Power Ranking the Atlantic Division Amid Crazy Offseason
By Charles Nason
The rankings for the Atlantic Division won't change too much from what we saw last season. Although a few teams had significantly better offseasons than others, the elite of the division will likely remain the same. The Atlantic only sent three teams to the postseason last year, but that is one defining factor that will undoubtedly change in 2019.
8. Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators have had a pretty uneventful offseason outside of trading for Nikita Zaitsev, so don't expect much improvement in their division standing next year. Although they maintained some key pieces like Bobby Ryan and Brady Tkachuk, they haven't really done anything to elevate their roster. In a division with some of the league's best, the Senators are likely going to finish last in the Atlantic once again.
7. Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings missed out on the postseason last year for the third consecutive season. They are stacked with young, talented forwards, but are lacking in almost every other positional category. If they can get more productivity out of guys like Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, they could have a shot at competing in the division, but not enough to earn them a top-three or wild card spot.
6. Montreal Canadiens
The Habs barely missed out on a playoff spot last year, and haven't added much in the way of new talent aside from drafting Cole Caufield and signing Keith Kinkaid. Although you can applaud them for their attempt to land Hurricanes' young star Sebastian Aho, they spent most of the time and resources on that maneuver. Expect them to finish in the middle of the pack next season.
5. Buffalo Sabres
It's always a toss up for where the Buffalo Sabres will finish. They haven't tasted the postseason since the 2010-2011 season, and haven't even come close since then. They were able to make a trade to land Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers and sign Marcus Johansson, but aside from that they haven't done anything too exciting. If Jack Eichel can live up to the hype and become a top forward in the league, they could have a better shot at actually competing in the Atlantic.
4. Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are coming off a devastating loss in the Stanley Cup Finals. Like many other teams in the Atlantic, the offseason has been rather uneventful for the Bruins as well. They still have their solid core of forwards and defensemen, along with Tuukka Rask in net, but haven't done much to add to that. Although their lineup remains mostly the same, they'll still likely reach the postseason in either the third spot in the Atlantic or a wild card spot.
3. Florida Panthers
Florida, with their incredible group of young and talented forwards and defensemen, have had a great offseason. They managed to land a top-five goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky which fulfills the one position they had a serious vacancy in. It's been four years since the Panthers last stood atop the Atlantic Division, and the 2019-2020 season is their best chance to do so in quite some time.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
What general manager Kyle Dubas has done with the Maple Leafs is nothing short of incredible. He was able to dump Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche and got Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot in return. If they can manage to lock up Mitch Marner, the Leafs could very well take the Atlantic Division title. Although they've struggled in the postseason in recent years, they'll likely get another chance for a fourth consecutive season.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
It's highly unlikely that the Lightning will come close to replicating the historical season they had last year. However, with some of the league's top players at each position, they're still going to finish right at the top of the Atlantic. If they can manage to dominate divisional play like they did last year, they're going to find themselves in one of the top two spots when the playoffs come back around.