NHL Power Rankings: Where Bruins stand in loaded Atlantic Division originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Atlantic Division was the best and most competitive in the NHL last season, and after a busy offseason that saw each of the eight teams make upgrades to their rosters, we should expect more of the same during the 2022-23 campaign.
With training camps scheduled to begin in a few weeks, let’s take a look at an updated power ranking of the Atlantic.
8) Montreal Canadiens
2021-22 record: 22-49-11,
2021-22 finish: 8th in division, missed playoffs
Key offseason moves: Acquired center Kirby Dach, acquired center Sean Monahan trade, acquired right winger Evgenii Dadonov, acquired defenseman Mike Matheson
The Canadiens followed up their surprising run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final with a disastrous 2021-22 season. The good news for Montreal was that it won the NHL Draft Lottery and selected Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the No. 1 overall pick. Trading for Flames center Sean Monahan was also a good gamble. He’s entering a contract year and should be motivated to improve his scoring after a couple of disappointing years in Calgary.
The Canadiens should show improvement next season, but it won’t be enough to get out of the cellar in a loaded division.
7) Buffalo Sabres
2021-22 record: 32-39-11
2021-22 finish: 5th in division, missed playoffs
Key offseason moves: Acquired center Riley Sheahan, acquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, lost defenseman Colin Miller
The Sabers have the longest active playoff appearance drought in the league at 11 seasons. Barring a massive surprise, that streak will extend to 12 years. The real objective for Buffalo in the 2022-23 campaign should be integrating more young players into the lineup and developing them. Peyton Krebs, who came to the Sabers in the Jack Eichel trade, could have a breakout year.
6) Detroit Red Wings
2021-22 record: 32-40-10
2021-22 finish: 6th in division, missed playoffs
Key offseason moves: Acquired center Andrew Copp, acquired left winger Dominik Kubalik, acquired left winger David Perron, acquired defenseman Ben Chiarot, acquired defenseman Olli Maatta, lost center Sam Gagner, lost defenseman Danny DeKeyser, lost goalie Thomas Greiss.
The Red Wings had a boatload of salary cap space at their disposal and they used it to sign veterans at several positions. Copp had a tremendous playoff run with the Rangers, helping lead New York to the Eastern Conference Final. Perron has Cup-winning experience and Chiarot is a legit top-four defenseman. These veteran additions should compliment the Red Wings’ impressive young core, headlined by left winger Lucas Raymond and defenseman Mortiz Seider (also the 2022 Calder Trophy winner).
Detroit isn’t likely to make the playoffs next season, but this team won’t be a pushover, either. There’s a lot of talent on this roster.
5) Ottawa Senators
2021-22 record: 33-42-7
2021-22 finish: 7th in division, missed the playoffs
Key offseason moves: Acquired center Claude Giroux, acquired right winger Alex DeBrincat, lost center Colin White
The Senators will be a trendy pick to be among the most improved teams and make the playoffs. It’s not hard to understand the hype after Ottawa spent the offseason making major moves.
The Sens pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat, and a few weeks later they acquired top-six center/winger Claude Giroux in free agency. These two veterans will improve a core that includes several really talented young players that includes Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson, among others.
Ottawa should be much improved next season, but it’s still hard to envision this team making the playoffs when the division and the East as a whole is so competitive. The future is very bright for the Senators, but that big jump will probably have to wait until 2024.
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4) Boston Bruins
2021-22 record: 51-26-5
2021-22 finish: 4th in division, lost in first round vs. Hurricanes
Key offseason moves: Acquired center David Krejci, acquired center Pavel Zacha, lost left winger Erik Haula, lost center Curtis Lazar
One more run?
That’s what the Bruins could be embarking on this season with the return of veteran centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci — giving Boston an excellent 1-2 punch at an important position. When fully healthy, the Bruins’ top-six forward group ranks among the best in the league.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Bruins will be surviving the first month of the season when first-line left winger Brad Marchand, No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy and top-four d-man Matt Grzelcyk are all out of the lineup rehabbing from offseason surgeries.
David Pastrnak’s future could also become a distraction. The 40-goal scorer is entering the final year of his contract and has not signed an extension. The longer he goes without signing one, the bigger of a story it will become.
What would a fair contract extension for Pastrnak, Bruins look like?
One x-factor for Boston is the goaltending. This team needs Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman to take the reins as the clear-cut No. 1 netminder. Swayman is the ideal candidate given his age and contract, but he was too inconsistent last season.
It’s possible the Bruins could be a true contender in the East next season, but the path to the Cup Final is going to be brutal. The large majority of Cup contenders are in the East, and three of them are in the Atlantic.
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3) Florida Panthers
2021-22 record: 58-18-6
2021-22 finish: 1st in division, lost in second round vs. Lightning
Key offseason moves: Acquired left winger Matthew Tkachuk, acquired center Colin White, acquired center Chris Tierney, lost left winger Jonathan Hubderdeau, lost center Noel Acciari, lost defenseman MacKenzie Weager, lost defenseman Ben Chiarot
The Panthers had an amazing regular season and won the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in team history. After beating the Washington Capitals in Round 1 for the franchise’s first playoff series win since 1996, the Panthers were swept in embarrassing fashion by the rival Lightning.
Florida made a bold trade in the summer, acquiring power forward left winger Matthew Tkachuk from the Flames in exchange for left winger Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weager. The Panthers gave up a top-four blueliner and the league’s second-leading scorer for Tkachuk. Tkachuk had the best season of his career with 104 points, but he’ll be under a lot of pressure to maintain that level over the course of his new eight-year extension worth $76 million.
The Panthers have never won 40-plus games in back-to-back seasons, so it remains to be seen whether last year’s success was a fluke or the start of a prolonged period of contention.
2) Toronto Maple Leafs
2021-22 record: 54-21-7
2021-22 finish: 2nd in division, lost in first round vs. Lightning
Key offseason moves: Acquired goalie Matt Murray, acquired goalie Ilya Samsonov, acquired center Calle Jarnkrok, lost center Jason Spezza, lost goalie Jack Campbell
Being a Leafs fan isn’t easy. Despite having an ultra talented roster and the Hart Trophy/Rocket Richard winner Auston Matthews, Toronto again bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. In fairness, it was a Game 7 defeat to the two-time defending champion Lightning, but at some point the Leafs need to make a playoff push. The franchise hasn’t won a postseason series since 2004. The Leafs have lost in Game 7 of the first round four of the last five years.
Toronto overhauled its goalies in the offseason. Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek are out, and they’ve been replaced by Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov. It was a bold switch considering Murray’s recent injury history and lackluster performance. He does have Cup-winning experience, but success has eluded him since leaving the Penguins.
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1) Tampa Bay Lightning
2021-22 record: 51-23-8
2021-22 finish: 3rd in division, lost in Stanley Cup Final vs. Avalanche
Key offseason moves: Acquired center Vladislav Namestnikov, acquired defenseman Ian Cole, lost center Riley Nash, lost left wing Ondrej Palat
The Lightning came up just two wins short of a third consecutive Stanley Cup title. It was a valiant effort by a group that’s played a ton of games over the last three seasons. Given their salary cap constraints, the Lightning weren’t able to make any significant additions to their roster. They did, however, re-sign a couple important players to eight-year contract extensions, including forwards Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak, as well as defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.
The Lightning probably won’t win the division next season. They should prioritize health and energy over playoff seeding. But they will once again be the most dangerous and difficult postseason opponent from the Atlantic.