Atlantic Division Standings Prediction
- Florida Panthers
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Boston Bruins
- Montreal Canadiens
- Ottawa Senators
- Detroit Red Wings
- Buffalo Sabres
It’s not surprising to see the Buffalo Sabres at the bottom of the division. They finished at the bottom of the league last year and after dumping their top end talent it looks like they’ll be even worse than last year. I’m predicting they’ll be “one of the worst seasons in NHL history” bad.
The Detroit Red Wings are progressing, but not enough to compete for a playoff spot yet. They may get pounded in this tough division, but who knows what Steve Yzerman will have up his sleeve as we make our way through the season.
I took the safe bet with the Ottawa Senators placing them in sixth place. They have a lot of good young talent though and if a few of them start clicking, they could place higher. They’re still rebuilding, but they may be farther along than any other rebuilding team in the league.
The Montreal Canadiens had a tough time making the playoffs last season, and I think they’ll have trouble again this season. They could still make the playoffs with a fifth place finish in the division if the Atlantic Division can get both wild cards.
For years, the Boston Bruins have been one of those teams that doesn’t care too much about regular season standings as long as they make the playoffs. They’re still a gritty two-way team that’s built for the playoffs and could make waves in the post-season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have lost more key roster players without replacements than any other team in the division. They still have a great core though with Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy. They’ll be down but not out.
The Toronto Maple Leafs should come back hungry this season after so much playoff disappointment. More stability in goal should help them progress through the season much easier, but for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, it’s the playoffs that count.
Though I’m cheering on the Toronto Maple Leafs, I believe the Florida Panthers have the best chance at winning the Atlantic Division title this season. They had a great run last season putting up more wins and more points than any other team that will be in this reformed Atlantic Division and all they’ve done this offseason is improve.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching last season’s North Division with the all-Canadian rivalries that developed, but it will also be nice to see these Atlantic Division rivalries renewed. I also enjoyed watching the Toronto Maple Leafs win the North Division regular season title, and I hope they have even more success this season.