Predicting The Atlantic Division: Where Will The Toronto Maple Leafs Finish?

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Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Well, the start of the NHL regular season is just a month away. The long period without hockey is almost over.

Of course, fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs want the team to do well. However, there are seven other teams in the Atlantic Division that all have the same goal: Winning the division title.

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Sure, there are a few teams who’s chances are better than other teams chances and there’s a team or two that don’t that much of a chance at all.

Last season, the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings all made the playoffs. This year, the Leafs, the Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres look to usurp them.

So how will the NHL’s Atlantic Division end up this season? Here is Editor in Leaf’s predictions for the Atlantic Division, starting with last place, the…

Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

8. Ottawa Senators

Departures: Jason Spezza, Ales Hemsky

Arrivals: David Legwand, Alex Chiasson, Alex Guptill

Spezza and Hemsky.

That’s two big offensive pieces that the Senators had last season now on the roster of the Dallas Stars. All the Sens have to show for from Dallas in the Spezza trade was Chiasson, two prospects and a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Ottawa did bring in Legwand to replace Spezza at the center position, but he is a long step away from the offensive contributions of Spezza. Chiasson should fit in well on the second line, but he is still young. Erik Karlsson remains as the only player keeping Ottawa afloat.

Craig Anderson isn’t the same goaltender he was a couple seasons ago and Robin Lehner is still somewhat of a mystery. This all makes for a more a long season in Kanata.

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

7. Buffalo Sabres

Departures: Christian Ehrhoff, Cory Conacher, Ville Leino, Alexander Sulzer, John Scott

Arrivals: Sam Reinhart, Matt Moulson, Brian Gionta, Cody McCormick, Zac Dalpe, Josh Gorges, Andrej Meszaros, Tyson Strachan

Well, you can’t say the Sabres aren’t trying. After a horrible 2013-14 season, Buffalo is looking to rebound hopefully not finish last in the league. What sucked for the Sabres is that they lost out on the first overall pick after losing it to the Florida Panthers in the Lottery, although they did get a very good player in Reinhart at No. 2.

Gone are huge contracts belonging to Ehrhoff and Leino. In are a bunch of veterans that Buffalo hopes to guide it’s young players back to the playoffs eventually.

The Sabres won’t be as bad as they were last year. That doesn’t mean they will finish much better in the Atlantic.

Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

6. Detroit Red Wings

Departures: David Legwand, Cory Emmerton, Daniel Alfredsson (maybe)

Arrivals: None

Is this the year the Red Wings finally miss the playoffs? In a short answer, yes.

In a division that has seen a fair bit of change with all the teams, most of it for the better, the Detroit Red Wings did pretty much, hmm, whats the word? Oh, yeah… nothing.

Alfredsson remains a wild card, still undecided on whether or not he will play again this season. That decision has to be coming soon. If he does, it will only be with the Red Wings. However if he doesn’t return, that improves the chances of Anthony Mantha making the team.

The Red Wings’ old guard are slowly fading, however Detroit has more than few prospects that will bring them back to the playoffs before long. Just not this year.

Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

5. Montreal Canadiens

Departures: Thomas Vanek, Josh Gorges, Brian Gionta, Daniel Briere, Devan Dubnyk

Arrivals: PA Parenteau, Manny Malholtra, Jiri Sekac, Tom Gilbert

Let’s see. The Habs make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and in the following off-season, they demolish a good portion of their core. How does that make sense?

Vanek was going to leave for sure, so they can’t be blamed for that. However, they let their captain sign with a division rival in Buffalo and traded their second-best defenseman to the same team. Yes, I do realize the trade was made before Gionta signed. That is two players that know how to beat Carey Price by watching in practice and how the Habs work. That could end up biting Montreal in the behind.

Yes, Price is still there. P.K. Subban is still there. Max Pacioretty is still there. Is that enough? Probably not. The Habs will need their young players like Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Jarred Tinordi to really step it up.

The Habs will be really lucky if they can make the playoffs this year.

Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

4. Florida Panthers

Departures: Tom Gilbert, Scott Clemmensen

Arrivals: Jussi Jokinen, Dave Bolland, Derek MacKenzie, Shawn Thornton, Aaron Ekblad, Willie Mitchell, Greg Zanon, Al Montoya

The Panthers will be the most improved team in the NHL by far. Having Roberto Luongo for a full season will do wonders for the team. Ekblad should have a great start to his career. Playing in a non-hockey market should actually help him avoid the pressure that usually comes with being a first overall pick.

To go with all the youngsters they have, the Panthers brought in quality veterans like Jokinen, Bolland, Thornton and Mitchell. All but Jokinen have won the Stanley Cup. That experience should help Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjustad and other Florida youngsters develop at a faster pace.

Florida’s playoff chances will more than likely fall on how strong the Metropolitan Division is this season and if their fourth and fifth-place teams are better than the fourth and fifth-placed teams in the Atlantic.

Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Departures: Dave Bolland, Carl Gunnarsson, Nikolai Kulemin, Tim Gleason, Jay McClement, Mason Raymond

Arrivals: Leo Komarov, Matt Frattin, Mike Santorelli, Petri Kontiola, Daniel Winnik, Stephane Robidas, Roman Polak

Now, I know you might say I’m being a homer with the prediction of a third place for the Leafs. However, there is a reason for it. I see two things in the Leafs that some of the other teams might not have: balance and a few players that are highly motivated.

The Leafs are attempting to mimic what the most successful NHL teams do and that is to have a fourth line that actually plays the game, more specifically a balanced lineup. With the additions the Leafs made this off-season, that balance should be there.

The second point of course is motivation. We all remember what Mason Raymond did with the Leafs after joining the Leafs in training camp on a try-out basis. This year, the Leafs have Kontiola, Booth and Santorelli on one-year deals. We know they will be motivated to earn longer-term deals with their next contract, be it with the Leafs or another team.

However, there might not be a more motivated player than David Clarkson. He’ll want to show that last year was merely a fluke and not the new norm for what he’ll be in Toronto.

That balance, motivation, along with what should be an improved defense and Jonathan Bernier in net, the Leafs will return to the playoffs this season.

Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

2. Boston Bruins

Departures: Jarome Iginla, Andrej Meszaros, Shawn Thornton, Chad Johnson

Arrivals: None

The Bruins are yet another team in the Atlantic Division who haven’t added anything to their lineup in the off-season other than their draft picks. Although, they were handicapped by the salary cap situation, so it’s understandable.

The Bruins will still be a tough team to beat this season, but expect to see a slightly faster-paced Bruins team this season with even more reliance being placed on their younger players. That being said, it will still be a playoff team playing at the TD Garden.

One problem that Boston still has to solve is that they still need to find a way to re-sign restricted free agents Reilly Smith and Torey Krug. A even harder task since they are currently over the salary cap. Another concern is that David Krejci is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Should be an interesting season in Boston.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Departures: Teddy Purcell, Nate Thompson, Mike Kostka, B.J. Crombeen, Anders Lindback, Keith Aulie

Arrivals: Brenden Morrow, Brian Boyle, Jerome Samson, Mike Blunden, Jason Garrison, Anton Stralman, Evgeni Nabakov

The Atlantic Division will have a new king this season. In his first full season as captain of the Lightning, Steven Stamkos will lead Tampa Bay to a Division Title. Really? Who’s going to stop them?

The Lightning made the playoffs last season with Stamkos on the shelf for most of it. Now, barring any other freak injuries, he should be back for a full season. They added depth to the bottom-six with Morrow and Boyle.

The defense should be much better with the additions of Garrison and Stralman. Add to that a healthy Ben Bishop with a veteran backup in Nabokov and the Lightning look like a powerhouse.

Oh and did I mention they will also have sure-to-be Calder Trophy candidate Jonathan Drouin as well? Yeah, this will be a tough team to beat.

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