Day Two: NHL Projections — The Atlantic Division

Day two of I’m sitting here sipping on a hot vanilla latte, looking over one of the most competitive divisions in the NHL. The Atlantic is filled with Stanley Cup contenders, young teams looking to take the next step, and a few clubs that could surprise us along the way.our projections is here, and today we are featuring the Atlantic Division.

Yes, I do like the Montréal Canadiens.

Montréal Canadiens — Projected: 112

The Canadiens are coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference Final, and they have a young core that is only getting better. Suzuki, Caufield, Demidov, Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky give Montreal plenty of talent to work with.

The biggest question will be whether their depth can keep up with the top line and whether their goaltending can hold up over a full season.

I really like this team.

Florida Panthers — Projected: 108

I do expect the Florida Panthers to bounce back after missing the playoffs last year.

Key performers Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov dealt with injuries last season and they are ready to roll. Adding Jacob Markstrom and Brady Tkachuk gives this team even more talent.

I think this team can make a deep run in the East again. It would not surprise me at all if they finished first in the Atlantic.

Tampa Bay Lightning — Projected: 100

I like the Lightning again.

With an offense featuring Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point, Tampa Bay has plenty of firepower. They also have one of the best, if not the best, goalies in the league in Andrei Vasilevskiy.

John Cooper is back behind the bench, and I think Tampa is going to have another strong year.

The Lightning may not have the same identity they had during their Stanley Cup runs a few years ago, but this is still a team I would not want to see in a playoff series.

Buffalo Sabers — Projected: 99

The biggest question surrounding Buffalo is: Who are they going to have in goal?

Winnipeg Jets star goalie Connor Hellebuyck has been rumored as a potential trade target after making his desire to leave Winnipeg public.

This Buffalo team is strong again, with Tage Thompson leading the forward group. I do think the subtraction of Alex Tuch, who was traded to Washington, is going to put a dent in their scoring production.

But I still like this team in the long run.

I think they are well coached, and if they can get a star goalie, we might see them make another deep run in the Eastern Conference.

Boston Bruins — Projected: 93

I really do like the Bruins this year as well.

They are a team that is fast and physical. Any team with David Pastrnak on it is going to compete for a division crown.

Secondary scoring is going to be their biggest issue.

Morgan Geekie and Fraser Minten provided great offensive seasons last year, and I would love to see them continue to develop into very good NHL players. If they can keep improving, Boston could be a very interesting team in this division.

Detroit Red Wings — Projected: 87

During the summer, you and I probably had as many days as GM as somebody in the Detroit Red Wings organization.

This team did not have a permanent GM for so long, and honestly, I have no clue what their direction is right now.

The reason why I have them finishing above the basement is because I think some of their players can really become stars in this league.

Alex DeBrincat is already a 40-plus-goal scorer, and there is plenty of talent throughout this roster.

But one of the biggest question marks is captain Dylan Larkin wanting out of Detroit.

That is a surprise to me because I felt like the entire Detroit community rallied around Dylan. It is going to be interesting to see what the Red Wings can get for him because I guarantee you, if he steps on the ice in a Red Wings uniform, those fans are going to boo him.

Toronto Maple Leafs — Projected: 85

Now, if you were to ask me yesterday if the Toronto Maple Leafs would be in last place in the Atlantic, I would have said yes.

But after what they have done this offseason, I think they can get themselves out of the basement in the East.

I really enjoy watching Auston Matthews play, and I like rooting for him, so it would be really cool to see him have another full season.

I think he is one of the best talents in the NHL when healthy. The Toronto fan base and the NHL deserve to see him play at full strength.

There has been something missing in Toronto since Mitch Marner signed his deal to go to Vegas. It has not been the same.

But now, the Maple Leafs have added No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, who could be an absolute superstar.

It is going to be really fun to watch McKenna and Matthews play together.

Ottawa Senators — Projected: 83

I have no clue what this team is going to be like this year.

I think they have a combination of young talent and veterans on their roster. I just don’t think they have enough juice to compete with some of the teams listed above.

Now, I could be wrong.

A young player could come up and show the world that they are here to stay. But outside of Dylan Cozens, I see a lot of question marks with this team.

Losing Brady Tkachuk is obviously a massive hole for Ottawa, both on the ice and in the locker room.

The Senators have made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons but making it three straight times in this Atlantic Division is going to be a serious challenge.