The Stanley Cup champion came from the Western Conference last season, but the winner wasn't one of the teams that dominated early in the decade.
The Chicago Blackhawks, who won in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and the Los Angeles Kings, who prevailed in 2012 and 2014, missed the playoffs last season and plunged into roster rebuilds. While they fell, the St. Louis Blues became first-time Cup winners, mixing brawn with skill and the stellar goaltending of rookie Jordan Binnington.
Winning back-to-back Cup titles is tough, but the Blues brought back the heart of their championship team, with the notable exceptions of trading hard-hitting defenseman Joel Edmundson to Carolina for puck-moving defenseman Justin Faulk and letting hometown hero Pat Maroon leave as a free agent.
Here are the big questions in the Western Conference leading into the season:
