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After looking at arguably the worst division in the NHL, let’s set our eyes on the one that could be considered the best (minus Columbus, of course).

Columbus Blue Jackets

2011-2012 By the Numbers:

—–> 5th in the division, missed the postseason.

—–> 26th in goals scored per game, 24th in power play percentage.

—–> 28th in goals allowed per game, 30th on the penalty kill.

Day 1 Additions:

D — Adrian Aucoin – To be honest, this move puzzles me a bit for a young, rebuilding club. Aucuin is a 38-year-old that is coming off of one of his least productive seasons, so he better be one heck of a leader to join this bunch. He had just nine points last season, but did hold a plus 14 rating, which should help the defense somewhat.

LW — Nick Foligno – The move above was confusing, this one wasn’t. The Blue Jackets completed a trade to acquire Foligno, who is a young and gifted scorer. He posted 47 points with Ottawa last season, so he should be an instant impact player with Columbus.

Chicago Blackhawks

2011-2012 By the Numbers:

—–> 4th in the division, eliminated in the first round of the postseason.

—–> 5th in goals scored per game, 26th in power play percentage.

—–> 22nd in goals allowed per game, 27th on the penalty kill.

Day 1 Additions:

D — Sheldon Brookbank – By no means is this an addition that will draw much attention, but Brookbank should be useful on the penalty kill, which is something the Blackhawks desperately need. He’s fairly big and can be a physical presence (120 hits last season) on the defensive end of the ice.

Detroit Red Wings

2011-2012 By the Numbers:

—–> 3rd in the division, eliminated in the first round of the postseason.

—–> 7th in goals scored per game, 22nd in power play percentage.

—–> 7th in goals allowed per game, 18th on the penalty kill.

Day 1 Additions:

G — Jonas Gustavsson – Obviously, he was added to be the backup to Jimmy Howard. And, I have to say that he’s a pretty solid second man to have. Gustavsson was 17-17-4 with a 2.92 goals against average this past season with the Maple Leafs.

RW — Mikael Samuelsson – There’s just something about old forwards and the Red Wings, you know? The 35-year-old joins Detroit after putting together a solid 31-point season in just 54 games played. He has already spent time in his career with the ‘Wings, so I wasn’t all that surprised by this move.

RW — Jordin Tootoo – It didn’t take long for Tootoo to decide he would stay in the Central Division. He is a checking forward that scored 30 points this past season in Nashville, and I expect similar results in a pretty large role with the Red Wings.

Nashville Predators

2011-2012 By the Numbers:

—–> 2nd in the division, eliminated in the second round of the postseason.

—–> 8th in goals scored per game, 1st in power play percentage.

—–> 8th in goals allowed per game, 10th on the penalty kill.

Day 1 Additions:

G — Chris Mason – Don’t worry, this addition basically only happened because Nashville has to have someone behind Pekka Rinne. But, we all know Rinne doesn’t share the net, so Mason will rarely be out there. When he is, expect a respectable performance. This past season, he went 8-7-1 with a 2.59 GAA in Winnipeg.

RW — Brian McGrattan – Well, the effects of this move will depend on the health of McGrattan (seems to be the case with lots of guys), since he played in just 30 games last season. If he is out there, he is a big, gritty forward that won’t score much, but one that will provide some solid hockey.

St. Louis Blues

2011-2012 By the Numbers:

—–> 1st in the division, eliminated in the second round of the postseason.

—–> 21st in goals scored per game, 19th in power play percentage.

—–> 1st in goals allowed per game, 7th on the penalty kill.

Day 1 Additions:

The Blues added goalie Mike McKenna, and defensemen Taylor Chorney and Scott Ford. None of the three have spent significant time in the NHL to this point in their career. Therefore, I’m working under the assumption that they will have limited impact on the 2012-2013 season in St. Louis.

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Follow Ryan Boyd on twitter, @Ryan_Boyd22

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