In predicted order of finish:

Sioux City

Tri-City

Lincoln

Omaha

Sioux Falls

Waterloo

Fargo

Des Moines

The West will be interesting to watch this year. There’s some normal powers in a rebuild, some teams that look greatly improved, and some new coaches that could make a huge impact.

One thing that seems clear is Sioux City will be good. With a lot of returners on goal, including starting goalie Samuel Urban, the roster looks loaded.

Add in the Muskies returning to their physical style / 11 fights over two preseason games - and this looks like a classic Sioux City team.

Tri-City is picked closer to the middle of the pack by many, but they should challenge Sioux City for the division title.

16-year-old tender Ilya Morozov should electrify from day one. Born in Moscow, he comes from the hyper-competitive Greater Toronto Hockey League, where he led all U16 midget players in scoring last season. He has already committed to Miami for 2026-27.

Also look for a big year from Artemi Nizamayev. The Storm should be electrifying to watch this year.

From here, it gets murky. It is very conceivable to see the next three finish in any order. Lincoln seems to have the size and grit to go with veteran experience Blake Montgomery should have another huge year, while Matt Maltais epitomizes tradional intense hockey work ethic.

Omaha will be an interesting club to watch. New Coach Lennie Childs seems to have his squad on the same wavelength, and the preseason has impressed.

Nick Sykora seems primed for a big year, along with Nick Sykora and Sam Sheetz. Hunter Ramos, who came over in a trade from Youngstown, has been outstanding in preseason.

The defense has impressive size, and Mikhail Yegorov/Kam Hendrickson provide a great 1-2 option between the pipes.

Sioux Falls enters the season in a unique position with almost all players having scholarships in place or having been drafted by the NHL. On paper, this team could easily move up a few spots.

The sole concern might be staying motivated if the team hits a slump, with most players having their future plans tied down. This is hard to pick the Herd this low - it would not be a surprise if they end up contending in the very tight West.

Waterloo is also hard to pick at sixth, especially with starting goalie Calvin Vachon returning. Once again, this is another team that could easily move up a few spots.

Fargo missing the playoffs seems unconceivable, but with just eight returnees, this is a young team. The Force have a solid reputation, if they start decent and make some moves to contend again, this prediction won’t age well. Either way, the future is still bright in Fargo.

Des Moines has faced issues such as a last minute arena change, and the key right is just maintaining momentum and getting fans to know the road to West Des Moines. It’s a rebuilding year in Central Iowa - but at least short term, the arena issue has worked out And that’s the key thing.