Yesterday, it was the Atlantic Division. Today, it the only other division to boast 4 of 5 teams over 100 points. The Western Conference's toughest division projects to be plenty tough in 2013.

Not as tough, mind you. The division says goodbye to some major players in Rick Nash, Ryan Suter, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Tomas Holmstrom.

Still, even with the departures, if any one of these teams takes a major freefall, it would be a complete shock. (And that includes the Blue Jackets, although that's primarily because they can't get that much worse, can they?) Folks have been predicting regressions for the Red Wings and Predators for a few years now, and they always find a way to stay in the mix. The Chicago Blackhawks are some strong goaltending away from a turnaround, and they had over 100 points last year. The St. Louis Blues haven't changed a bit. And even the Columbus Blue Jackets will likely be better than people think, although they will once again be the punching bag of the division.

So who will emerge on top? After the jump, our team-by-team look at the Central Divison.

St. Louis Blues

Last Year’s Record: 49-22-11 (109 pts)

Coach: Ken Hitchcock

Pre-Lockout Preview: "There's no reason to believe that the Blues and Hitchcock will regress, especially with the rest of the Central Division facing some adversity (goodbye, Misters Lidstrom and Suter). They'll still need another veteran defenseman and a veteran winger to get over the hump and challenge for the Cup, but the window is wide open for this group."

What’s Changed: Highly-rated prospect Vladimir Tarasenko has followed the locked-out NHLers back from Russia and will likely get a look with Alex Steen and Andy McDonald.

Pivotal Player: David Backes. The big centre stepped up in a big way for the Blues last season by taking away the centre of the ice and shutting down the star pivots of the Western Conference night after night. He needs to continue winning these battles if the Blues hope to continue winning.

Player That Benefits Most From 48-Game Season: Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak, who are used to splitting time in the St. Louis crease. In this condensed schedule, the fact that the Blues can rotate through their goalies and keep both fresh is a big boon.

Prediction: First.

Chicago Blackhawks

Last Year’s Record: 45-26-11 (101 pts)

Coach: Joel Quenneville

Pre-Lockout Preview: "This is a playoff team, no doubt; but the seeding and their chances for a Cup will be determined by the rest of the division and by how aggressively Bowman decides to address problems at center and between the pipes."

What’s Changed: Patrick Kane did some serious damage in Switzerland, and Marian Hossa is no longer experiencing concussion symptoms after the Raffi Torres hit that ended his season.

Pivotal Player: Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks' netminder was such an issue for the team last season that Chicago has been rumoured to be one of the teams in the Roberto Luongo sweepstakes. They probably aren't, but the team's issue the past few seasons has been in goal, and if this team hopes to get back into that first-tier of contender, they need something near elite goaltending this season.

Player That Benefits Most From 48-Game Season: Hossa. As mentioned, the Chicago forward ended last season with a trip to the hospital, and he wasn't cleared by the Blackhawks' doctors until November. But, lucky for him, the lockout means he didn't miss a game, and he was afforded a little extra time to get right.

Prediction: Second.

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