by Sean Murphy
Tuesday, Sep 26, 2023The NHL preseason is underway and the puck drops for real on the 2023-24 season in two weeks. As we march toward Opening Night on October 10th, I'll run through quick previews of all 32 teams, beginning with the Atlantic Division.
Odds to win division courtesy Draft Kings.
Toronto Maple Leafs (+200)
Yet another disappointing season is in the books for the Maple Leafs but here they are as the favorite to win the Atlantic Division once again, priced almost identically to what we saw at this time last year. We witnessed a sea change of sorts in Toronto during the offseason with GM Kyle Dubas shown the door. Brad Treliving seemingly has a much different vision in Toronto, bringing in a number of sandpaper guys including Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Reaves and Max Domi. There's no denying the Leafs are a much deeper team than they were last season but the jury is out as to whether they've accumulated any more talent. While the addition of John Klingberg to the blue line was a step in the right direction, Toronto will undoubtedly be looking to add a piece or two in that department as the season goes on. Joseph Woll stepped up and performed admirably between the pipes down the stretch last season and should push veteran Ilya Samsonov.
Boston Bruins (+350)
It's the end of an era in Boston as long-time captain Patrice Bergeron announced he was hanging up his skates this Summer. He is one of nine regulars that will need to be replaced this season although none of the other departures will have nearly the same impact. The good news for the Bruins is that they still boast top-end talent led by superstar David Pastrnak and newly-named captain Brad Marchand along with a steady if not spectacular defensive corps. The last line of defense for the B's is a bright spot as well with the duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman returning after a tremendous regular season but disappointing playoffs. Head coach Jim Montgomery is in his second year with the team and that should prove impactful.
Florida Panthers (+400)
The Panthers enjoyed a Cinderella run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last June but are being priced as the third-best team in crowded Atlantic Division for a reason. Florida will be forced to start the season without two of its best defensemen in Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. It also lost a mountain of a man on the back-end in Radko Gudas to the Ducks. That matters on a roster that isn't blessed with a ton of depth on the blue line, even with a number of offseason additions including veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Up front the Cats will once again be led by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Again, it's the depth, or lack thereof, that concerns me. In goal, Sergei Bobrovsky regained his form as the playoffs went on before faltering in the Final. He's not getting any younger and next in line is Spencer Knight, who missed last season after entering into the NHLPA Assistance Program, and Anthony Stolarz, who has yet to prove he can succeed at the big league level.
Tampa Bay Lightning (+600)
It's jarring to see the Lightning this far down the pecking order in the Atlantic Division. The salary cap hasn't been kind to the Bolts as they've been forced to move on from a number of key contributors in recent years, all but ending their chances of a true dynasty in South Florida. Again this offseason Tampa Bay lost a number of key cogs including Alex Killorn, Ross Colton and Ian Cole. The Lightning's list of additions features a number of workman-like players including veteran Conor Sheary. Of course, there's still plenty of reason for optimism as Tampa Bay remains star-studded, if not aging, up front and has a pair of defensive standouts in Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev. Unfortunately injuries have cost that blue line duo a number of games recently and keeping them healthy will be paramount this season. You have to figure goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is in for a strong bounce-back campaign after wearing down last season.
Buffalo Sabres (+900)
Keeping in mind, the Sabres were priced at +5700 to win the Atlantic Division at this time last year, perhaps they're poised to take a step in the right direction in 2023-24. The needle is definitely pointing up for this team offensively after a breakout year from the likes of Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens last season. With a nice mix of youth and experience on the blue line, including sophomore Owen Power who by all accounts is ready for a breakout season of his own, there's reason to be optimistic that Buffalo can at least contend for a playoff spot this season. Goaltending remains a big question mark with unproven talent between the pipes including prospect Devon Levi who the Sabres are hopeful can take hold of the starting gig. The biggest obstacle for Buffalo might just be the ultra-competitive nature of the Atlantic.
Ottawa Senators (+1100)
Alex DeBrincat's time in Ottawa was short-lived and as a result the Senators will be looking to replace a good chunk of offensive production from last year's team. Veteran Vladimir Tarasenko was brought in following a failed experiment in Manhattan but it appears he doesn't have a ton of tread left on his tires and I question how long he'll remain happy in Ottawa, especially if the team isn't winning. Much like the Sabres, there is a lot to like when it comes to the Sens with Brady Tkachuk coming off a superstar-caliber season and Jakob Chychrun one of the more underrated defenseman in the entire NHL. Joonas Korpisalo will be tasked with the starting job between the pipes - a position that has proven to be a revolving door in Ottawa in recent years.
Detroit Red Wings (+2500)
GM Steve Yzerman made a splash by acquiring Alex DeBrincat in the offseason but apart from that, he mostly made minor moves to improve the Red Wings perhaps only marginally this season. Few teams in the league boast less top-end talent than Detroit. It almost seems as if Dylan Larkin's time in the Motor City has been more or less wasted as he's in the prime of his career. There's no question Yzerman will eventually build a winner, just as he did in Tampa Bay, but it's going to take some time. Unless Ville Husso is able to pull a rabbit out of his hat in goal and the Wings blue line ends up over-achieving, this team will be hard-pressed to push for a playoff spot in the Atlantic as there just isn't enough firepower up front.
Montreal Canadiens (+20000)
The price says it all as the Canadiens are unlikely to climb the ranks in the Atlantic Division this season. The time will come where the Habs are once again considered a contender in the Eastern Conference but it's still likely 2-3 years off. Guys like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield will make Montreal a fun team to watch once again but there are a number of holes in the lineup that need to be plugged. I really like Martin St. Louis as a head coach and believe he's in it for the long haul. Unfortunately he's likely to see a number of key veterans dealt away over the course of the season as the Habs continue their rebuild. I do think we saw some addition by subtraction in the offseason with guys like Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Drouin moving elsewhere. Drouin in particular was never a fit in his home province. Expect plenty of wild, high-scoring games involving Montreal this season with the biggest question marks lying in its own end of the rink.
Odds to win division courtesy Draft Kings.
Toronto Maple Leafs (+200)
Yet another disappointing season is in the books for the Maple Leafs but here they are as the favorite to win the Atlantic Division once again, priced almost identically to what we saw at this time last year. We witnessed a sea change of sorts in Toronto during the offseason with GM Kyle Dubas shown the door. Brad Treliving seemingly has a much different vision in Toronto, bringing in a number of sandpaper guys including Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Reaves and Max Domi. There's no denying the Leafs are a much deeper team than they were last season but the jury is out as to whether they've accumulated any more talent. While the addition of John Klingberg to the blue line was a step in the right direction, Toronto will undoubtedly be looking to add a piece or two in that department as the season goes on. Joseph Woll stepped up and performed admirably between the pipes down the stretch last season and should push veteran Ilya Samsonov.
Boston Bruins (+350)
It's the end of an era in Boston as long-time captain Patrice Bergeron announced he was hanging up his skates this Summer. He is one of nine regulars that will need to be replaced this season although none of the other departures will have nearly the same impact. The good news for the Bruins is that they still boast top-end talent led by superstar David Pastrnak and newly-named captain Brad Marchand along with a steady if not spectacular defensive corps. The last line of defense for the B's is a bright spot as well with the duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman returning after a tremendous regular season but disappointing playoffs. Head coach Jim Montgomery is in his second year with the team and that should prove impactful.
Florida Panthers (+400)
The Panthers enjoyed a Cinderella run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last June but are being priced as the third-best team in crowded Atlantic Division for a reason. Florida will be forced to start the season without two of its best defensemen in Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. It also lost a mountain of a man on the back-end in Radko Gudas to the Ducks. That matters on a roster that isn't blessed with a ton of depth on the blue line, even with a number of offseason additions including veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Up front the Cats will once again be led by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Again, it's the depth, or lack thereof, that concerns me. In goal, Sergei Bobrovsky regained his form as the playoffs went on before faltering in the Final. He's not getting any younger and next in line is Spencer Knight, who missed last season after entering into the NHLPA Assistance Program, and Anthony Stolarz, who has yet to prove he can succeed at the big league level.
Tampa Bay Lightning (+600)
It's jarring to see the Lightning this far down the pecking order in the Atlantic Division. The salary cap hasn't been kind to the Bolts as they've been forced to move on from a number of key contributors in recent years, all but ending their chances of a true dynasty in South Florida. Again this offseason Tampa Bay lost a number of key cogs including Alex Killorn, Ross Colton and Ian Cole. The Lightning's list of additions features a number of workman-like players including veteran Conor Sheary. Of course, there's still plenty of reason for optimism as Tampa Bay remains star-studded, if not aging, up front and has a pair of defensive standouts in Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev. Unfortunately injuries have cost that blue line duo a number of games recently and keeping them healthy will be paramount this season. You have to figure goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is in for a strong bounce-back campaign after wearing down last season.
Buffalo Sabres (+900)
Keeping in mind, the Sabres were priced at +5700 to win the Atlantic Division at this time last year, perhaps they're poised to take a step in the right direction in 2023-24. The needle is definitely pointing up for this team offensively after a breakout year from the likes of Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens last season. With a nice mix of youth and experience on the blue line, including sophomore Owen Power who by all accounts is ready for a breakout season of his own, there's reason to be optimistic that Buffalo can at least contend for a playoff spot this season. Goaltending remains a big question mark with unproven talent between the pipes including prospect Devon Levi who the Sabres are hopeful can take hold of the starting gig. The biggest obstacle for Buffalo might just be the ultra-competitive nature of the Atlantic.
Ottawa Senators (+1100)
Alex DeBrincat's time in Ottawa was short-lived and as a result the Senators will be looking to replace a good chunk of offensive production from last year's team. Veteran Vladimir Tarasenko was brought in following a failed experiment in Manhattan but it appears he doesn't have a ton of tread left on his tires and I question how long he'll remain happy in Ottawa, especially if the team isn't winning. Much like the Sabres, there is a lot to like when it comes to the Sens with Brady Tkachuk coming off a superstar-caliber season and Jakob Chychrun one of the more underrated defenseman in the entire NHL. Joonas Korpisalo will be tasked with the starting job between the pipes - a position that has proven to be a revolving door in Ottawa in recent years.
Detroit Red Wings (+2500)
GM Steve Yzerman made a splash by acquiring Alex DeBrincat in the offseason but apart from that, he mostly made minor moves to improve the Red Wings perhaps only marginally this season. Few teams in the league boast less top-end talent than Detroit. It almost seems as if Dylan Larkin's time in the Motor City has been more or less wasted as he's in the prime of his career. There's no question Yzerman will eventually build a winner, just as he did in Tampa Bay, but it's going to take some time. Unless Ville Husso is able to pull a rabbit out of his hat in goal and the Wings blue line ends up over-achieving, this team will be hard-pressed to push for a playoff spot in the Atlantic as there just isn't enough firepower up front.
Montreal Canadiens (+20000)
The price says it all as the Canadiens are unlikely to climb the ranks in the Atlantic Division this season. The time will come where the Habs are once again considered a contender in the Eastern Conference but it's still likely 2-3 years off. Guys like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield will make Montreal a fun team to watch once again but there are a number of holes in the lineup that need to be plugged. I really like Martin St. Louis as a head coach and believe he's in it for the long haul. Unfortunately he's likely to see a number of key veterans dealt away over the course of the season as the Habs continue their rebuild. I do think we saw some addition by subtraction in the offseason with guys like Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Drouin moving elsewhere. Drouin in particular was never a fit in his home province. Expect plenty of wild, high-scoring games involving Montreal this season with the biggest question marks lying in its own end of the rink.
