Yesterday, NHL Network released their power rankings for the Atlantic Division. Here is where they projected the Buffalo Sabers to finish.
Yesterday, Mike Rupp and Mike Johnson of the NHL Network gave their power rankings for the Atlantic Division. As for the Buffalo Sabers, each of them had the Sabers in different spots but in the lower half of the division.
I do have some thoughts about these rankings. As you can see in the tweet above, Rupp has the Sabers finishing 7th in the division while Johnson has them in 6th. Let’s start with Rupp’s ranking first. Starting from the bottom, I do think Buffalo will finish above Montreal.
Are Mike Rupp’s and Mike Johnson’s projections regarding the Buffalo Sabers justifiable?
Sion did a good job breaking down where the Sabers stand in the division and I also predicted where they will finish in the Atlantic. The other thing I noticed on Rupp’s list is how high the Ottawa Senators are. The Sens did improve a ton but I personally think they won’t finish that high.
In fact, I think it’ll be a dogfight among the Sabres, Senators and Red Wings. Even though Buffalo didn’t make a ton of moves like Ottawa and Detroit did, the Sabers can definitely finish above those two teams. Even Johnson has the Senators in the top five.
As for the Boston Bruins, they are the biggest wild card in the Atlantic Division. They are going to be fighting for a playoff spot as usual but they have some big names who will be injured to start the season. With that being said, I do think the Sabers can compete with the rest of the division.
The top three teams are solidified. Everyone knows the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will occupy first, second and third. Where they will finish is to be determined. After them, it’ll be one interesting race.
While Montreal will be a tough team, I think they will finish last. However, the race between Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa and Boston will be a fun one to watch. While I do disagree with where the Sabers will finish in the rankings, it’s too close to call with how better the teams within the division got during the offseason.