Offseason splashes: NHL Central stockpiled talent

The NHLs Central Division was the center of attention during a free-wheeling, big-spending scramble for talent this offseason.

Six of the divisions seven teams kept busy in a bid to dethrone the defending Stanley Cup-champion Los Angeles Kings - or maybe just to keep up with the pack.

The moves were a hot topic of discussion among players including Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane during a recent hockey camp in Vail, Colorado, recalled Avalanche forward Matt Duchene.

We talked about how it was an arms race in our division, Duchene said. If anything, its about how strong our division is, and how much it loaded up.

And thats not even counting the Blackhawks, who added free-agent forward Brad Richards and signed Kane and captain Jonathan Toews to matching eight-year, $84 million contract extensions.

Heres a look at a number of the major signings and trades that occurred this offseason:

BLUES BROTHER: Paul Stastny left Colorado to sign with the St. Louis Blues, where his father, Hall of Famer Peter, and brother Yan once played. The six-time 20-goal-scorer provides even more punch to a lineup that includes T.J. Oshie, David Backes and up-and-coming star Vladimir Tarasenko.

BIG DEAL IN BIG D: The stars keep aligning in Dallas. A year after acquiring high-scoring forward Tyler Seguin in a deal with Boston, GM Jim Nill pulled the trigger on another blockbuster by acquiring Senators captain Jason Spezza in a trade that sent forwards Alex Chiasson and Nicholas Paul to Ottawa. The Stars also signed free agent forward Ales Hemsky, who finished last season playing alongside Spezza.

VETERAN HELP: Youth played a factor in Colorado losing Game 7 of its first-round series at home to Minnesota. The Patrick Roy-coached team is now suddenly brimming with veterans after adding forwards Jarome Iginla, Danny Briere, Jesse Winchester and defenseman Brad Stuart to a roster that already includes Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and rookie of the year Nathan MacKinnon.

LIGHTNING STRIKES: Tampa Bay was among the few Eastern Conference teams to make noise with GM Steve Yzerman landing several additions to bolster a team already flush with young talent. The Lightning grabbed New York Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman and center Brian Boyle, and also signed left wing Brenden Morrow and goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Dont forget, Tampa Bay already acquired Ryan Callahan in a late-season trade. And Steven Stamkos is back after missing 45 games last season with a broken leg.

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Offseason splashes: NHL Central stockpiled talent