There is no NHL division more difficult to compete in than the Atlantic Division. Some of the game's brightest stars and best teams call the Atlantic home. You have Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs. There's the loaded Tampa Bay Lightning. You have the defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers, as well.
If you are interested in up-and-coming teams, the Atlantic has you covered. Moritz Seider and the Detroit Red Wings are building something special in Hockeytown. Tim Stutzle and the Ottawa Senators have one of the best young cores in the league. And how about Tage Thompson and the dynamic Buffalo Sabres?
This season, the Atlantic Division once again looks to be incredibly tough. It feels as if the division is completely wide open, and any one of these teams could shock us in a number of ways. But let's not get caught up in the excitement for the beginning of the new season. Instead, let's take a look at one rather realistic prediction for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the Atlantic Division.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Win the Atlantic
The Maple Leafs had a rather interesting offseason this summer. Most of their notable moves involved some risk. Toronto signed Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Reaves, Max Domi, and John Klingberg to bolster their roster. Those moves should pay off this season.
While the Atlantic is wide open, it's Toronto's division to lose to start. The Maple Leafs are led by quite the core consisting of Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner. It won't be easy, but Toronto has to be the realistic favorite coming out of the Atlantic to begin the season.
Buffalo Sabres: Tage Thompson scores 55
The Sabres have the youngest team in the NHL right now. Buffalo missed the playoffs by one single point in 2022-23. Expectations for this team are real, with many believing they can make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they are going to do so, they'll need a major effort from Tage Thompson.
They should get the required effort. Thompson exploded onto the scene last year by scoring 47 goals and 94 points. This season, expect Thompson to increase his production. The 25-year-old could score 55 goals and north of 110 points as his Sabres push for postseason hockey.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Comfortable top-three finish
The Lightning did not perform as expected in 2022-23. Don't get me wrong, they were still a good hockey team. But they clearly weren't their usual selves. We saw that on display in the playoffs when they bowed out in the first round against the Maple Leafs. It can be argued that the Lightning are on an inevitable decline, but not so fast.
The Lightning are still an incredibly talented team. They proved so through their season-opening victory against the Nashville Predators. Even without Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay is a force to be reckoned with. Expected them to still finish top three in the Atlantic Division.
Florida Panthers: Make the Wild Card
The Panthers went through the Boston Bruins and the Maple Leafs en route to making the Stanley Cup Final this past spring. That run came at a major injury cost, as Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad will miss a few months to begin the year. And yet, this team could still very well find themselves in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.
Florida has incredible talent on their team. Matthew Tkachuk proved he is an emerging superstar in this league. Sam Reinhart has scored 30+ goals in each of his two seasons with Florida. The Panthers are also getting Spencer Knight back in goal. They have enough to weather the storm and remain playoff contenders this season.
Boston Bruins: Remain playoff contenders
If there's one team in the NHL that is due for a decline, it's the Boston Bruins. No team in history won more games (65) or finished with more points (135) than the Bruins did last season. That performance is not sustainable for Boston. They will take a step back. The question is, how far back will they go?
Boston could realistically miss the playoffs in 2023-24. It would be less than ideal, especially considering their first-round pick is currently owned by the Detroit Red Wings. But the Bruins can also realistically make the playoffs this season. Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and David Pastrnak are all still here. If players like Linus Ullmark can hold their own, the Bruins will play postseason hockey in 2023-24.
Detroit Red Wings: Another Dylan Larkin career year
In some ways, it's quite difficult to figure out what the Red Wings can do this season. Detroit has depth, and they finally picked up some high-end talent in Alex DeBrincat. But it's hard to pin down just how much better this team is now.
So, let's focus on a player of theirs. Dylan Larkin is in the first year of an eight-year contract. He is coming off a career season, and he should put up another one in 2023-24. The Michigan native should record more assists playing with DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond. And he could score a few more goals with teams keying in on his linemates. The game should open up for Larkin. Look for him to capitalize.
Ottawa Senators: Tim Stutzle reaches 105 points
The Senators missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite their best efforts. But there were positives to take away from the season. Tim Stutzle broke out, scoring 39 goals and 90 points for Ottawa in 2022-23. This season, the young German star should take an even greater step.
Stutzle should have no problem increasing his offensive production. The 21-year-old just missed the 40-goal mark last year, but he'll surpass it this season. Furthermore, the Senators forward will eclipse 100 points, finishing with 105 on the season. Stutzle should be a major part of Ottawa's push for postseason hockey next spring.
Montreal Canadiens: Cole Caufield flirts with 45
The Montreal Canadiens finished last in the Atlantic Division last season. And that probably won't change this year. One of Montreal's more promising players, Cole Caufield, provided some reason for hope moving forward. He scored 26 goals and 36 points in 46 games before missing the season with injury.
Caufield's health is a major factor to consider here. That said, he enters the season healthy and ready to go. If he can remain on the ice, he should have no issue reaching the 40-goal mark. And who knows, he could even surpass it, scoring around 45 goals for the Habs this year.
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