Atlantic Division Preview

We continue our breakdown of each division in the NHL, team by team. Today we examine the Atlantic Division. Of any division, this one gives commentators the most to talk about. We expect a lot of change from last season's standings. The guard is changing in the Atlantic. Teams like Boston and Montreal can no longer just idle their way to a playoff spot. They are now chasing the younger faster teams ahead of them.

8. Detroit Red Wings

After 25 years of playoff success, the Detroit Red Wings have finally hit their bottom. It was bound to happen. Players like Lidstrom, Yzerman, Datsyuk and Fedorov are not walking back into their locker room. This team is desperate for a rebuild. In order to rebuild you have to find young talent in the draft and groom them to be successful. Also, for the Red Wings they need to find their way out of some of their bad contracts. Niklas Kronwall is making $4.75 million at 36. Mike Green is an above average defensemen making $6 million this year. Justin Abdelkader is making $4.25 million per year for the next six years and he is little more than a good third line winger. Also they are paying two goalies over $4 million this season. If you have two starting goalies, that really means you have none. The future is bright with players like Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha still on their rookie contracts, but it will be a long road for Detroit to get back to the playoffs.

7. Florida Panthers

I am not sure what to make of the Panthers roster. I love the top half of their lineup. Ekblad and Yandle are both great defensemen. It is hard to believe Aaron Ekblad is still only 21 years old, he looks like a grizzled veteran. With Huberdeau, Trochek and Barkov leading the way offensively they have some quality forwards, but no star offensive power. They also brought Evgeni Dadonov back from the KHL to try and supplement the offense. I am not sure how much it will help. In 55 games previously played in the NHL, Dadonov only scored 10 goals. I also am not a fan of this team's depth. The back half of their lineup is a hodgepodge of career underachievers or completely unproven youngsters. The Panthers on paper do not appear to be in a position to make the playoffs, but they have enough talent to surprise a few teams.



6. Buffalo Sabres

I so badly wanted to move the Sabres higher on this list. They offer a ton of proven veteran talent and some great young stars. However, they just have not shown us anything yet. Most people forget they finished in last place in this division last year. Even with Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo, Evander Kane and Matt Moulson as the veteran offensive leaders, they still just do not gel. They need the young stars to finally prove themselves. Jack Eichel needs to be more than a 20 goal scorer. Sam Reinhart needs to score more than 50 points in a season. Until we see these two things happen, the Sabres will not be a playoff team. As far as defense goes, I kind of like what they have. Bogosian, Scandella and Gorges are all strong veteran top-four blue liners. They also have Rasmus Ristolainen who is primed to be one the next elite NHL defensemen from Europe. My last hesitation with this team is in net. They do not have their franchise goaltender or at least someone they can have faith in come big games. Robin Lehner is a decent NHL goalie, nothing more. He is what I would call a bridge goalie. The type of goalie you use as a starter while you're developing your future starter. Until the Sabres find their guy in net, I cannot pick them to make the playoffs.

5. Boston Bruins

This team feels like it got old very fast. It was only a couple years ago that they were in the Stanley Cup finals. They did accomplish their most important goal of the off-season, resigning David Pastrnak. The Bruins are betting their future on Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy taking up the mantle from Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. With Kreci, Bergeron, Backes and Marchand the Bruins have a great group of veteran forwards that can all play two-way hockey. Tuuka Rask is still a very solid goaltender. If you are just looking at the high end of the roster, this team could be seen as troublesome for the best teams in the Eastern Conference. However, I would not rush to put them in the playoffs. The defensive core for the Bruins is very poor. Chara is now 40 years old and little more than a lamp post on the ice. Torey Krug as not improved, as he continues to only provide value when the puck is on his stick. Unless McAvoy makes great strides this year, the Bruins may have the worst defensive group in the NHL.

4. Montreal Canadiens

Where is the goal scoring? Outside of Max Pacioretty is there anyone on this roster that is a threat to score 30 goals? I do not see it. Galchenyuk, Plekanec and Drouin are all playmakers. The only finisher on this team is Pacioretty. Unless they can add a scorer via trade, I have low hopes for the Canadiens in 2017-18. That said, I really like what this team has defensively. Shea Weber is still one of the best and most feared blue liners in the NHL. Karl Alzner was another good free agent addition to this team. This is a big physical team. They plan to intimidate their way to victory. Maybe the Habs hope is the same as it is every season. That having the best goalie in the league will get them over the hump and make-up for a lack of scoring. Carey Price is still the best netminder in the game. If there is any goalie that can sustain this team only scoring two goals a night, it's him.

3. Ottawa Senators

The Senators shocked everyone last season when they came within an overtime goal of being in the Stanley Cup finals. I love they way this team is built. They are big, strong, fast and skilled. They really do check all of the boxes. Starting on offense, they are so well balanced. Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris and Mike Hoffman are all supremely skilled and can score with anyone. Mark Stone and Derrick Brassard are perfect second line players. Their depth players like JG Pageau, Clarke MacArthur and Alex Burrows give them skill right through their lineup. On defense they just happen to have the best defensemen in the league, Erik Karlsson. Add in Dion Phaneuf, Cody Ceci and Johnny Oduya you have a more than adequate top four. I also like Craig Anderson in goal. With Guy Boucher as coach, you never need a great goalie because his style is all about trapping and blocking shots. At 36, Anderson is still a very good goalie, but does not have to steal games for them. My only knock on the Senators has nothing to do with them, it is how supremely talented the two teams ahead of them are.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs are everyone's Cinderella this year. The whole hockey world is dying for a Toronto vs. Edmonton cup final at some point in the near future. I am not sold this is the year, but the Leafs are in a great position to have this be their year. This is the last season where Matthews, Marner and Nylander are all still on their rookie contracts together. This young team gained valuable playoff experience last season, when they snuck into the playoffs ahead of the Lightning. So there will be no surprises for them when they get there. They're not great defensively and in net, but they are good. Morgan Reilly and Jake Gardiner are both good puck moving defensemen. The addition of Ron Hainsey gives them veteran presence and he is a defending Stanley Cup champion. However, maybe the most impressive thing about this team is their veteran forwards. Nazem Kadri, James Van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov and Tyler Bozak make this team very difficult to match up with. They can truly roll lines with the best of them. To sweeten the pot even more, they added Patrick Marleau in the offseason to give them another first line threat. I am not picking the Leafs to win the Stanley Cup this season, but a deep playoff run is definitely in the cards.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

It is hard for me to remember a team that missed the playoffs the prior season, so unanimously picked to win their division the next. However, that is where we are with Tampa Bay. To be fair, the season prior they were in the Eastern Conference finals and it was injuries that prevented their playoff return last season. The Lightning are now healthy and all their young players that got to the conference finals in the past have entered the prime of their careers. Steve Yzerman has done a masterful job with the Tampa Bay Lightning. It helps when you are gifted Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman in the draft lottery. Beyond those two guys, this is still a great team. On defense Coburn, Stralman, Suster and Girardi round out a very well balanced group of defensive pairings. Andrei Vasilevsky has another year of experience under his belt and is still only 23. So they are fine in net. The most impressive part of this team is their forwards. We already know how special Stamkos is and what his health means to their success. Beyond him you have other great veterans to sprinkle in like Ryan Callahan, Chris Kunitz and Alex Killorn. However, what truly separates the Lightning from the rest of their division is the breakthrough of players like Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. I do not think any team in this division can match Tampa Bay's roster top to bottom. As long as the Lightning stay healthy, they should win the Atlantic Division.