The 2026-27 season could be a pivotal year for many NHL teams, including several heavyweights in the Atlantic Division, like the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens, to name a few. The Metropolitan Division is home to the current Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, after a two-year stay in the Atlantic, when the Panthers won in 2024 and 2025. After an active summer and a revamped, already competitive roster, Florida is one of the top teams in the division facing the most pressure
8. Boston Bruins
In any list, someone has to be at the top, and someone has to be at the bottom; in this case, the Boston Bruins are one of the teams facing the least pressure in 2026-27. After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, they bounced back and made the playoffs, despite it being a one-and-done appearance. Ultimately, unless it’s another deep playoff run, the Bruins will waste another year of David Pastrnak’s career.
7. Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are about to play their first game without former captain Brady Tkachuk, who is now in Florida with his brother Matthew. Another team that made the playoffs last year, the Senators are far from Stanley Cup contenders and are a wildcard team at best. They need a new arena, and a winning season gets them a step closer, but it will be interesting to see how they respond without Tkachuk for the first time in seven years.
6. Detroit Red Wings
The only reason the Detroit Red Wings are not at the bottom of the rankings is because of their offseason drama surrounding captain Dylan Larkin. It's clear he doesn't play in the Motor City anymore and has publicly asked for a trade, which still hasn't happened. Things are going to get ugly at training camp between the two sides, and there are no expectations for the Red Wings to return to the playoffs, and they have better odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery than another 40 games.
5. Buffalo Sabres
The reigning Atlantic Division champions are under enormous pressure to duplicate last season’s successes, which means they need to advance to at least the Eastern Conference Final. With their draft-built core finally maturing, the Sabres are now a playoff team, and their losing ways could be a thing of the past. However, that means the stakes are higher now in upstate New York, something unfamiliar to a franchise that set a record for most years without a playoff appearance.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
It was business as usual for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2025-26, as they boosted the Hart, Jack Adams, and Vezina Trophy winners. It’s now been half a decade since they last won the Stanley Cup, and the team’s core is another year older. Can they remain a top team in the Atlantic and win another championship, or will age finally catch up or slow them down? Either way, with all the NHL’s hardware, the Lightning better perform or fans across the league will think last year is a fluke.
3. Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens were only three wins away from the Stanley Cup Final, which would have been their second appearance this decade. Like the Sabres, the Canadiens' young core is now old enough to be stars, and for the first time in years, Montreal contended for a division title and was a legitimate contender. Ultimately, last year may have been a coming-out party, with many believing that they have the players and coach to finally bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time in three decades.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
After losing Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs tumbled to the bottom of the Atlantic Division and won the NHL Draft Lottery. They now have Gavin McKenna, but at the same time are running out of time to show Auston Matthews that they are a club on the verge of contending. Instead of sticking to their young goaltending duo, the Maple Leafs signed 38-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky, who just had one of the worst statistical campaigns of his career in 2025-26. As solid as Toronto looks on paper, this team is either a recipe for disaster or one set to go on a magical run.
1. Florida Panthers
The gang is back together and healthy, for the first time since the summer of 2025. After a great run of three Stanley Cup Final appearances, the Panthers missed the playoffs and were one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. But now Aleksander Barkov is back from injury, while Radko Gudas and Jacob Markström are also back in Florida for another tour. Oh yeah, the Panthers also brought in Brady Tkachuk, adding more grit and skill to an already loaded lineup. Considering what Florida achieved from 2023-2025, this year’s club is seriously Cup-or-bust, making them the team under the most pressure in 2026-27.
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