St. Louis Blues
As grueling as the Ducks series was, the Blues series was that much more taxing. They both ended in six games, but the Blues put up the bigger fight and were a bigger threat.
They’re mostly the same team heading into next season. That means Vladimir Tarasenko will keep terrorizing goaltenders and Jake Allen is still a rising star protecting the net. Their defense is also grossly underrated and kept intact. They’re flying too much under the radar for some reason, and worry me more than any other division opponent.
You have two teams that are desperately trying to win their first Stanley Cup. They’re the most complete team within the division that the Predators will face. Last season’s second-round meeting could be the start to an epic rivalry for Wetern Conference supremacy for years to come.