Not long after the Stanley Cup has been passed around, things really start to heat up in the National Hockey League. Teams take no time to hesitate in snatching up big name players to bulk up their rosters. The NHL’s Central Division is no exception, as new faces have come and gone and big deals have been made in attempts to holster an advantage for the upcoming season.

Everyone knows the old saying “If ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” After yet another stellar season in Detroit, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Wings are trying are trying to do exactly that. But what if a part of your team “breaks” for the West Coast and leaves you short a dependable defensemen? Mathieu Schneider left Detroit for sunny southern California, where he will join the defending Stanley Cup Champion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Schneider’s two-year deal worth $11.25 million adds him to the blue line of last season’s West Coast powerhouse, in hopes of making another run at hockey’s Holy Grail. Of course, with captain Scott Niedermayer expected to announce his retirement, Schneider’s going to have some very big skates to fill.

So if you’re the Detroit Red Wings, what do you do if you lose one of your most seasoned defenders? Pick up another one in Brian Rafalski, who spent the past seven seasons as a rock on the New Jersey Devil’s blue line. Bringing in 8 goals and 47 assists, Rafalski didn’t produce as much offense as Schneider’s 11 goals and 52 assists. This minor numerical difference shouldn’t pose much of a concern, as Rafalski brings his ability to move the puck smoothly up the ice to Motown and will likely pick up right where Schneider left off.

While teams like Detroit try to keep their core of players intact, teams like Nashville are letting some of their bigger names go in hopes of a facelift that will push their club to the next level. The Predators opted out of resigning three of their top ten scorers in Paul Kariya, Kimmo Timonen, and Scott Hartnell. That trio combined for 170 points this season, and the Preds will have their hands full trying to find players who can duplicate those impressive numbers next season.

Nashville GM David Poile has signed Radek Bonk and Greg de Vries in hopes of filling some holes in their lineup. Bonk will provide veteran leadership and gritty play in the defensive end but most likely won’t fill Kariya’s shoes offensively. De Vries hopes to add some Stanley Cup experience on the Nashville blue line with his smart and strong style of play, but lacks the numbers that Timonen brought to the table. The additions of Bonk and de Vries certainly won’t hurt Nashville, but they don’t fill the holes left by fleeing free agents like Kariya and Timonen.

It seems that when it rains in Nashville, it pours, as Peter Forsberg’s future in a Predators Jersey is uncertain. After a recent foot surgery, it has been reported that it will depend on how the free agent center’s rehab goes in determining if he will return for next season. The surgery, which was preformed in Sweden, was done independently. If Forsberg does come back for another season, there is a slim chance that he will be re-signing with Nashville, with the Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, and Philadelphia Flyers rumored as more likely destinations.

The Preds will also see Chris Mason become their lone starting goaltender in the 2007-08 season as they traded Tomas Vokoun to the Florida Panthers. The two shared the duties in the net for Nashville and posted nearly identical numbers. It seems the management has made a judgment call in choosing Mason who has broken out to be a very reliable goaltender. It only makes sense to give up Vokoun’s expensive contract and re-sign Mason, who is just as reliable at a much cheaper price. Though their firepower in the offensive zone seems to be deteriorating, Nashville seems to have found a capable goaltender at the right price in Chris Mason.

St. Louis is welcoming back the familiar face of Keith Tkachuk as well as a new one in crafty forward Paul Kariya. After spending just three months in an Atlanta Thrashers uniform, the 35 year-old Tkachuk returns to the Blues and looks to continue his career where he was second on the team in goals and assists before being traded. Tkachuk provided good numbers as well as veteran leadership for the Blues last season, finishing with 27 goals and 31 assists while reaching the 50-point mark for the 12th time in 15 NHL seasons. His 58 points would have placed him second in scoring for the Blues at the end of the regular season (had he not been traded to the Thrashers at the deadline), and he hopes to produce even better numbers in the upcoming season.

The Blues also picked up free agent Paul Kariya, Nashville’s leading scorer last season. Kariya will provide an offensive boost for the Blues and make an immediate impact on the scoreboard. As more and more profile free agents signed elsewhere, the Blues did the right thing in committing to Kariya. The management’s decision to bring in a marquee player like Kariya shows their dedication to the fans and the city of St. Louis, and the duo of Tkachuk and Kariya should help the Blues make a step in the right direction of being a more competitive team and moving closer to a playoff spot.

While other Central Division teams went the route of big name free agents, Chicago and Columbus looked to the Entry Draft to help build their teams for next season and well into the future.

Chicago was praised with having one of the best drafts of all. The Blackhawks selected Patrick Kane with the first overall pick, and look to him as a player to build their team around. Kane comes from the London Knights of the OHL where he captured the scoring title as a rookie this past season. With great hockey sense, Kane is able to maneuver his way through heavy traffic protecting the puck, and not being afraid of bodies in his way while doing it.

Kane was a no brainer as the No.1 pick, but GM Dale Tallon went out on a limb with his second pick in Nigeria native Akim Aliu. Reviews of Aliu’s ability were mixed as some called him a dangerous player while others dubbed him the biggest underachiever in the OHL. On talent alone, some scouts had picked Aliu to go in the top 15, but other issues have seemed to hold him back from being drafted at such a high spot. Aliu has become well known for the practice fight which stemmed from his refusal to participate in rookie hazing. Though there have been some concerns about attitude problems and his troubled past, it has been stressed that after maturing, Aliu has the ability to make a large impact for Chicago. Aliu could go down as one of the biggest steals of this year’s draft if he proves his doubters wrong, and he certainly hopes to do just that.

The Blackhawks also took Maxime Tanguay in the third round, who posted an impressive 24 goals and 36 assists this season for Rimouski of the QMJHL. These three future stars will nicely supplement a fast-improving Chicago Blackhawks organization that is already chock full of young, gifted players.

Tuomo Ruutu is an up-and-comer who will look to make a big step in becoming a force for Chicago in his third season as a Blackhawk, with his health the only real concern moving forward. Cam Barker is another fresh face who is establishing himself very nicely on the Chicago blue line. The Hawk’s also await the arrival of Jonathan Toews, the center from the University of North Dakota who led Team Canada in scoring at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. With what some consider the best core group of young players in the league, the future definitely looks bright in Chicago.

And in the short term, the ‘Hawks’ offense should get a nice boost from free agent signee Robert Lang, an exceptionally talented playmaker who should help get the most out of likely linemates Martin Havlat and Ruutu on Chicago’s top line.

Another key acquisition for Chicago that will help out in the immediate future is Sergei Samsonov. In exchange for Jason Cullimore and Tony Salmelainen who will head to Montreal, the ‘Hawks hope to see Samsonov mesh well with the other talented forwards. Center Yanic Perreault and defensemen Andrei Zyuzin also pack their bags for Chicago. These two capable seasoned players, as well as Samsonov, will help the Hawks and their young roster make the transition to a highly competitive club.

The Hawks did lose forwards Michal Handzus and Jeff Hamilton—as well as blueliner Adrian Aucoin—but with the new additions in Chicago and the tremendous young talent, the up-and-coming ‘Hawks will be more than well off.

Columbus is another team that cashed in at this year’s entry draft, picking the promising forward Jakub Voracek from the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. The Czech native has made a smooth transition to the North American style of play and shows impressive speed, hockey sense, and playmaking ability. Not afraid to shy away from risky plays, Voracek is susceptible to giving up more turnovers than needed. With growth and maturity will come the consistency that the Blue Jackets need in their young prospect.

Though this draft class holds much promise, it is doubtful that these players will make an immediate impact à la Sidney Crosby. Chicago and Columbus didn’t look for the quick fix for their clubs by spending big bucks on expensive free agents. Instead, they put their future in the hands of these young players. With proper development, this group of fresh blood could prove to be some of the next great stars in the National Hockey League.

Whether it be the signing of an All-Star forward or the drafting of a young gun who could be the NHL’s next great star, the Central Division has gotten a little bit of a makeover, which come next fall, should make things very interesting.