Florida Panthers: Taking a look at their Atlantic Division opponents
It’s that time of year again! Let the season previews role in. Will the Atlantic Division be as tough as many expect it to be?
Between today and opening night in the National Hockey League, we will be doing an entire league preview. We will look at every division and predict which teams will find themselves competing for the Stanley Cup this season.
Today, we will start with the Atlantic Division where our beloved Florida Panthers compete in. Who will win the division this year? Who will be the surprising team? Let’s take a look!
#8 Detroit Red Wings
Offense: While the Red Wings may finish last in the Atlantic division this year, their offense is actually pretty good. They have many veterans on the offense that could possibly propel this team to getting close to a playoff spot. Their top 3 lines are loaded with talent with guys like Dylan Larkin, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist and of course Henrik Zetterberg. If the Red Wings offense can stay healthy throughout the entire course of the season, the Red Wings could be dangerous.
Defense and Goalies: The Red Wings once again are very solid defensively and goaltending wise. They have a veteran defensive cast from the top defensive pairing to the bottom defensive pairing. They added Trevor Daley this offseason who could help this Detroit defense in many ways. At the goalie position, the Red Wings are loaded with Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard. Both of these guys are starting quality and could easily be a starter on other NHL teams across the league. While Mrazek will start most of the games, the Red Wings have a great option in Howard if Mrazek struggles (or goes down with an injury).
Overall: Although the Red Wings are projected to finish last in the Atlantic division this year, do not be surprised if the Red Wings finish much higher or possibly qualify for the playoffs. They are very underrated and have a solid team all around.
Projected Record: 34-37-11. 79 points.
#7 Buffalo Sabres
Offense: Ever since Buffalo drafted Jack Eichel, they have continued to invest more money in better players. The Sabres actually have 3 top quality lines on their offense and could have one of the most potent offensive units in the division this year. Led by Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane, Sabres’ fans should be excited to see how well they do this year. The Sabres’ offense is something that every team in the NHL should fear when they play them this year.
Defense and Goalies: Like the Red Wings, the Sabres are well-balanced in the back end. They have solid defensive players and stout goaltenders to hold the fort down. With Rasmus Ristolainen leading the way this season, the Sabres should be in good hands with their defense. Robin Lehner will once again be the starting goalie for the Sabres this year. He had a great year last season posting a goal average of 2.68 and a save percentage of .920%. It will be hard to get pucks past the Sabres and Lehner this year.
Overall: The Sabres have all the tools to make a playoff push this year. The big question is if they can stay healthy and consistent throughout the entire season. Though Buffalo will improve, it seems as if they are still one more year away from being a playoff contender.
Projected Record: 34-35-13. 81 points.
#6 Boston Bruins
Offense: Boston is one team that will disappoint this year. Though their offense has a lot of veteran talent, the rest of the roster is unknown. If one of their stars like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand or David Pastrnak goes down, it could be a long year for this group. The Bruins are always a tough team to play offensively, but in a competitive Atlantic division, the Bruins could find themselves struggling to find production from their bottom 6.
Defense and Goalies: The Bruins’ defense is also a little shaky. Though they do have Torey Krug, the rest of their defenseman aren’t great. Zdeno Chara is not getting any younger, and guys like Adam McQuaid and Brandon Carlo can only do so much. One place where the Bruins don’t have any question marks is at the goaltending position. Tuukka Rask is one of the best in the game and can win games for the Bruins single-handedly. The Bruins defense might be shaky, but Rask should be able to make up for that in some games.
Overall: Like every year, the Bruins have a chance to contend for a playoff spot. If their top 6 forwards can remain healthy and produce consistently throughout the year, they should have no problem staying in the hunt for the entire season. However, in a competitive division and conference, the Bruins will watch the playoffs instead of participate in them.
Projected Record: 38-32-12. 88 points.
#5 Montreal Canadiens
Offense: The Canadiens are another team that will not live up to their expectations. Their two top lines have some really talented players on there. Apart from that, there are so many question marks remaining in their lineup. Montreal will be able to rely on their top two lines to hold them up, but that can only last for so long.
Defense and Goalies: Montreal added Karl Alzner this year to help their defensive unit get better. They have a solid defensive core and should not have to really worry about that this year. Shea Weber will continue to add scoring with his mammoth one-timers, and the rest of the defense can also contribute offensively at times. The Habs definitely don’t have to worry at their goaltending position as they have Carey Price, who is hands down the best goalie in the entire league. If Carey can remain healthy throughout the entire season, the Canadiens should be in the hunt all year for the playoffs.
Overall: As usual, the Habs will probably start off as one of the best teams in the NHL. But, as the season moves along, they will start to struggle. Can they rely on their top 6 forwards, Shea Weber and Carey Price to propel them to a playoff spot this year? We’ll see…
Projected Record: 41-33-8. 90 points.
#4 Toronto Maple Leafs
Offense: The Maple Leafs are loaded with talent. From top to bottom, the Maple Leafs don’t have to worry about offense at all. Toronto would have been fine with keeping the exact same forward unit from last year, but they still went out and signed Patrick Marleau (who will play a significant role in their offense this year). Expect Toronto to score a lot of goals this year and I mean a lot…
Defense and Goalies: Toronto has three very talented defensemen (Rielly, Gardiner and Zaitsev) who could all be top 4 pairings on other teams. They also added Ron Hainsey at a price of $3 million per year. While they might have overpaid for him, he will give them a veteran presence that is needed at the back. Frederik Anderson is a great goaltender and should be fine to hold down their fort. If Anderson does get hurt, their backup option is Curtis McElhinney. Remember the Canadiens two years ago? They lost Carey Price to an injury and were never able to recover. Toronto could be in trouble if Anderson gets hurt.
Overall: The Maple Leafs will once again qualify for a playoff spot this year. Their talent all over the ice will propel them to a similar season to last year. This team will win a lot of high scoring games and you can credit that to their explosive young forward group.
Projected Record: 45-31-6. 96 points.
#3 Florida Panthers
Offense: A lot of you may be laughing at where the Panthers are placed in this division, but please just wait till you see how good this team will be. The Panthers may not have many big name stars, but they are solid throughout their lineup. With Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau leading the way, the Panthers should have no problem scoring goals. This offense could be scary good barring any injuries.
Defense and Goalies: Florida may have the best defensive group in this division. They have two-way defensemen who will contribute offensively and defend solidly in their own zone. There really isn’t one weak player on the defensive side of this team (okay fine… Maybe Yandle defensively). Roberto Luongo and James Reimer seem ready to split the work load this year, and this could certainly be the reason why the Panthers will find success this year. Luongo and Reimer at the top of their game will be incredibly hard for opponents to score on them.
Overall: Florida will surpass a ton of expectations this year. They will have a similar season to two years ago when they won their division. Again, please hold your laughter and reactions and watch this team this year. Florida could certainly return to the playoffs after a one year hiatus, if they avoid the injury bug and play their cards right.
Projected Record: 44-29-9. 97 points.
#2 Ottawa Senators
Offense: Ottawa’s offense caught fire last year when they made a shocking run to the Eastern Conference Finals and almost into the Stanley Cup Final. Like a lot of teams in this division, their top three lines are loaded with talent. If guys like Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard can stay healthy, the Senators will be in for another great year. This offense will stay electric throughout this year and certainly has the chemistry to do so.
Defense and Goalies: Ottawa’s top four defensemen are extremely talented. Led by the best defenseman in league, Erik Karlsson, Ottawa will find themselves very comfortable with their situation at the defensive position. Craig Anderson has become a very underrated goalie in the league and should be able to win games on his owns at times. If he can continue his inform play, the Senators should be just fine this season. There should be no worries for the Sens at the defense and goalie position.
Overall: The Senators might start the season slowly, but they only get better as the season moves along. By the end of the season, they will be in a dogfight for the division championship and will fall just short of that goal. Regardless, they will finish with the 2nd spot which can sometimes benefit a team in drawing playoff matchups.
Projected Record: 45-27-10. 100 points.
#1 Tampa Bay Lightning
Offense: Stamkos is back and the Lightning will be at full offensive firepower the entire season. This will wreak havoc for every team facing this offense. The Lightning potentially boast the best combination of three guys in: Tyler Johnson, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Plus, the other guys they have are high contributors on the offensive side as well. It’s certainly going to be an offensive storm for the Lightning this year.
Defense and Goalies: Tampa’s defense may not be the strongest overall, but they have one of the best d-man in the league in Victor Hedman. He alone is a headache for any team playing Tampa. The rest of the defensive core is very solid and can easily hold down the fort. The Bolts will rely fully on Andrei Vasilevski this year as their starter and rightfully so.
Overall: The Bolts missed the playoffs last year by one point and were playing with half of their regular lineup (other half injured). This team is scary good if they are fully healthy. Tampa will pull away near the end of the season with the Atlantic Division crown in their hands.
Projected Record: 49-25-9. 106 points.