Who got better? Who got worse? Who is coming in Neutral? An updated look at the Atlantic Division
The NHL off-season is definitely a mixed bag. Sure, we get blockbuster trades that include game breaking players and big time free agent signings, but when we hit the dog days of summer, hockey news can be hard to come by.
With that in mind and with the 2022-2023 season just around the corner, it might be worthwhile to take a look at which Atlantic Division teams made the most of their offseason. So, who got better, who got worse and who stayed close to the same? We'll start with who looks like they took a massive turn and not necessarily for the better.
The Florida Panthers:
Now, the 2022 Presidents Trophy winners won't drop out of the playoff picture, but it's likely that they won't be nearly as dominant offensively and defensively. Losing Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Claude Giroux and Mason Marchment is going to hurt the Panthers. Gaining Matthew Tkachuk is great, but they will definitely feel those losses - particularly Weegar, who played a ton of big minutes in all situations for the Panthers. The most alarming thing about the loss of Weegar is that they didn't replace him with anyone who is capable of filling his minutes.
Next we'll take a look at a team who undoubtedly improved their club this summer. The Ottawa Senators are definitely worthy of some acknowledgement in this category, but due to the fact that they did not address their issues on the blueline, this year might be another rough one for the Sens - even with the additions of Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux and Cam Talbot. Another Atlantic Division club, however, certainly saw a vast improvement this summer.
The Detroit Red Wings:
The Wings are coming into this season looking a lot stronger and deeper up front, having brought in David Perron, Andrew Copp and Dominik Kubalik, but that's not all the Wings did with their cap space. They also addressed a need on the blueline, signing veteran defender Ben Chiarot and swung a deal with the St. Louis Blues for goalie Ville Husso, subsequently signing him to a 3-year deal. With Calder Trophy Winner Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond also expected to take another big step forward, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Wings challenge for a Wild Card spot this year.
Last but not least, we'll touch on a team who has largely stayed the same. While the Boston Bruins could fit the bill here, injuries to several key players could end up costing the Bruins a lot of points to start the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning also, more or less, stayed the exact same, but for the purpose of this piece, we'll focus on the team who has the most to lose this season if they don't take a big step forward.
The Toronto Maple Leafs:
With the trade for Matt Murray and the UFA signing of 25-year-old Ilya Samsonov, you could make an argument on both sides that the Leafs either upgraded in goal or face the same questions that they did last season, with an oft-injured netminder (Mrazek) and another goalie who has struggled a lot with consistency (Campbell). Honestly, in a vacuum, the Leafs are probably looking at an upgrade over last year, given how much both Campbell and Mrazek had struggled. But, naturally, nothing is a sure thing and goaltenders are complete voodoo, so who knows?
The Leafs also lost a pair of middle six forwards in Ilya Mikheyev and Ondrej Kase to free agency, both of whom are defensively responsible and can provide some valuable secondary scoring. Fortunately, GM Kyle Dubas went out and brought in Calle Jarnkok and Nicolas Aube-Kubel to replace them. Sure, Aube-Kubel and Jarnkrok may not score at a 30-goal pace, but in Aube-Kubel, they're bringing in a relentless forechecker and a complete wrecking ball who throws over 11 hits per 60 minutes and will have guys looking over their shoulder. Meanwhile, Jarnkrok is also a solid two-way forward who excels on the forecheck and can contribute on the penalty kill. He also comes in at over $2.6M less per season than Mikheyev and those savings are valuable. Aube-Kubel and Jarnkrok are very different from Kase and Mikheyev, but are probably equally valuable for what they bring to the table.
Some other notable moves include Colin Blackwell and Ilya Lyubushkin going out and Adam Gaudette coming in. The loss of Lyubushkin on the blueline should be offset by a full season of both Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin. The Leafs did also add Jordie Benn and Victor Mete, so perhaps Benn can replace some of the physicality and intensity that the Leafs are losing in Lyubushkin, but Dubas has also commented about wanting to bring in another right side defender with some bite to his game, so perhaps he is not done.
Plenty of lateral moves by the Leafs and maybe some slight improvements, but to be honest, this same core led the Leafs to a fourth place finish last season, so even if they haven't improved a ton, they'll still have a shot at winning the Atlantic Division.
Here are some other teams who have gotten better, worse and stayed the same this summer:
| POLL | ||
AOUT 16 | 497 ANSWERS Who got better? Who got worse? Who is coming in Neutral? An updated look at the Atlantic Division Who will win the Atlantic Division this year? | ||
| Florida Panthers | 74 | 14.9 % |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 97 | 19.5 % |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 270 | 54.3 % |
| Other | 56 | 11.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
