The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams that make the Atlantic Division so competitive. Sharing a division with the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers and division heavyweights like the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning makes it a tough division to compete in.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have finished within the top three teams of the Atlantic Division for three consecutive seasons.
As they try to remain at or near the top of the division, teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres are inching closer to joining the battle for divisional playoff spots.
Having a few star players is important, but teams need scoring from their younger players as well. In the salary cap era, the players on entry level contracts (ELC) need to produce.
Even though they may not be in the mix for a playoff spot yet, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators have some talented young players. Both teams have been filling their prospect pools over the past few seasons.
Some of those prospects are looking to achieve more this season.
Within the Atlantic Division, there are many good young players who are looking to have a breakout season.
Depending on the team, some of them will have bigger roles than others, but each of them is on the cusp of taking that next step. Here is a look at which young players from each team in the Atlantic Division could have a breakout season.