Early NHL 23-24 Division Predictions – Atlantic

The Atlantic Division is arguably one of the strongest divisions in hockey. A big off-season for the bottom half of this division allows it to be more competitive this season. The Red Wings acquired Debrincat from Ottawa, the Montreal Canadiens will have a full season of Cole Caufield, and Ottawa getting Tarasenko will make this a hard division to play against. The Bruins losing Bergeron and Krejci is a big loss for the franchise. This will be the first time since 2003, that the Boston Bruins will not have Bergeron in their lineup. Here are the rankings for the 2023-24 Atlantic Division.

8. Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens aren’t quite there yet. A promising young team that is stuck in a hard division. Cole Caufield went down with an unfortunate injury last season after putting up 26 goals. He was on pace for 40+ goals on a struggling team is a positive sign for the Canadiens. Acquiring Alex Newhook from the Avalanche will help solidify their top six. This will give Newhook an opportunity to play more minutes and produce higher numbers. This group still has much to learn but is on track to be a solid team in the next three to four years.

7. Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings are in a similar position as Montreal. Lots of promising young talent but stuck in a difficult division. Getting Debrincat from Ottawa will strengthen their top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. There were some questionable moves made by Yzerman this offseason. Signing Justin Holl to a multi-year deal seems crazy to me. Maybe the pressure got to Holl in Toronto. He had so many turnovers that cost the Leafs some very important hockey games. Goaltending is still in question as they will be riding with Ville Husso and James Reimer. There are still missing pieces to this team. Red Wings fans, allow Yzerman to keep doing what he does best because this team will be contending once again a few years down the road.

6. Ottawa Senators

As of September 22nd, the Ottawa Senators are under new ownership. Sens fans, you should start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is the best Ottawa Senators team since the early 2000s. Having Josh Norris back will solidify their top six. Before his significant shoulder injury that held him out of all season last year, he was a 40-goal scorer. Tim Stutzle had a breakout year, posting 90 points in 78 games last season. That eight-year contract he received is looking pretty good! This Ottawa Senators team will be tough to play against so don't be expecting an easy two points! Being a young team, there is still a lot to learn, but this team will be contending for a Stanley Cup in a few years!

5. Florida Panthers

At the beginning of last year’s playoffs, I don’t think many people had the Florida Panthers going to the Stanley Cup finals, let alone, beating the Boston Bruins in the first round. There will be some question marks going into this season. Will Sergei Bobrovsky play like he did in the playoffs? Can Matthew Tkachuk continue to push this team forward like he did in the playoffs? Don't think it will be the same success as last season but will be contending for a playoff spot this season.

4. Buffalo Sabres

This team has come a long way but is finally on the right path to compete in the Atlantic Division. A breakout year for Tage Thompson, putting up 47 goals and 47 assists in 78 games. Thompson will be an offensive threat for any team that plays Buffalo this year. Looking at the back end, the Sabres have two studs in Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. Two former first-overall picks who will solidify the back end for many years to come. Dahlin took a big step offensively last season, putting up 15 goals and 58 assists in 78 games. Owen Power was a Calder finalist by putting up 35 points in 79 games last season. The Sabres have two young goaltenders with high potential. Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be the future of the Buffalo Sabres. If these two goalies can find their game in the next couple of seasons, this team will be a threat in the Atlantic Division. If Buffalo plays their cards right, they can find themselves in a wild card position.

3. Boston Bruins

This will be the first time since 2003 that the Boston Bruins will not have Patrice Bergeron in their line-up. One of the best two-way centres in the history of the NHL, this will be a massive loss down the middle. With David Krejci also not returning, the Boston Bruins centre depth will be weaker this upcoming season. The Bruins will be relying on Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle to run the first and second lines. They will be taking on more of a role this year and this is going to determine their 2023-24 season. Don’t be surprised if Boston goes out during the deadline to pick up a number one centre. Mark Scheifele isn’t very happy in Winnipeg so maybe there could be a swap down the road. The Bruins also have a strong 1-2 punch in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. The rest of their core is still there so expect them to still make playoffs even if they are a little weak down the middle.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Having been a dominant team for the past 5 to 6 years, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be back once again contending. Big news that came out a few days ago, Andrei Vasilevskiy will be out for a couple of months after getting successful back surgery. Vasilevskiy has been one of Tampa’s best players, especially in their playoff runs that led them to back-to-back Stanley Cups. It’s going to be an interesting start for the Lightning as they don’t have an NHL goalie with Brian Elliott not resigning. The team will need to rely on their star players and defence to defend the net as goaltending may be weak for the first couple of months.

Losing Killorn, Perry, and Maroon will hurt the Lightning’s depth, especially for playoffs. The Lightning were able to go out and sign Conor Sheary, who can bring depth to the forward lineup. Calvin De Haan can bring depth to the back end. With Kucherov, Point, Stamkos, Hedman, and Sergachev still on the team for this upcoming season, there is no doubt that this team will be back in the playoff mix.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the team that is at the centre of the sports universe. The amount of pressure that these players go through every year is astronomical. Bringing in Brad Treliving after Kyle Dubas’ departure was a great move by the organization. Treliving brought in a few key players that can help the Maple Leafs get over the hump and finally contend for Lord Stanley. Signing Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi on one-year deals is going to be a key part of their success this season.

Not only can these players produce offensively, but they also bring grit which this team needs. Having these two split between the first and second line can help the core do what they do best, produce. This is the deepest Leafs team that we have seen in a long time and could be the year, yes, we say this every season but just the way the team is built this year, they will be a hard team to play against. If they can get solid goaltending from Samsonov and the team stays healthy, the Maple Leafs can go out and win the Atlantic Division.

It will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out, but this must be one of the hardest divisions in hockey. A lot of the bottom feeders in this division got significantly better this season so each divisional match-up won't be an easy win.