The Central Division is always among the most compelling groups in the NHL, and it's looking like it will crown a new champion in 2017-18.

That's because last season's top team appears destined to take a significant step back, while each of its three primary rivals has improved, as did another squad that's looking to become competitive again. Overall, the only real certainty should be who finishes last.

Here's how we see the Central shaking out:

1. Nashville Predators

The Predators didn't truly peak until the playoffs began last season, but they're ready to carry over their success from the spring into the fall.

Nashville will be without steady defenseman Ryan Ellis for several months, but this team is well suited to deal with his absence, with Roman Josi, P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm comprising the rest of one of the league's best top-four defensive corps.

General manager David Poile brought back Scott Hartnell and added Nick Bonino to replace the retired Mike Fisher this summer, ensuring the Predators have a chance to build on their Stanley Cup Final appearance by being the class of the division in the upcoming season.

2. Minnesota Wild

Only the Washington Capitals had a better goal differential than the Wild last season, and not much has changed for Minnesota.

Gone are Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville, but like the Predators, the Wild are strong enough on the back end to withstand Scandella's departure, and their forward group is still very deep.

Minnesota's bottom six is better now, and the Wild still boast an elite goaltender in Devan Dubnyk, so the team should finish respectably, with a shot at claiming the division crown.

3. St. Louis Blues

Much like the Wild, the Blues are hoping continuity leads to improvement come playoff time.

Much of last season's team remains intact, and it also added Brayden Schenn, who's a big upgrade over the departed Jori Lehtera. That draft-night trade helped St. Louis up front, and it looms particularly large in light of preseason injuries to Alex Steen and Robby Fabbri.

St. Louis failed to make it out of the second round last season, but the club that still features Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, and Jake Allen should be a threat to advance to the Western Conference Final.

4. Dallas Stars

The Stars improved the most on paper of any team in the division over the summer, but the actual impact of their free-agent additions remains to be seen.

Alex Radulov, Martin Hanzal, Marc Methot, and Ben Bishop will certainly help Dallas exceed the 79-point, sixth-place finish of a season ago, but it'll be tough for the Stars to crack the top three, given how stiff the competition is.

5. Chicago Blackhawks

It's going to be a disappointing season in the Windy City.

The Blackhawks are the defending Central Division champs, but after being swept out of the first round by the Predators in the spring, they're now without dynamic winger Artemi Panarin (traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Brandon Saad) and Marian Hossa (out for the season due to a skin disorder).

Chicago also has an aging top pairing on defense, as Duncan Keith turned 34 in July, and Brent Seabrook celebrated his 32nd birthday in April.

The Blackhawks do have some promising young forwards and will still rely on the experience of their veteran core, but they're in danger of falling into a period of decline.

6. Winnipeg Jets

There are reasons for optimism in Manitoba, but the Jets aren't quite ready to take off.

While there's some exciting, young talent on this roster and more coming down the pipeline, this team likely still needs some time to develop before it can challenge for a playoff spot.

Even a wild-card berth seems questionable. The forward group has plenty of question marks beyond the top line, and while Steve Mason is better than Ondrej Pavelec, goaltending will still be a concern.

Patrik Laine should make Winnipeg games worth watching, but that won't be enough to propel the Jets into the postseason.

7. Colorado Avalanche

It's entirely possible that the Avalanche, who set the salary-cap era record for futility last season, could be even worse in 2017-18.

Colorado is in the midst of its own youth movement with the likes of Mikko Rantanen, Tyson Jost, and Nikita Zadorov expected to take on larger roles this fall, but when (if?) Matt Duchene eventually gets traded, that will only make it more likely that the Avalanche once again finish in the basement of the Central Division with one of the league's worst records.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights hosted their first hockey game on Monday, inviting the Los Angeles Kings into the friendly confines of T-Mobile Arena for a preseason tilt.

Cue the ice resurfacer song; this rink's Zambonis were looking mighty fine.

Two hours before puck drop, fans young and old began filing in.

This lucky squad made history by being the first to get some face time on the Jumbotron.

Finally, goaltenders Jack Campbell and Calvin Pickard led their respective teams out onto the ice.

Pickard remained in the zone as Th3card performed the anthem.

(Courtesy: Action Images)

And here was the view from up high as Cody Eakin recorded the team's first preseason goal on home ice.

The Knights' first regular-season home game is set for Oct. 10 against the Arizona Coyotes.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights hosted their first hockey game on Monday, inviting the Los Angeles Kings into the friendly confines of T-Mobile Arena for a preseason tilt.

Cue the ice resurfacer song; this rink's Zambonis were looking mighty fine.

Two hours before puck drop, fans young and old began filing in.

This lucky squad made history by being the first to get some face time on the Jumbotron.

Finally, goaltenders Jack Campbell and Calvin Pickard led their respective teams out onto the ice.

Pickard remained in the zone as Th3card performed the anthem.

(Courtesy: Action Images)

And here was the view from up high as Cody Eakin recorded the team's first preseason goal on home ice.

The Knights' first regular-season home game is set for Oct. 10 against the Arizona Coyotes.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cody Eakin will have a special place in the history books.

The veteran forward opened the scoring for the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, potting the first-ever goal at the team's home rink, T-Mobile Arena.

The tally came at the 3:44 mark of the first period as Eakin fired a shot by Los Angeles Kings netminder Jack Campbell to give Vegas the early lead in the exhibition match. It marked Eakin's first goal and third point of the preseason.

The Golden Knights held a 3-1 preseason record entering Tuesday's contest.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will reportedly visit the White House on Oct. 10 to celebrate its 2017 Stanley Cup win, according to Adam Smeltz of the Post-Gazette.

The team announced the acceptance of an invitation from the White House on Sept. 24, and it was later confirmed via Twitter by President Donald Trump amid a bevy of protests taking place around the NFL.

Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto won't join the team, despite making the trip after the 2016 Cup win, Smeltz adds:

This time around, Mr. Peduto "doesn’t feel the time is right" for him to visit the executive mansion under President Donald Trump, mayoral spokesman Timothy McNulty said. He said the team invited Mr. Peduto over the weekend.

"Given the president’s comments over the past week and the way in which sports are now becoming a politically divisive issue, he felt the timing is not right," Mr. McNulty said.

The Penguins are off that day, and will play the Capitals in Washington the following night.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Michael Rasmussen could be on the fast track to the NHL.

The Detroit Red Wings' top pick in this summer's draft - selected ninth overall - has impressed through the early goings of training camp. So much so that he could find himself suiting up in the winged wheel as early as this fall.

Through three preseason contests, Rasmussen has picked up a pair of goals, and his strong performance hasn't been lost on Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill.

"I'm excited about him as a prospect," Blashill told Ansar Khan of MLive.com. "He's big, he's smooth, he's got good hands, he's got good offensive sense."

With a franchise that typically slow roasts its prospects, Rasmussen's early success has come as a surprise, but times may be changing in Detroit as the team reluctantly enters a rebuild.

Only three months earlier, the Red Wings took some heat over Rasmussen's apparent early selection ahead of projected top-10 picks in Owen Tippett and Gabriel Vilardi, but the young Canadian is already turning heads.

The preseason has been a continuation of Rasmussen's play from 2016-17, when he tallied 55 points in 50 games with the WHL's Tri-City Americans. But whether he returns to the junior ranks will be determined in the coming days. As of Tuesday, Rasmussen is one of 47 players remaining at Red Wings camp.

Adding to the intrigue is that roster regular and fellow forward Andreas Athanasiou is still unsigned and threatening to continue his career in the KHL. His absence could create at least one more opening for Rasmussen.

"I want to be here and I want to play here," Rasmussen said. "I'm definitely trying to make it hard on them."

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward isn't closing the door on joining fellow professional athletes in taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

"It’s definitely something I wouldn’t cross out," Ward said when asked by the Mercury News whether he’d consider taking a knee during the national anthem at an upcoming Sharks game.

"I’ve experienced a lot of racism myself in hockey and on a day-to-day occurrence. I haven’t really sat down to think about it too much yet, but I definitely wouldn’t say no to it."

Ward, a Canadian born to Barbadian immigrants, wears No. 42 in tribute to Jackie Robinson, and has been prey to racial profiling and slurs on both sides of the border throughout his life. Notably, he was subject to a barrage of racially-charged tweets after scoring a Game 7 overtime goal against the Boston Bruins in 2012.

As such, he deeply relates to the protest spurred by NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

"I’ve had a few things that have happened to me that you could say are not the norm," he said. "I’ve been singled out at different events. I’ve been pulled over. I’ve dealt with racism right to my face.

"It’s just been part of life that you always have to deal with, so when people get into Kaepernick and some of these other guys, saying that they’re disrespecting the flag, it’s not about just that. It’s about creating awareness about what people, like myself, go through on a day-to-day basis, whether it’s going to the mall or whatever."

If Ward were to decide to kneel, he'd have the support of Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer.

"I went to law school. I’m a big freedom of speech guy. Everyone has the right to message how they want to," said DeBoer.

"That’s what makes our countries great, Canada and the U.S., is the freedom to able to express yourself if you feel like you’ve been wronged or there’s an injustice."

The Sharks open their regular season on Oct. 4 at home to Philadelphia.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders training camp has featured a good old-fashioned fight for the starting goaltender gig.

Thomas Greiss made his first start of the preseason Monday, and recorded a shutout against a New Jersey Devils split-squad lineup. He's now played the same amount of time as Jaroslav Halak, and both have been solid.

"Our goaltenders have led the charge in training camp," head coach Doug Weight said Monday. "I'm pretty excited about that part of the game."

It's certainly an encouraging sign for a team that finished 17th with a .909 overall save percentage last season and fell just short of a playoff spot.

For Halak in particular, it's been a return to the form he displayed last spring after being recalled from an AHL stint of almost three months. That came after he was placed on waivers and went unclaimed in January, but Halak subsequently found his game with Bridgeport and almost helped the club clinch a late postseason berth.

It remains to be seen who will emerge as the top option in New York this season, but as Pittsburgh demonstrated in 2016-17, it doesn't hurt to have multiple starters around.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rival teams are willing to bet on a blue-liner from the Vegas Golden Knights.

"I've just started returning calls to clubs yesterday that expressed some interest in obtaining a defenseman," general manager George McPhee told Hockey Central at Noon. "I wanted to take some time - four games - to get to know them a little bit better, and we've got another three games to evaluate."

The Golden Knights have impressed through the exhibition schedule, coming up with three wins in four games. But as the regular season draws closer, McPhee realizes he will need to unload at least one of his excess defensemen.

"We're starting to have those discussions and there is interest in moving probably one defenseman at this point," McPhee added.

When a deal could occur remains unknown, but sooner rather than later seems to be a safe bet with the Golden Knights' final 23-man roster due Oct. 3.

Vegas currently has 11 defensemen signed through this season, according to CapFriendly:

Dealing a defenseman would mark the Golden Knights' fifth trade involving a blue-liner since the expansion draft, after the team sent David Schlemko to the Montreal Canadiens, Trevor van Riemsdyk to the Carolina Hurricanes, Marc Methot to the Dallas Stars, and Alexei Emelin to the Nashville Predators.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.