WHL Central Division preview: Will the Calgary Hitmen dethrone the Edmonton Oil Kings?

Yahoo’s Buzzing the Net will preview the upcoming 2014-15 WHL season, going division by division and asking the biggest question of each team. Here is the Central Division preview.

Teams here are listed in predicted order of finish, from first to last.

Calgary Hitmen – 2013-14 record: 48-17-3-4 for 103 points; division finish: second; result: lost to Kootenay in first round.

Is Calgary the team to beat in the division?

Assuming New York Rangers prospect Adam Tambellini doesn’t play within his NHL club’s organization as a 20-year-old, the Hitmen seem to be the top dog in the Central Division. They’ll have one of the top offensive trios in the league in Tambellini, Edmonton Oilers prospect Greg Chase and Vancouver Canucks first-rounder Jake Virtanen and one of the top blueliners in Philadelphia Flyers first-rounder Travis Sanheim. In addition, they’ll have a quality threesome of overagers with Connor Rankin, Mike Winther, import Pavel Padakin and defender Kenton Helgesen vying for spots.

The main uncertainty surrounding the Hitmen is in net. With Ottawa Senators prospect Chris Driedger expected to move on to the pros as a 20-year-old, Mack Schields will take the reins. The Saskatoon, Sk., native played well throughout 28 games last year, posting a .907 save percentage, but he still has to prove himself as a 50-plus games starter.

Red Deer Rebels – 2013-14 record: 35-32-1-4 for 75 points; division finish: fifth; result: missed the playoffs.

Can Brent Sutter mold the Rebels into a contender again?

With a bid to host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup, Sutter has high hopes for his Rebels. They disappointed last year with a ninth place finish in the conference, but all signs point to them rebounding this year.

Red Deer ultimately has two cornerstone players to lead the cause: Colorado Avalanche first-rounder Conner Bleackley up front and Carolina Hurricanes first-rounder Haydn Fleury on the back end. This duo alone will ensure the Rebels crack the playoffs. But it’s the play of players such as 17-year-old Adam Musil, 19-year-old defender Kayle Doetzel and sophomore forward Grayson Pawlenchuk that will determine how far they can go. They’ll also need one of their goalies, presumably last year’s backup Taz Burman, to step up and help fill the void left by Los Angeles Kings prospect Patrik Bartosak.

Edmonton Oil Kings – 2013-14 record: 50-19-2-1 for 103 points; division finish: first; result: won the Ed Chynoweth Cup and Memorial Cup.

Will the Oil Kings’ reign as the conference’s top club come to an end?

All great things must come to an end, including Edmonton’s dominance in the Eastern Conference. With Phoenix Coyotes first-rounder Henrik Samuelsson, New York Islanders prized pick Griffin Reinhart and likely Senators first-rounder Curtis Lazar off the pros, it seems quite unlikely that the Oil Kings will make a fourth straight trip to the league finals.

That said, though, the Oil Kings still have the tools to crack the second season and do some damage while there. Their netminder, Pittsburgh Penguins second-rounder Tristan Jarry, is easily one of the best in the league and Dallas Stars second-rounder Brett Pollock has the potential to be one of the better forwards in the conference. They frankly could finish as high as second in their division if enough rookies and sophomores step up, but that’s assuming GM Randy Hansch doesn’t gut the team at the trade deadline.

Medicine Hat Tigers – 2013-14 record: 44-24-3-1 for 92 points; division finish: third; result: lost to Edmonton in conference final.

Can Shaun Clouston’s Tigers exceed expectations yet again?

It seems nearly every year the Tigers show their cupboard is fuller than it appears on paper. Last year they lost their franchise player - Canucks first-rounder Hunter Shinkaruk - near the mid-way point of the season because of a hip injury, but that didn’t stop them from going on to make it to the Eastern Conference finals last year. A major reason for their uncanny and at times unpredicted success is Clouston’s great job behind the bench. He plays a fast-paced system that plays a vital role in his team’s heavy win total.

This year, the Tigers lost their previous season’s leading scorer - Curtis Valk - as he moved on from the junior ranks. They will still have a nice blend of top talent such as overagers Trevor Cox and Cole Sanford, St. Louis Blues second-rounder Tommy Vannelli and rookie blueliner David Quenneville. It should be enough skill to get them into the playoffs.

Kootenay Ice – 2013-14 record: 39-28-2-3 for 83 points; division finish: fourth; result: lost to Medicine Hat in second round.

Will the departure of Sam Reinhart sink the Ice?

It’s hard to pick the Ice to miss the post-season because they somehow always find a way to sneak in. Look no further than their 2012-13 season where they appeared to be a long shot to make the playoffs, but won 25 of their last 37 games to snag eight spot.

Much like 2012-13, Kootenay seems to have slim odds of making the playoffs this year. Their far and away best player from last season, Buffalo Sabres prized pick Sam Reinhart, isn’t expected to return to junior for his 19-year-old season. The departure of Reinhart ultimately leaves the team with Blues prospect Jaedon Descheneau, 77-point man Luke Philip, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rinat Valiev and a handful of question marks. It doesn’t seem to be enough talent to crack the second season, but then again, this is Kootenay. Head coach Ryan McGill will squeeze everything he can out of this club.

Lethbridge Hurricanes – 2013-14 record: 12-55-2-3 for 29 points; division finish: last; result: missed the playoffs.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel in Lethbridge?

The Hurricanes’ 2013-14 season was an absolute gong show. They had more than a handful of players, including premier defenceman Ryan Pilon, ask for a trade and finished the year with only 12 wins. Not to mention, the team’s board meetings seemed to have a crazy family reunion atmosphere to them.

Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, their 2014-15 season picked up right where their previous year left off. Macoy Erkamps, the club’s leading defenceman last year, and Minnesota Wild prospect Reid Duke asked for trades before camp even started. But after some negotiating, or in other words telling him it may be a long time before a deal happens, Duke decided to return to Lethbridge for his 18-year-old season.

The hard truth is that the Hurricanes aren’t in the mix to make the playoffs. They, however, have the potential to double their win total from last year. Top 2012 bantam pick Giorgio Estephan showed promise last year and 16-year-old Jaeger White has impressed in pre-season action. The bottom line, though, is that unless the Hurricanes ban together and don’t have players asking for trades, it’s going to be another ugly year in Lethbridge.

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen. Image credit to NHL.com for above Jake Virtanen photo.