They are for real, I really liked the additions of Hutton (underappreciated guy that STL should have kept) and Skinner (good offensive player stuck in no-finish system) last year and now Miller (solid PP guy who can play #3/4 D role well) this season. Olofsson is coming through, turning out to be a steal. I think Mittelstadt is a good candidate for a breakout second half. Last year they had a good start and fizzled. But I don't think they will drop off as hard this year because they're getting deeper and more experienced.

It's still kind of hard to see them winning it all but making the playoffs? I think they have an excellent chance. There's a decent chance both wild cards come out of that division. They are giving themselves a cushion right now and I think they will keep rolling for a bit. Not only is their record excellent, their goal differential is the best in the league. We had them in here for a game recently but honestly I didn't get a great feel for their quality in person. They scored early and basically hung on despite absorbing a lot of the play in the later parts of the game. But their goaltending was excellent. I really like Hutton, he has taken a sinewy path to where he is but he has kept working hard. very technically sound goalie.