2015-16 Preview Part 5

In the fifth installment of the 2015-16 preview, we finish up the Central Division with the Jets, Stars and Avalanche and move on to the top two teams from the Pacific Division.

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WINNIPEG JETS

2014-15 Finish: 43-26-13 record, first round loss to Anaheim (4-0)

Noteworthy Gains: Alexander Burmistrov, Nikolaj Ehlers

Noteworthy Losses: Michael Frolik, Lee Stempniak

Biggest Strength: Winnipeg's defense corps was hit hard by injury last season, but it was a testament to their depth that they managed to keep from falling apart. Dustin Byfuglien was moved back to the blueline after starting the year as a forward and he flourished as the club's top blueliner while his teammates recovered. Mart Stuart was the healthiest of the bunch at 70 appearances. Still, the Jets remained a competitive team thanks to solid work from Jacob Trouba, Toby Enstrom, Ben Chariot and trade acquisition Tyler Myers. As a unit, they comprise one the NHL's better groups due to their size, skill and mobility. Byfuglien is still a valuable fantasy player and Myers appears to be returning to the form that made him a Calder Trophy winner back in 2010.

Biggest Weakness: Ondrej Pavelec ended up with superb statistics in 2014-15, but he doesn't have a firm grasp of the number one goalie position. He is expected to be pushed again by Michael Hutchinson. Consistency was an issue for Winnipeg's netminders last season, but they got through it by riding the hot hand. If Pavelec and Hutchinson have issues at the same time then the Jets may turn to Connor Hellebuyck, who was impressive last year at the World Championships for Team USA. The Jets ran into some problems last year because of undisciplined play. The club was shorthanded a league-high 308 times, which led to 56 power-play goals against. The penalty kill finished 13th overall, but it would behoove them to play with more control in 2015-16.

Player to Watch: Jets' top prospect Nikolaj Ehlers is expected to get a chance to crack Winnipeg's roster out of training camp. He may start his NHL career as a third liner, but he's expected to work his way up the lineup because of the skill he possesses. Ehlers will probably get an opportunity to play with Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd and if/when that time comes then fantasy owners should take note.

DALLAS STARS

2014-15 Finish: 41-31-10 record, 10th in Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Patrick Sharp, Antti Niemi, Johnny Oduya

Noteworthy Losses: Trevor Daley, Ryan Garbutt, Jhonas Enroth

Biggest Strength: Jamie Benn won the Art Ross Trophy and Tyler Seguin placed seventh in the NHL scoring race. Seguin has been a point producing machine since arriving in Dallas, while Benn has shot offensively as well. Jason Spezza was added to provide some scoring depth and despite some adjusting issues, he still managed to record 62 points during his first year in the Western Conference. The Stars will get a boost in 2015-16 with the return of Valeri Nichushkin from a groin/hip injury and the off-season acquisition of Patrick Sharp from the cap-strapped Blackhawks.

Biggest Weakness: The defense corps of the Stars is short on experience and mistakes are bound to happen, but the goaltending didn't hold up in 2014-15. Kari Lehtonen struggled last season with a .903 save percentage and a 2.94 goals-against average. He also allowed the second-most goals in the league. The Stars felt Lehtonen could use a steady backup, who could take some pressure away from him and push him to be better, so they obtained Antti Niemi from San Jose before he became an unrestricted free agent and signed him to a three-year, $13.5 million contract. Dallas is spending $10.4 million on their goalies this coming season, but feel the investment is worth the price.

Player to Watch: The goaltending situation is certainly worth monitoring and the sophomore campaign of John Klingberg is sure to warrant interest, but I'm looking at Nichushkin to prove that he's ready to be the breakout player most pundits expected to see in 2014-15. A groin/hip injury prevented him from playing for most of the season, but he returned before it was over. The Stars expect him to be an offensive factor this campaign alongside Tyler Seguin or Jason Spezza.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

2014-15 Finish: 39-31-12 record, 11th in Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Carl Soderberg, Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko, Francois Beauchemin

Noteworthy Losses: Ryan O'Reilly, Jamie McGinn

Biggest Strength: Despite being hampered by a groin injury, Semyon Varlamov posted an impressive .921 save percentage to go with a 2.56 goals-against average and five shutouts. Calvin Pickard was also impressive during his stint with the Avalanche. He was called upon to fill in when Varlamov was injured and he registered outstanding peripherals. He earned a 2.35 GAA and a .932 save percentage. Colorado has needed their goaltending to be spectacular because they allow plenty of shots and struggle defensively.

Biggest Weakness: The Avs permitted 33.2 shots against per game, which was the fifth-most in the league. The team's defense corps places plenty of pressure on their goaltenders, so changes were expected to come. Colorado was in the market for some left-handed blueliners at the end of the season and the team got what they were looking for following a trade and a free agent signing. Nikita Zadorov was added in the deal that sent Ryan O'Reilly to Buffalo and Francois Beauchemin was signed to a three-year contract worth $13.5 million. Zadorov has great upside and Beauchemin can contribute at both ends of the ice. They should strengthen Colorado's top-four group, but the team's offense will also have to improve. The forwards need to do a better job in their own zone and they need to awaken an offense that ranked 23rd in the NHL last year with 2.55 goals per game. Bounce back years from Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene will help in that regard.

Player to Watch: Mikhail Grigorenko picked up six goals and 14 points in 68 appearances with Buffalo over the past three seasons. He was never able to find his footing with the team, but he did show some progress in the AHL last year with 14 goals and 36 points in 43 games. He will be reunited with coach Patrick Roy, who was his bench boss in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts. Grigorenko will probably skate on the third line and he could see some power-play time, which will limit his fantasy value but the change of scenery should do him some good.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

2014-15 Finish: 51-24-7 record, Western Conference Final loss to Chicago (4-3)

Noteworthy Gains: Carl Hagelin, Chris Stewart, Mike Santorelli, Kevin Bieksa, Anton Khudobin

Noteworthy Losses: Matt Beleskey, Emerson Etem, Francois Beauchemin, James Wisniewski

Biggest Strength: Anaheim posted the best record in the Western Conference last season and the second-best road record (25-12-4) in the league. The duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry continues to serve as the catalyst for the team. Getzlaf led the Ducks in scoring with 70 points, while Perry finished second with 55 points despite being limited to 67 games. Ryan Kesler didn't light it up offensively in his first season with Anaheim, but he provided the team with some much-needed depth down the middle. He was also a stud during the Ducks' playoff run. Anaheim also has a young and talented defense corps, with Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm, and Cam Fowler primed for larger roles.

Biggest Weakness: Anaheim didn't get much in the way of depth scoring. Matt Beleskey placed third on the team with 22 goals and he left the team for Boston via free agency in the summer. The Ducks expect the chemistry that Jakob Silfverberg and Kesler built in the playoffs will carry over into the 2015-16 season. Former Rangers winger Carl Hagelin may get a shot at a top-six spot as well, while Mike Santorelli and Chris Stewart are capable of chipping in from the third line. The Ducks have struggled on the power play for the past two years and fell to 28th overall in 2014-15. Perry's absence didn't help and there should be a significant improvement in that area this year.

Player to Watch: The usage of Hagelin will be intriguing because he could fit in nicely on either of Anaheim's top-two lines, but Silfverberg has my attention going into the upcoming season. He generated four goals on 41 shots and 14 assists in 16 playoff games. He was dynamic with the puck and he clicked with Kesler to prove the Ducks with a dangerous second line. Silfverberg has probably locked down his spot on the second unit and seems poised for a breakout season.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

2014-15 Finish: 48-29-5 record, first round loss to Calgary (4-2)

Noteworthy Gains: Brandon Sutter, Brandon Prust

Noteworthy Losses: Eddie Lack, Nick Bonino, Kevin Bieksa, Zack Kassian

Biggest Strength: Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin bounced back in a big way last season after disappointing performances in 2013-14. Daniel placed eighth in league scoring and Henrik was 10th overall, as they both topped 70 points. The twins dominated puck possession in the playoffs, but they weren't able to carry the Canucks into the second round. The Canucks excelled on the penalty kill last season, ranking second in the league with an 85.7 percent success rate.

Biggest Weakness: The Sedins will turn 35 next month and the aging core of the Canucks is a concern. Their return to form proved how valuable they are to Vancouver because there isn't much depth beyond them. Radim Vrbata helped spark the Canucks' offense, but relying on Brandon Sutter, Alex Burrows, Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen for scoring is a slippery slope. The departures of Bonino and Shawn Matthias cuts into the secondary scoring that the team received last season as well. The Canucks are a team in transition, which will give Sven Baertschi, Jake Virtanen, Hunter Shinkaruk and Frank Corrado their fair share of opportunities. Bo Horvat is another player who could be in store for a larger role after he showed he belonged at the NHL level last year.

Player to Watch: The acquisition of Brandon Sutter from Pittsburgh brought in plenty of criticism. I don't see him as a dramatic offensive downgrade when compared to Nick Bonino, but the Canucks are banking an awful lot on a player who has hit the 40-mark once in his career and has reached 21 goals twice. Sutter was signed to a five-year, $21.875 million contract and he's slated to occupy the club's second-line center role in 2015-16. Playing with someone like Vrbata should help his offensive game, but he's still hard to recommend for standard fantasy leagues going into this season.