Connor Bedard’s Chicago Blackhawks could take a big step forward with the help of veteran additions

The teams at the bottom of the Central Division have a way to go to contend with the heavy hitters at the top, but there’s plenty of reason for optimism with the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild and Utah Hockey Club going into the 2024-25 season. In this Locked On NHL Season Preview Round Table, Seth Toupal (Locked On Wild), Haley Taylor Simon (Locked On Blues), Chicago Blackhawks (Locked On Blackhawks) and Tom Callahan (Locked On Utah Hockey Club) to break down the state of the Central Division’s playoff hopefuls. Will a second year of Connor Bedard help the Blackhawks improve? Can the Blues bounce back after a disappointing 2023-24? Are the Wild on the clock to convince Kirill Kaprizov to stay? And will the energy of a new fan base in a new city push a young Utah team to improve? All that, plus points over/unders, reasons for optimism, offseason additions, breakout players, and what’s at stake for these teams if they miss the playoffs once again.  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNHL and get $50 instantly when you play $5. PrizePicks. Run Your Game.  FanDuelPlace your first FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - guaranteed ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.IndeedStill searching for a great candidate for your company? Don’t search, just match–with Indeed.Claim your SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLAR CREDIT now at Indeed.com/LOCKEDON. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? You need Indeed.  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.