A year removed from another Edina triumph in downtown St. Paul, this year's Class 2A boys high school hockey race for supremacy seems devoid of a Hornet-sized shadow.

Instead, another Lake Conference program, Eden Prairie, is considered to be tops in the west metro, boasting a talented roster with much of the lineup battle-tested from last year's run to the state championship game. 

However, maybe more quietly than Eden Prairie, Benilde-St. Margaret's is also crafting a roster laden with productive skaters. In this article, Tony and Peter each take a side. Tony makes his case for Eden Prairie to be the preseason No. 1, while Peter takes up the mantle for the Red Knights. 

A similar case could be made for both of these teams, but where's the fun in that? 

Andover 

Despite losing leading scorers Charlie Schoen and Nick Dainty, plus starting goaltender Ben Fritsinger, the Huskies are ready to make the big stage with a strong crop if players that has produced throughout their youth and high school careers. Returning for the Huskies are 20-point totalers Luke Kron, Minnesota-Duluth verbal commit Wyatt Kaiser, Gunnar Thoreson, Eric Chartier, Hunter Jones, and Harrison VanderMey.  

Moorhead

Always a quality team, the Spuds lose a chunk of production to graduation but retain a talented junior class and last year's sparkling goaltender in Hudson Hodges. A handful of players in this group played for the Bantam AA state title in 2016.

Rosemount

Like Moorhead, the Irish suffer losses in their lineup, but have a class just behind the departed seniors that could take the next step in development. Starting goaltender Will Tollefson is back, as are five of the team's top six scorers from last season, including high-flying defenders Jake Ratzlaff, Mason Wheeler, and Mason Campbell.