we thought we would just have a little fun here and talk about intriguing teams in each division we're not saying who's going to win the division we've had that conversation right now it's like who's intriguing who are we most curious about going into the season let's start with that Metro division because that might be the most wide open at this point who has you intrigued I I I I I fall in love with this segment I'm so glad we did it it was a great suggestion by um Brandon in our research department and glad we're kind of teasing out one Club in each of the div the divisions um Jersey for me in the Metro for the following reason remember last year finished in seventh place go back two years in time to that was 2223 right 112 points great second place a point behind the Carolina hurricane they were brilliant beat the Rangers and came out of nowhere that they just exploded onto the scene Jack Hughes established himself in that year as a bonafide allar it was just a remarkable year but a significant drop off last year without question so here's a couple of things to focus on where the Rangers are concerned in no particular sorry the Devils U you got me thinking devil Rangers there um defense Corp douge Hamilton we anticipate douge is going to be healthy next year they added a Brett pesy he comes over by way of a free agent signing from the canes this is a really solid Defender got some offensive upside but very skilled as a Defender as well and to me key element in this won't show up on this slab that we're flashing you right now but this is the way they should dress out but as uh if in terms of the goal tending Department this has been a challenge really under the Tom Fitzgerald um Administration and Fitzy goes out and he fixes this markstrom comes over important transaction they move on Jersey does from the vanich era it's been a challenge to this point to get consistent solid goal tending and to me the club in front of him there there lies a real challenge here as well remember markstrom as strong as he's been and going back to the 2122 season with Calgary had a brilliant year as did the entire Club but they lost a couple of key uh Personnel grro kachuck that team dropped off and you know goal tending was rather um mediocre so the point I'm making is markstrom can't do it by himself the group in front of him really needs to make a contribution as well but Jersey for me and the Metro is a team to keep an eye on I think they're capable of just about anything yeah and I think that the the team in front of him now in Jersey also should be better because defensively they were young you mentioned douy Hamilton out but they also lost severon so some of those guys were barely cutting their teeth last year and I think they should be improved on the blue line overall so we'll see but definitely something to watch and Jack Hughes too healthy he's 62 games only last year big marks for their manager for addressing some problems in a meaningful way so I think the core group you know you like that a lot some of the ads he's made especially markstrom peshi um keep your eyes on Jersey Devil fans okay how about elsewhere in the Eastern Conference a coaching change north of the Border uh among other things in the Atlantic division I kind of alluded to it but who do you think is intriguing up there in the Atlantic you know what of all the divisions we were talking about this in production the Atlantic Division I mean when you think about Buffalo Ottawa Detroit Tampa even like what are these groups capable of but the Montreal Canadians for me are a great I thought you was at Toronto you went Montreal IAL I went Montreal um you know you like Marty St Louis but there are some real interesting question marks here so they're eighth last year in the uh Atlantic division um this is a group that focusing on the forward core to start with they're not terribly deep but they've got a top six that really could be very Dynamic slavkovsky Coffield new hook these guys demonstrated last year they've got signs of being really bright uh brilliant stars in the future uh important contributors if they can take a Next Step move to another level um you like that there's some danger up front for this group the decor doesn't really jump off the page at you but you're talking about guys like Savard and mat these are guys that really I think give you a formidable not brilliant not overwhelming Decor but a serviceable um set to really get you through an 82 game schedule so for me I think there's a a step forward coming for Montreal I don't know that this is a Seventh Place finisher there is the makings again a lot depends on that top six and how they mature and if they can get an important contribution from their bottom six Montreal might be a club that surprises you and one guy named Patrick l who has a ton and he come out to say that very publicly so we'll see what he has to bring to the Montreal Canadians how about in the Central Division uh a lot of teams with some new looks out there who has you most intrigued well I'll tell you of all the teams and all the divisions this was the easiest choice Nashville by virtue of the free agent period that they had this summer Far and Away the splashiest offseason of any team in the group remember this is a team last year that exceeded expectations not a lot of us anticipated given the way they were built that Nashville is going to be a playoff team last year they uh they took a bold step forward and then coach trotz now GM trotz goes out and makes a a real a series of really meaningful transactions that list oh my gosh start with those top three Steven stamp Co really almost speaks for itself right you sign the former now former captain of the Tampa Bay lightning and as brilliant as he's been we talked plenty about this on yesterday's show but I want to focus on Jonathan marsho remember this is a guy who's just been I I think he's emerged and played some of his best hockey really hit the SE not the ceiling but um exploded in a in a certain way and maybe punched through the ceiling in his 30s this is a guy that's just really played some some really inspired hockey a SM going back two years without question w a con smite so another super super ad by uh by general manager trotz and I think uh Brady Shay goes a long ways towards kind of bolstering that Decor as well you like the way they're constructed in the back end and I'll tell you what anytime you've got UC Saros battling back there for you uh as your number one um to me Nashville is capable of anything this year in my estimation especially if um you know these new additions can kind of find a way to coales uh uh brunette can find some meaningful um some chemistry in these line combinations um Nashville's got a lot going for it you said capable of anything you think winning the division is possible even oh I think that's very possible yeah and it's it's a tall order given the way the central is built uh it's a tall order but uh I I think there's a a bold step forward in the cards for Nashville exciting times on Broadley for sure uh finally the Pacific Division yeah who's the most intriguing in that division that is intriguing as a whole yeah for me you know it's it's the Vancouver connects and let me start by making this point Jamie players are people at the end of the day players are people and when people have had success There's an opportunity or maybe a a a proclivity to kind of maybe get a little fat and happy and take a step backward put a bunch of people together on the same team teams are a little bit like people the challenge for these Canucks remember going back in time when coach talk at Tak over it's a challenge he's Midway through a season going back two years it's a bit of a Gong Show this team was underperforming struggling to defend effectively and it was a a poorest poorest group um a brilliant turnaround this year first this past year first in the Pacific overall the challenge for this group is distinct from any other of the the other three we've mentioned to this point I think it's on the the the the leadership group and Coach talk talk it himself you've got to find a way to um point to and and draw out some inspiration for these guys that so that they can maybe um equal or surpass what they they accomplished last year I think that's the real challenge for this Vancouver group on paper this group is brilliantly constructed uh Thatcher Demco I think is dealing with something lower body that's maybe going to be a challenge for him going forward uh that's an area of focus and attention for this group as well well but net net at the end of the day this is a group that I think their biggest challenge is going to be how do you at least match and and and surpass what you accomplished last year because we've seen a lot of teams like this yeah we just talked about J Jersey and now I know there's some Personnel um challenges or explanations where Jersey was concerned two years ago to last year but for this group it's really going to be a an emotional a leadership a character issue how do you how do you find the inspiration to build on what you did last year and not take a step backwards yeah that's a great question and a great challenge we'll see how the Vancouver connects perform at the start of the Season again preseason action just about a week and a half away