Which division will be the best in the NHL in 2025-2026? With the offseason swiftly moving and the upcoming season rapidly approaching, the projections are already coming out. The discussion surrounding the best division in hockey has many answers, but one stands above the rest.
The Central Division is far and away the best division in the NHL. The Atlantic Division may have the defending Stanley Cup champions, but it’s this Western Conference group that is the most complete in the league.
There is one reason that stands above the rest when considering the best divisions. That reason is goaltending, and the Central Division is where the best are. Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck is the king of his position and is coming off a Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy for his 2024-2025 performance. Jake Oettinger is a top-5 goalie in the league as well, backstopping the Dallas Stars to three straight Western Conference Finals. The Colorado Avalanche acquired Mackenzie Blackwood last season to solidify their goal crease. Filip Gustavsson just had a career-best season with the Minnesota Wild. The St. Louis Blues have a Stanley Cup winner in Jordan Binnington and a still improving Joel Hofer waiting to usurp the starting role.
And those were just the playoff teams in the Central Division. Even the teams that underachieved last season have solid goaltending. The Nashville Predators are a lost organization currently, but Pekka Rinne remains elite. The Utah Mammoth just missed the postseason, but their goaltending duo of Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek is a formidable tandem. Spencer Knight is poised to breakout as the number one with the Chicago Blackhawks as well. Overall, the goaltending performance sets this division apart from the other three.
As if the goaltending wasn’t enough, this division is loaded with star power. Three of the top-10 scorers last year in the NHL came out of the Central Division. 10 players in the division reached or eclipsed the 80-point mark as well, more than any other division in the NHL. Nathan MacKinnon led the Central with 116 points last year.
So the goaltending is the best and the offensive performance is the best. What exactly are we debating again? There are many solid arguments to make for the other three divisions in the NHL, but they pale in comparison to the totality of the powerful Central Division.
