional' games, but their margin of error has shrunk significantly, and that's not good news for a team that has struggled with consistency. The Jets (and the Thrashers before them) have struggled against Western Conference teams and the style out West may not play to the Jets strengths, that is, if you can identify those strengths to begin with. Simply put, the Jets need an awful lot to go right for them this season if they are to make the playoffs. Up front they have some strong scorers like Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler, but they may lack the depth to keep up in the longer term. Adding Setoguchi and Frolik to the mix will help. Mark Scheifele should make the roster, and if he can land the second line center position and gel with his wingers that could add another dimension to the Jets attack. The defence has been less than the sum of it's parts. Dustin Byfuglien reportedly showed up for training camp in good shape this season so that should help, as will a return to health for Enstrom and Bogosian. Rookie Jacob Trouba will get a long look and could help solidify the blue line. In goal, Ondrej Pavelec needs to be better. He's been spectacular some nights, but porous others. The numbers he's posted since the Jets move to Winnipeg (2.91 GAA, .906 SV% in 2011-12, 2.80 GAA, .905 SV% in 2013) are simply not good enough if the Jets expect to compete.

Verdict: Heading in the right direction, but without a big season from Pavelec, the Jets just don't have enough to make the playoffs in the West this year. Prediction: 6th

Colorado Avalanche

The Avs, by virtue of the draft lottery, won the right to select Nathan MacKinnon at the entry draft in June. In doing so, they added to a deep center group. With MacKinnon expected to make the team this year, the Avs have moved Ryan O'Reilly to the wing, which will help to offset the lack of high end depth in that area. Up front however, is the least of Colorado's concerns; defence is their sore spot. Erik Johnson has struggled (remember when they traded Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart for this guy? Ouch...) and there isn't much behind him in terms of depth. Tyson Barrie is a bright spot, and played a big role for much of last season. He performed well, but will need to take another big step this season to help shore up the defence. Semyon Varlamov has been good and has potential still, but hasn't shown that he's the caliber of goaltender who can carry this team on his back.

Verdict: The Avs season will be a microcosm of their blue line situation. If some youth can step up and exceed expectations, so too will the Avs. If not.... Prediction: 7th

Up next, we finish things off with the Pacific Division.