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.

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Friday's episode begins with a preview of the Chicago Blackhawks' second preseason game, as they head to Detroit for the back end of a home-and-home series with the Red Wings. Host Jack Bushman dives into the Blackhawks' projected forward lines & defensive pairings and discusses EVERYTHING you need to know before puck drop at 6 pm CT in Detroit! The episode concludes with defenseman Seth Jones' 2024-25 season preview. All that and more on Locked On Blackhawks. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

Hawks Lineup in 2nd Preseason Game (4:40)

Storylines To Watch vs. Red Wings (17:45)

Jones' Season Preview (27:45)

SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@LockedOnBlackhawks

PODCAST: https://linktr.ee/JackBushman

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LO_Blackhawks

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lockedonblackhawks/?hl=en

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - guaranteed ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.

Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNHL and get $50 instantly when you play $5. PrizePicks. Run Your Game.

Still 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.

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Thursday's episode begins with a recap of the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in their preseason opener at the United Center. Host Jack Bushman gets into his biggest takeaways from the Blackhawks loss and then dives into 19-year-old face-of-the-franchise Connor Bedard's 2024-25 season predictions. The episode concludes with preseason OHL team rankings, with Blackhawks' prospects Nick Lardis & Marek Vanacker (Brantford), Martin Misiak & Ty Henry (Erie), Alex Pharand (Sudbury), and AJ Spellacy (Windsor) playing in that league this season. All that and more on Locked On Blackhawks. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

Hawks Fall To Red Wings 4-2 (2:15)

Bedard's Season Predictions (22:35)

OHL Prospects Update (35:45)

SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@LockedOnBlackhawks

PODCAST: https://linktr.ee/JackBushman

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LO_Blackhawks

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lockedonblackhawks/?hl=en


Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase.

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.

Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNHL and get $50 instantly when you play $5. PrizePicks. Run Your Game.

Still 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, America’s Number One Sportsbook. As playoffs wind down, the sports stop sporting like we want them to. But this summer, FanDuel is hooking up ALL CUSTOMERS with a boost or a bonus, DAILY! That’s right, there’s something for everyone, every day, all summer long! Visit FANDUEL.COM and add a big win to your summer bucket list!

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)