The Chicago Blackhawks are starting to slide a bit, but their record of 13-12-6, with 32 points through 31 games played, is better than anyone would have thought coming into the year. They are only 1 point shy of a playoff spot in December, which would have sounded even crazier in September.
The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are established contenders in the Central Division. Recent play has put the Blackhawks in 5th place, as those two teams are ahead of Chicago, along with the Minnesota Wild and Utah Mammoth.
Only the Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, & Nashville Predators trail. Winnipeg and St. Louis were both highly competitive playoff teams last season, so they are likely to improve as the season progresses. That alone will make the climb in the division that much tougher.
A transaction took place that will make the climb even worse, as a team ahead of the Blackhawks went from being a playoff contender to a Stanley Cup contender. The Minnesota Wild acquired superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks.
HUGHES news 🗞️
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 13, 2025
Full details » https://t.co/PpC2JGsH89pic.twitter.com/Q1ACNWUQvG
Vancouver received forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick. It’s a large haul for the Canucks, but the Wild are getting the second-best defenseman in the world.
Now, the Wild are one of the top NHL teams, making it three super-elite teams in the Central Division. That makes it even harder for the Chicago Blackhawks to become one.
Although the Blackhawks are getting better, so is the division. The Wild is adding a defender who is a point-per-game, dynamic superstar. With Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Brock Faber, and two elite goalies, the core of this team is as good as it gets.
Chicago's next matchup with Minnesota will come on January 27th, with two more that follow that. It's going to be an extra tough matchup as long as Quinn Hughes is there.
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