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NHL season-preview capsules: Atlantic Division

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NHL: Stanley Cup Final-Edmonton Oilers at Florida PanthersJun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
BOSTON BRUINS

Head coach: Jim Montgomery (third season)

Last season: 47-20-15, 109 points, second place in Atlantic Division

This season: The Bruins should be in the playoff mix led by forwards David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle and defensemen Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo.

What’s new: Boston landed a big fish, Elias Lindholm, via free agency, inking the center to a seven-year contract. The Bruins, who watched Jake DeBrusk leave via free agency, also added hulking defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Players to watch: The biggest question will be goalie Jeremy Swayman, whose contract stalemate kept him out of training camp and became acrimonious at times. The Bruins will rely heavily on goalie Joonas Korpisalo to man the pipes until Swayman is up to speed. As well, forward Fabian Lysell is being counted on to take a second-line role.

BUFFALO SABRES

Head coach: Lindy Ruff (first season of second stint with Buffalo)

Last season: 39-37-6, 84 points, sixth place in Atlantic Division

This season: Can the Sabres snap their NHL record for most seasons without reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs? They have fallen short in 13 consecutive campaigns.

What’s new: Ruff, the winningest coach in franchise history who guided the team last time they made the playoffs as recently as 2011 but was fired in 2013, will be tasked to get a young team to the next level.

Players to watch: Buffalo has an exciting offensive squad with the likes of forwards Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, plus a very good defense corps. The key will be for those players and goaltenders Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, James Reimer and youngster Devon Levi to keep pucks out of the net.

DETROIT RED WINGS

Head coach: Derek Lalonde (third season)

Last season: 41-32-9, 91 points, fifth place in Atlantic Division

This season: The Red Wings last season came so close to clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2015-16, losing out due to a tiebreaker. They have a shot of snapping that drought, but they must have plenty of pieces fall into place.

What’s new: After a huge changeover in the summer of 2023, the Red Wings were relatively quiet this summer. The key additions were two-time Stanley Cup champion forward Vladimir Tarasenko and goaltender Cam Talbot.

Players to watch: Do not be surprised if the Red Wings grab a wild-card playoff spot, thanks to a solid forward crew and youngsters in Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider breaking out, but the key will be the goaltending brigade and whether one of Talbot, Ville Husso or Alex Lyon can backstop them to success.

FLORIDA PANTHERS

Head coach: Paul Maurice (third season)

Last season: 52-24-6, 110 points, first place in Atlantic Division and Stanley Cup champions

This season: After claiming the first Cup in franchise history, the Panthers will experience life as the hunted squad. They also will do it without a bevy of players who departed via free agency, notably key defensemen Brandon Montour and Oliver-Ekman Larsson and forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan Lomberg.

Players to watch: We know what to expect from Florida’s forward group led by Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart and their goaltending duo of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. At question is the defense corps beyond Aaron Ekblad. Gustav Forsling played phenomenally during the playoffs, but slotting Niko Mikkola and Nate Schmidt as a second pairing raises questions.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Head coach: Martin St. Louis (fourth season)

Last season: 30-36-16, 76 points, eighth place in Atlantic Division

This season: The Canadiens are likely to finish well down the standings again, but expect them to take a step forward with their young group of forwards featuring Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Juraj Slafkovsky and key summer acquisition Patrik Laine, who sustained a knee sprain in the preseason and is expected to miss the first couple of months.

What’s new: Other than Laine? More young players are likely to step in as full-time NHLers, among them defenseman Lane Hutson and forward Joshua Roy.

Players to watch: Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau are not slam-dunk, star-of-the-future goalies, but they will be counted on to keep the Canadiens out of the bottom of the standings.

OTTAWA SENATORS

Head coach: Travis Green (first season)

Last season: 37-41-4, 78 points, seventh place in Atlantic Division

This season: After a dismal campaign in which there was constant issues, controversy and injury woes, the Senators have reset and believe they can push for a playoff spot.

What’s new: After goalie Joonas Korpisalo failed to turn Ottawa’s fortunes last season, his first upon being acquired in free agency, the Senators switched gears in a big way by trading him and a first-round draft pick to Boston for Linus Ullmark. It is unlikely Ullmark will be in the Vezina Trophy discussion as he was while in Boston, but he should stabilize the net.

Players to watch: In Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris and Shane Pinto, the Senators have a solid young nucleus of forwards, guided by veterans Claude Giroux and free agent acquisition David Perron. Key will be the defense, led by up-and-coming Jake Sanderson, and the team’s ability to keep pucks out of its net.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Head coach: Jon Cooper (13th season)

Last season: 45-29-8, 98 points, fourth place in Atlantic Division

This season: After all those great seasons, including a couple of Stanley Cup championships, the Lightning are slowly sliding down. They will be hard-pressed to keep a playoff spot.

What’s new: It is worth first noting the key departures: long-time captain and franchise face Steven Stamkos exited via free agency and key defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was traded to Utah. The Lightning will try to fill those holes with the likes of forwards Jake Guentzel and Cam Atkinson and blueliners Ryan McDonagh and J.J. Moser.

Players to watch: With forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, defenseman Victor Hedman and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning still have a shot at making the playoffs. But much will depend on contributions from Guentzel and Atkinson.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Head coach: Craig Berube (first season)

Last season: 46-26-10, 102 points, third place in Atlantic Division

This season: Toronto’s core-four star forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares have fallen short of claiming Toronto’s first Cup since 1967, and patience is running out. The Leafs are a playoff team, but the real test is what happens in the Cup chase.

What’s new: The summer’s focus was defense, and Toronto filled a couple of big needs by acquiring Chris Tanev and Oliver-Ekman Larsson. The Maple Leafs also added goalie Anthony Stolarz from the Cup-champion Panthers in the hopes of solidifying a puck-stopping crew that includes Joseph Woll and Matt Murray.

Players to watch: Marner is a pending unrestricted free agent after this season, and his contract status will be a huge story, especially if the Maple Leafs fail to make a playoff run.

–Field Level Media

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