The 2014 NHL Costless Agency spree has begun. Now that the first few days have passed, the dust has started to settle, revealing a drastic change in the Western Conference. While a few clubs hardly tested the waters of the costless agency pool, others headed straight to the deep end, paying big money to some Unrestricted Costless Agents (UFA’s), as well as locking up their own Restricted Costless Agents (RFA’s). As we creep in to Day 2 of the costless agency period, lets take a look at how the teams of the  Central Division attempted to bolster their roster for the 2014-15 season:

Chicago: The Hawks added yet another weapon up front with the signing of former New York Rangers Brad Richards. Richards, 34, comes to a Chicago lineup that’s already loaded up front with offensive talent. The big question with this signing: which Brad Richards will show up in the Windy City? The former Conn Smythe winner has seen his numbers dip in the previous years. By signing Richards to just a one year deal, GM Stan Bowman is not taking much of a gamble on the centerman. One has to think that when inserted in to this lineup, Richards could see his offensive contributions on the upswing.

Colorado: The young Avs impressed many last season under the guidance of first-year coach Patrick Roy. They may not be surprising their opposition much this season, especially with the addition of Jerome Iginla. The veteran winger proved last season that he still has some left in the tank, racking up 61 points in 78 games with Boston. The safe bet is on Iggy putting up similar numbers in Denver this season. Surrounded by the likes of Gabriel Landeskog and reigning rookie of the year Nathan Mackinnon, things are looking good for Jerome in the Rockies- which could mean big things for  Roy’s squad this season.

Dallas: Although it is still early, it could be fair to say that the Stars are the big winners of this year’s Costless Agency. After trading for all-star center Jason Spezza, Stars GM Jim Nill went on to sign wingers Ales Hemsky and Patrick Eaves, as well as goaltender Anders Lindback. By landing Spezza and former linemate Hemsky, Dallas solidified a second line behind the Tyler Seguin-Jamie Benn duo. These four players alone make Dallas’ top two offensive lines some of the best in the west-if not the league. The big concern here, however, is Spezza’s durability. Spezza has had his issues with staying healthy over the years. The former Ottawa Senator has never been confused for an overly-physical player (although at 6’3, 220 lbs., he does have the size to play such a game), and moving to the rougher Western Conference may result in Spezza missing some time. If Spezza can stay healthy and continue to play well along side Ales Hemsky, the Stars may have what it takes to move beyond the first round of playoffs in 2015.

Minnesota: The Wild seemed adamant on signing Austrian costless agent Thomas Vanek for some time, and that’s exactly what GM Chuck Fletcher did. Vanek must have been an easy sell, considering the former University of Minnesota Golden Gopher’s wife is a native of the Twin Cities area. Vanek was one of the prized UFA’s this offseason because of his seemingly natural scoring ability. His production seemed to tail off a bit toward the end of Montreal’s playoff run this spring, but this change of scenery should be good for Vanek. Minnesota is happy to begin the Vanek era, and Vanek is happy to be a part of the Wild. A happy Vanek should be a productive Vanek, which will make for happy Wild fans.

Nashville: After missing out on the Spezza sweepstakes (Spezza refused a trade to the Music City, thus the deal was stymied), GM David Poile came to terms with Finnish forward Olli Jokinen. The aging Jokinen had a solid campaign in Winnipeg last season, putting up 43 points in 82 games. Jokinen will be looked to for more offense on a team that struggled to score last season.  Beyond the Jokinen deal, the Preds have been quiet so far this summer. But don’t count them out just yet. Poile is consistently one of the top General Managers in this league, and there is reason to believe he is not done shopping yet for the 2015 season. Keep an eye on Nashville, they may be opeing their checkbook a few more times before we drop the puck on the upcoming season.

St. Louis: The Blues were another team that had their heart set on a certain costless agent, and thanks to the work of GM Doug Armstrong, center Paul Stastny is now singing with the blues. The longtime Colorado Avalanche forward joins an already potent lineup which includes the likes of TJ Oshie, Alex Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko. It’s a bit of a homecoming for Stastny, who is a St. Louis native. With Stastny and David Backes as the top two centers in St. Louis, this homecoming may mean big things under the Gateway Arch.

Winnipeg: The Jets may be one of teams in the west that needed to add the most help this offseason. Well, so far the Jets have been somewhat grounded in the costless agency spree. The only signing has come in the form of forward Mathieu Perreault. The former Duck set career highs in goals and assists last season, but that was with a more talented Anaheim roster. Hopefully Perreault will not be called upon to shoulder the offensive load for the Jets, as he may not be the guy that can carry a team offensively. With seemingly endless rumors about player movement in Manitoba, there is reason to believe the Jets are not done adding to their roster.

Of the teams in the Central, Dallas has done the most to propel themselves to the top of the division standings. Spezza and Hemsky should provide the Stars with enough offensive depth to gain some ground on their divisional foes. Should the duo stay healthy, this team will be a tough team to play against in the west. Dallas is easily the ‘winner’ in the Central after the initial signing period. The Jets, however, have some work to do. If they want to compete in this tough division, they need to do whatever they can do attract some costless agents north of the border. Until that happens, Winnipeg is the ‘loser’ of this division, signing-wise. But fear not, Jets fans, we still have a lot of time before that first puck is dropped this fall.