Predicting Where the Florida Panthers Finish in the Atlantic Division
Hockey is back for the Florida Panthers, and their division, the Atlantic, initially resembles something like a FIFA World Cup ‘Group of Death’.
Between a mix of teams that have controlled the top of the division standings for the past couple of years, and those looking to rejoin the playoff field after multi-year rebuilds, the Atlantic Division should be the most competitive in the league.
So, where will the Florida Panthers stand at the end of their 82-game season? To help us answer that we have split the division into three tiers based on how big of a challenge they will pose to the Panthers this season.
Should not pose a challenge to the Florida Panthers
The following teams will not factor into the playoff picture this season as they will simply do not have the talent to compete with the remaining six.
The Montreal Canadiens are still a team in rebuild. They were last in the Atlantic last season, and nothing suggests that they will be competitive with the rest of the division this year.
They have some pieces to the rebuild puzzle already in place, especially with their top line forwards of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, but behind them they do not have the players to compete with the rest of the division.
Even in a best-case scenario, they will only be competitive with the team that ends up finishing seventh.
Similarly, to Montreal, the Detroit Red Wings have top line forwards to lean on with Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat, but they still lack the necessary depth behind them.
The Red Wings will be clear of Montreal thanks to a solid veteran defensive core that will support Moritz Seider as he attempts to break into the top echelon of NHL defensemen in his third season in the league.
They could keep pace with the division in the first month or two, but realistically they are still only the seventh best team in the Atlantic at the end of the season.
The Florida Panthers’ neighborhood
The neighborhood of teams should be those that the Panthers are in a direct battle with in the closing weeks of the season.
As covered in the divisional opponent preview, the Buffalo Sabres are a team on the rise and have one of the best groups of U25 talent in the league. But that asset could prove to be to their detriment this season as they may struggle with consistency and not handle adversity as well as a more veteran team would.
Since we previewed Buffalo, 18-year-old rookie forward Zach Benson made it clear in the preseason that he is going to be a threat this season after scoring 4 goals and 3 assists. While Benson will make Buffalo even more dangerous, the experience issue still remains.
My concerns with Buffalo could be put to rest if rookie Devon Levi can immediately perform as the team’s starting goaltender. But that is all tall task and why I see their breakout season happening next season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the most consistent teams in the Atlantic over the past decade, but key losses to their core group is starting to take a toll, with the most recent being forwards Alex Killorn and Ross Colton.
They have added a few new names in the offseason but will have to acclimate them into their system without goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is slated to miss the first two months of the season. Instead, they are starting the season with a goalie tandem that has a combined 35 games of NHL experience.
This is not the beginning of the end for the Lightning’s contention window, but Vasilevskiy’s absence for the first two months could make this season a wash for them if they cannot protect their inexperienced goaltenders.
Predicting when talented young teams like the Ottawa Senators are going to put it all together and make the jump to playoff contention is not rocket science, but it is still a challenge, nonetheless.
One thing for certain is that the Senators have a lot going their way this season. At forward, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle are high-end, if not elite, and only improving. And behind them is a mix of youth and veteran talent.
Defensively, the story is no different with Jakob Chychrun joining for his first full season with the team, and an already respectable core already in place. The only real question remains in net, but the improvement and strength of the team in front of the goalies should naturally enhance their play this season.
The Florida Panthers are not without their own challenges this season as they fill be forced to start the year without defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, who are both recovering from injuries picked up last season, as well as forward Sam Bennett, who was injured in the team’s penultimate preseason game.
There might be struggles early on, but once healthy, the team’s depth and talent throughout the roster should keep them clear of being on the playoff bubble. But if they especially struggle to pick up points without their injured players, then it could be another nailbiter till the end for trying to secure a playoff spot.
Likely out of reach for the Florida Panthers
The final two teams represent the best of the best in the Atlantic Division this season. Given the current set of circumstances, as we enter the season, nobody from the other two tiers will be matching them.
Normally a team coming off losing their top two centers that combined for 114 points and a Selke Trophy last season would be facing long odds. But the Boston Bruins are not just any team.
Boston separates themselves from the rest of the Atlantic with one of the best blue lines in the league and two goaltenders that would be undisputed starters on their own anywhere else in the league. Together, those two position groups helped Boston in allowing 36 fewer goals against than the next closest team last season.
With both units still intact, there is no reason to suspect they will not be a defensive force again this season.
They might struggle to repeat as the second highest scoring team in the league without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but Pavel Zacha, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak are still going to keep the offense producing.
No Atlantic team, in recent years, has been a more consistent regular season performer than the Toronto Maple Leafs. The core of the team is intact minus the loss of forward Michael Bunting. However, Tyler Bertuzzi’s addition in free agency will prevent any loss from being felt in the lineup.
Wit the rest of the usual Atlantic competitors dealing with offseason and injury losses, there is little to hold the Leafs back from running away with the division.
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