The 2025-26 NHL season is entering its 10th week, and we are starting to see some separation between the contenders and pretenders. However, there are still some extremely tight races around the league. For instance, only four points separate the Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning and the seventh-placed Ottawa Senators. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers are both tied with Ottawa on points, as well.
The Atlantic has long been one of, if not the toughest, divisions in hockey. Four of the last six Stanley Cup champions came from the Atlantic Division, with the Lightning and Panthers winning two Cups each. The Atlantic has also sent a team to each of the last six Stanley Cup Finals, with Tampa and Florida making three appearances each.
It's still relatively early, but with nearly 30 games played, there is enough of a sample size to grade each team on. Without further ado, ClutchPoints presents its early report card for the Atlantic Division. The teams will be sorted by their place in the standings as of December 7th.
Tampa Bay Lightning: A
It has seemed as if some of the shine has rusted away from Jon Cooper's team over the last few seasons. They have mostly finished third in the Atlantic Division following their 2022 Stanley Cup Final loss. And they even finished fourth one season. In 2024-25, they did finish second, only to be absolutely torn apart by the Panthers in the playoffs.
This season, Tampa looks more like the team that haunted the NHL in the late 2010s. They own the league's fourth-best Goals For Percentage in all situations, according to Evolving Hockey. And they own the second-best Expected Goals For Percentage so far. Their success can be attributed to the likes of Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has turned in a .917 save percentage to this point.
Tampa is not getting any younger. But Nikita Kucherov continues to perform as one of the best in the league. And it's hard to bet against a core consisting of Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point alongside Kucherov. The Lightning remain a Cup contender through this point in the season.
Boston Bruins: A-
The Boston Bruins had a disappointing 2024-25 season that resulted in them missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Brad Marchand was traded at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. And it seemed as if this team was going in the absolute wrong direction. However, that could not be further from the case.
First-year head coach Marco Sturm has the Bruins in a very favorable position. They are second in the Atlantic behind the Lightning. In fact, they are tied on points with Tampa as we speak. Morgan Geekie has emerged as legitimate star, while goaltender Jeremy Swayman has returned to form.
There are some concerning signs. For example, only the San Jose Sharks have a worse Expected Goals For Percentage in the NHL. However, this team has surpassed all expectations early on. They are one to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Montreal Canadiens: B+
The Montreal Canadiens made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after a rather remarkable turnaround. Pundits ripped into the Habs for their regression early on in the year. However, they collected themselves and put in a respectable effort in the postseason.
The Canadiens traded for Noah Dobson in the offseason, and they expected to be contenders this year. So far, it's been an up-and-down sort of season. Montreal has held first place in the division on occasion. But they have also lost eight of their last 13 games.
The Habs have their eyes on postseason success once again. They would make it if the season ended on Sunday. However, they need to tighten things up a bit if they want to secure their playoff hopes.
Detroit Red Wings: B-
The Detroit Red Wings have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the last nine seasons. There is immense pressure on general manager Steve Yzerman to finally deliver postseason hockey. So far, it's unclear whether this is the year.
Detroit endured a brutal season-opening loss to the Canadiens in early October. They then rattled off five straight wins over playoff teams from last season. Now, they are inconsistent. There are times they confidently defeat teams, and there are times where they absolutely leak goals.
The Red Wings get an above average grade because there are glimpses of postseason success. They are also carrying three rookies on the roster, so to get the results they have is impressive. Still, there are no shortage of doubters about this team. And that won't go away unless Detroit figures its stuff out.
Florida Panthers: C+
The Florida Panthers have won each of the last two Stanley Cups. They are looking to be the first team since the 1980-83 New York Islanders to win three in a row. Unfortunately, they have not played too well this season.
Of course, there is some leeway to be given. The Panthers have Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Tomas Nosek, and Dmitry Kulikov to injury. These are key figures in their lineup, and that has obviously impacted their play.
However, the team available to head coach Paul Maurice is better than their 14-12-2 record suggests. Underperformances from the likes of Sam Bennett and Sergei Bobrovsky have done little to help matters. For that reason, they find themselves among the Cs.
Toronto Maple Leafs: C
The Toronto Maple Leafs lost Mitch Marner in the offseason, and that is a big loss. However, much like the Panthers, they have a good team still on paper. And yet, Toronto may be the most disappointing team in the league this year.
The Maple Leafs once held last place in the Eastern Conference this year. A team with William Nylander, Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Matthew Knies should not be anywhere near the cellar. But Toronto sits sixth in the Atlantic, equidistant from last as they are to first.
The Maple Leafs have not been able to get their goaltending going. Matthews has not looked like the near-70-goal scorer he was a few seasons ago. And the team overall looks out of sync. Toronto has to find its game before it's too late.
Ottawa Senators: C
The Ottawa Senators made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season for the first time since 2017. They put up a respectable effort against the Maple Leafs, coming up short. They believed they could challenge the likes of the Lightning and Panthers this year. Unfortunately, this has not come to pass.
In a similar situation as the Panthers, there is some grace to be given. Brady Tkachuk missed extended time with an injury, which was a blow to this team. However, they still had the talent that could keep them above board.
In saying this, their situation is a bit different than others with higher grades. Ottawa's goaltending has become nigh unplayable this season. Both Linus Ullmark and Leevi Merilainen have save percentages in the .870s. They also have negative marks in Goals Saved Above Average and Goals Saved Above Expected. This is the sort of regression that's hard to overlook.
Buffalo Sabres: C-
The Buffalo Sabres have one of the longest active playoff droughts in North American sports. Buffalo came so close to making the playoffs a few years back. They have not come close to being close ever since.
This year is, unfortunately, no different. The Sabres are eight points out of first place, and they don't look particularly promising. There are certainly bright spots, such as Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson, but it's not enough.
The Atlantic is close enough that this team could turn things around. They could sneak into a Wild Card spot and prove everyone wrong. However, they have an extremely uphill battle ahead if they want to make that a reality.
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