We Hit Dingers: NHL Preview - Atlantic Division

Monday, September 19, 2016

I think that Tampa just has too much talent to not win the division this season. They finished just behind Florida for the division championship last year and they should have a healthier roster this season. Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson both missed significant time last year due to injuries and Jonathan Drouin had his issues last year, only appearing in 21 games. Drouin came alive during the playoffs and appears to have a spot on the top line locked down. His production alone, plus the absence of the Stamkos' contract distractions will help to push the Lightning to the top this season.

Last season, the Panthers won the division with a talented team and, at the core, were a group of young, highly-skilled, and still developing young players. Those players will take another step forward this season, and goaltender Roberto Luongo will no longer be asked to carry such a heavy workload now that James Reimer is there to spell him. The question for the Panthers will be on defense where the greatest turnover occurred. It remains to be seen how their additions will work with their existing roster. I think Florida is an excellent team who will go far in the playoffs this season. I just don't think they're as talented as Tampa Bay yet.

As much as I'd like to see the Habs struggle this season and for head coach Michel Terrien and GM Marc Bergevin lose their jobs, I think that the presence of goalie Carey Price will once again drag this roster to the playoffs. The top of their forward group is good and the defense should be good enough this season to not be a hindrance. The acquisition of Shea Weber won't hurt them this year, but that will come in the next few years.

I think Boston will find themselves in a similar position as they did last year. They will be a good team, with a deep offensive group, and Tuukka Rask in net is always a recipe for success. I just don't think that their roster is talented enough to crack the top three in the division, as long as Price stays healthy, If he doesn't, however, the Bruins will be a playoff team. I'm not sure yet if Boston is good enough to make it as a Wild Card team, especially with how talented the Metro division is. My biggest question for the Bruins will be how much of a regression we will see in Zdeno Chara this season.

The Sabres represent the biggest jump in the standings from the Atlantic division in my opinion. I think another year with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart will gain them a more more wins than last season, and the signing of Kyle Okposo will certainly help. They traded for defenseman Dmitri Kulikov who should help their back end. If goaltender Robin Lehner can be the player the Sabres thought they were getting when they traded for him, then Buffalo could be on the fringe of a Wild Card spot.

This will be the season that Detroit's playoff streak finally comes to an end. This is not a representation on head coach Jeff Blashill's coaching ability, but rather a reflection of their roster. GM Ken Holland has not done a lot in recent years to infuse their roster with younger talent and it's beginning to show. Pavel Datsyuk is gone now, and a lot of the scoring burden will fall on veteran Henrik Zetterberg, who has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. I am just not excited about this roster, as they lack a true goalscorer, their goaltending could be questionable, and they're paying mediocre players like Justin Abdelkader and Danny DeKeyser too much money. They should be looking at a rebuild.

Toronto is on the upswing, but are still in the rebuilding phase. They are a couple of years away from competing, but just need to stay the course and they'll get there. They have the makings of an excellent team that is exciting, and needs to continue acquiring picks and drafting players with lots of potential.

I went back and forth as to which team I should put at the bottom of the division, Ottawa or Toronto. Ultimately, I think that the Senators are worse than their record showed last season. Their offense just isn't that good, and even a rebound season from Bobby Ryan probably won't be enough to help them. I think that Erik Karlsson will compete once again for the Norris Trophy and would be an MVP candidate if the team were better. They really need to find a way to develop their players faster or convince ownership to finally spend money on free agents.

MVP of the division: TB Steven Stamkos
Top Goaltender: MTL Carey Price, as long as he is healthy (Big Surprise)
Top Defenseman: TB Victor Hedman (I went with a shock here and went away from Erik Karlsson)
Top Rookie: TOR Mitch Marner (I think he playing on the second line will get him more playing time than Matthews, which will show up on the stats sheet)
Best Coach: BUF Dan Bylsma