The NHL season is quick approaching for the remaining 30 groups, whereas Buffalo and New Jersey have already begun their campaigns abroad within the World Sequence in Czechia. This summer season noticed important adjustments throughout the divisions, with a number of prime gamers discovering new groups.
At the beginning of a brand new season, hope is all the time excessive. The elite groups set their sights on successful the Stanley Cup, whereas these in a rebuilding part intention to stay aggressive and present enchancment. Nonetheless, as a lot as each staff aspires to win, just one will declare the last word prize.
As in earlier years, NHLRumors.com will preview the Japanese and Western Conferences, offering rankings for groups in every of the 4 divisions. Let’s kick off the brand new season by diving into the Atlantic Division.
NHL Atlantic Division Rankings
1. Florida Panthers (Final 12 months completed First)
The defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers will end first within the NHL Atlantic Division as they did a season in the past. Even with the losses of Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz, and Ryan Lomberg, the Panthers are nonetheless a deep staff that may go all the best way once more.
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GM Invoice Zito added Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt to the combo. As well as, he saved Dmitry Kulikov on protection. Upfront, he added Tomas Nosek to go along with Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Bennett. Oh yeah, Anton Lundell has a brand new contract extension.
The Panthers are loaded, they usually nonetheless have Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes. There’s a purpose why the Panthers are a favourite to win the Stanley Cup once more this season. It’s a troublesome process, however the Panthers know it’s about this 12 months, and final 12 months is prior to now.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs (Final 12 months completed Third)
One of many extra improved groups within the NHL Atlantic Division is the Toronto Maple Leafs, particularly on protection. The Maple Leafs added Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chris Tanev, and Jani Hakanpää. Plus, they signed Anthony Stolarz to go along with Joseph Woll.
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To not point out, administration determined that Craig Berube was the reply to be the top coach and get this core over the hump. This might be the final 12 months of the core with Mitch Marner and John Tavares free brokers on the finish of the 12 months. It’s a new period with Auston Matthews because the Leafs captain. William Nylander is trying to take the following step.
Nonetheless, the query stays: Can this staff win within the playoffs? Are they deep sufficient and bodily sufficient to attain sufficient objectives to win? The goalies and defence haven’t been their concern within the playoffs; it’s goal-scoring. The Maple Leafs are hoping that Berube can get everybody to purchase into the system they play.
This staff will not be proper there. However they should present extra hearth to win when it issues. We are saying it yearly: adjustments are coming if this staff fails within the playoffs. Let’s see what occurs this 12 months because the Maple Leafs are working it again once more.
3. Boston Bruins (Final 12 months completed Second)
That is the place issues can get difficult within the NHL Atlantic Division. The Boston Bruins are nonetheless a great staff. You’ll be able to by no means rely them out. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman lastly agreed to a contract and will likely be their primary goalie when prepared.
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Joonas Korpisalo is the backup, with Linus Ullmark now with the Ottawa Senators. Boston has a great goalie coach in Bob Essena, who has labored wonders for goalies prior to now. Boston addressed areas of want with the signings of Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. With Swayman, the Bruins are a top-three staff within the division.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning (Final 12 months completed Fourth)
One other staff that has quite a lot of intrigue round within the NHL Atlantic Division is the Tampa Bay Lightning. GM Julien BriseBois made a selection. He selected Jake Guentzel over Steven Stamkos. BriseBois additionally introduced again Ryan McDonagh and despatched Mikhail Sergachev to Utah.
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So, this staff is completely different. Victor Hedman is the brand new captain. Sure, they nonetheless have a great first line of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Level, and Guentzel, however what else have they got offensively? Brandon Hagel is first rate. Cam Atkinson will not be the participant he was once.
BriseBois made a few questionable choices through the years. The primary was the Tanner Jeannot commerce. He bought out of that. If the Lightning don’t have comparable success, you possibly can level to the Stamkos saga as one other mistake. Whereas Andrei Vasilevskiy remains to be there, McDonagh is older and the protection corps took a success with no Sergachev.
Tampa Bay will likely be a bubble staff once more this season.
5. Detroit Crimson Wings (Final 12 months completed Fifth)
If Tampa Bay doesn’t end fourth, the Detroit Crimson Wings can and will get into the playoffs this season. They need to, anyway. GM Steve Yzerman has put collectively a staff that resembles a few of these Crimson Wings groups from the mid to late Nineties.
Do the Detroit Crimson Wings Must Make the Playoffs This Season?
The younger children Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider bought new extensions. Patrick Kane is again, Vladimir Tarasenko signed a brand new two-year deal. Alex DeBrincat is wholesome, Dylan Larkin is wholesome, they usually have a pleasant complement of items with J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp, Tyler Motte, and others.
This staff is sweet defensively with the addition of Erik Gustafsson. The query is whether or not they can get a save from Ville Husso, Alex Lyon, and Cam Talbot. Goaltending has been performed on this staff for the final couple of seasons. Detroit was in final 12 months however missed out due to tiebreakers.
Is that this the 12 months they get in? There’s potential there, for certain. It feels prefer it. Let’s see if they will make a save or two.
6. Ottawa Senators (Final 12 months completed Seventh)
One other staff that many individuals anticipate to do one thing this 12 months is the Ottawa Senators. Now, the hype has cooled off from the final two seasons. The Senators have been disappointing. They’re hoping they solved their goalie points with Linus Ullmark.
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Ullmark has seemed good within the preseason. The important thing for the Senators is getting off to a great begin. The Senators added Nick Jensen from the Capitals for Jakob Chychrun to bolster the protection. As well as, David Perron joins the Senators offense, led by Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, and Claude Giroux.
The Senators want to attain objectives this season and get off to a quick begin. October and November have been depressing for them the final two seasons, hurting their playoff possibilities. Hopefully, Travis Inexperienced can get his staff to play higher defensively. Having a full season of Shane Pinto will assist.
It is a robust division. Ottawa will likely be improved, however will or not it’s sufficient for the playoffs?
7. Montreal Canadiens Final 12 months completed Eighth)
The Montreal Canadiens might be sixth or might be eighth once more. All of it is dependent upon how issues click on this season. That is the 12 months they’re speculated to take the following step of their rebuild. Regardless of what administration says, Montreal desires to play significant video games in March and April. It will be an enormous disappointment in the event that they didn’t.
The Highlight of Montreal Will Assist Patrik Laine Thrive with the Canadiens
The addition of Patrik Laine was going to assist that trigger. Laine will likely be out for a few months with a left knee damage suffered within the preseason. He would have helped the Canadiens’ objective totals this season. Nonetheless, it’s the subsequent man up for Montreal as they proceed to be a household that gamers wish to be round.
One other 12 months of Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, Alex Newhook, and Kaiden Guhle has made them battle-tested. If Kirby Dach stays wholesome, he might be an X-factor for the Canadiens. On the backend, Lane Hutson will likely be with the staff and will make an even bigger affect than some might imagine. Control Montreal.
8. Buffalo Sabres (Final 12 months completed Sixth)
Sadly, the Buffalo Sabres will likely be close to the underside of the Atlantic Division once more. Buffalo didn’t do a lot within the low season apart from extending Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, signing Jason Zucker, and making the head-scratching determination to commerce Matthew Savoie.
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In addition they introduced again Lindy Ruff as the top coach. That is his second stint with the Sabres, and he appears to be like to finish the playoff drought. Keep in mind the final time the Sabres made the playoffs, when Lindy Ruff was the top coach? Buffalo is caught on this infinite rebuild. They’d all this expertise come and go and couldn’t make the playoffs.
Now the Sabres are loaded on protection with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Energy, Bowen Byram, and Mattias Samuelsson. To not point out, upfront, they’ve J.J. Peterka, Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Jordan Greenway. They want to determine a technique to rating objectives.
Will probably be one other robust 12 months in Buffalo. This might be 14 years with out making the playoffs.