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Happy Hockey Day! My Guaranteed* Atlantic Division Predictions!

October 3, 2018, 10:21 AM ET [1156 Comments]
Brandon Smillie
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
*Guarantee NOT a guarantee

On what should be a National Holiday I present to you my completely unbiased, anti-inflammatory, ridiculously fair thoughts on who finishes where and why this season in the Atlantic Division.

Enjoy and please tell me your complete thoughts on why you believe these predictions are completely accurate and compelling in the comments section of the blog. I guarantee* I will read every one of the them and ponder them all day! (Lighten up folks...)


1. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning simply have strong depth at all positions and have Elite scorers throughout the lineup. They also consistently bring in players that mesh well and produce (Gourde, Point, Miller).

Led by Kucherov, Stamkos, and Hedman they will be difficult to manage every game. Oh and Vasilevskiy is entering his prime years.


2. Boston Bruins

The Bruins had a little reset in the last few years moving on from the likes of Lucic, Hamilton, and coach Julien and found themselves able to quickly turn the clubs fortunes around with some solid player procurement from 2014 and on.

By adding young players like McAvoy, Carlo, Donato, Heinen, Pasternak, and DeBrusk around Bergeron, Kreci, Marchand, and Chara they can play with almost everyone. If the Bruins get hot they could challenge for the division.


3. Florida Panthers

Florida is bound to break out one of these seasons and this one could be it. With Trocheck and Barkov down the middle they will be able to not only create at almost a PPG pace but also contain other lines.

Their top 6 is loaded and they have 3 top pair worthy D men in Ekblad, Yandle, and Matheson.

Their place in my ranking will be contingent on one last hurrah from Luongo in a soon to be record breaking season for the aging vet. If he struggles they drop from this lofty perch I've put them on.


4. Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs will be able to score with the leagues best this season but it remains to be seen if they will be able to defend with the leagues average.

Gardiner enjoyed his best 82 game season (.63 PPG) after 407 games (.40 PPG) and the last two seasons he's had a PDO over 100 so he's been "lucky" in the eyes of some who like advanced stats. If there is a regression that leaves TO with Reilly as their only true top pair D man as the rest group kind of drops off large (Huge? Massively?) in talent.

Any team that manages to contain the Leafs stacked top 6 for stretches should be in any game with them this year due to their defense and streaky goaltending. That could change if they deal Nylander for a top pair D man though. The Leafs need to acquire a top pair D man to blast open their Cup contender window.


5. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens overhauled everything from their AHL coaches staffs to their NHL coaching staffs and almost any player in-between. The results of the changes likely won't be seen for another year or so, but they were mainly positive.

The Canadiens will look for a group effort on D with Weber out until December (possibly) and need a solid bounce back campaign from Carey Price. If the Habs struggle hard again, it will be because of the Defense's inexperience (Mete, Juulsen, Reilly, Ouellet).

Price can keep the Habs in the mix as long as he plays to his norms and Montreal's top 6 appear to be gelling better than expected so far this preseason.

If Kotkaniemi is the real deal at 18 (I'll be pleasantly surprised) then that could change the dynamic of the team as they have enough NHL wingers, but not many offensively creative Centers.

The Canadiens will be in for a season long grind to even be able to sniff a postseason spot, but all indications from the club point to them wanting to make amends for last season. With a new leadership group built around Weber, Gallager, and Byron they should at least be better to watch this season.


6. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are a team on the rise after constant terrible seasons have rewarded them with Elite talents like Eichel, Mittlestadt, and Dahlin.

They get to lead a solid group of players in Ristolainen, Scandella, Skinner, Reinhart, and Okposo with a change of the guard in goal as the Sabres move on from the Lehner experiment to the Hutton experiment.

They could surprise but I think this is the year the team starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it will be on them to find consistency and respect in the league.


7. Detroit Red Wings

With the retirement of Zetterberg due to contract... I mean, injury the Wing have officially entered a new era.

They are led by 22 year college star Dylan Larkin up front and will be relying heavily on vets like Nielsen, Helm, Nyqvist, and Abdelkader in their top 6. They have some talented youth in the pipeline though with Rassmussen, Zadina, and Cholowski but this teams D on paper looks close to, if not the, worst in the East.

A 34 year old Howard will be looking maintain at least league average goaltending to keep the team afloat, but he couldn't do that last year and I doubt with an elite 200 foot player like Zetterberg leaving that this will get any easier.


8. Ottawa Senators

...Woof... What more can be said about the Sens... Well, they're a team at least...

This season I would be surprised if we didn't see their only remaining elite player moved in Mark Stone. In addition to that I would presume Duchene will be moved by deadline as well as the Sens move for a Pittsburgh model rebuild trying to stockpile top 3 picks over the next few years with the hopes of landing a franchise player or two.


Problem is, Colorado has their ticket to the Jack Hughes lotto…



*Guarantee STILL not an actual guarantee
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