The dust has finally settled and the dog days of summer are in full swing. With free agent frenzy wrapped up and the market being thinned out, the pieces for each team has fallen into place.
There have been teams deemed offseason winners. Some that come to mind are the New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators. Another team that made waves is the Boston Bruins. They managed to sign Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, which bolstered the depth at center and on defense. Also, the team traded goalie Linus Ullmark and receiver Joonas Korpisalo and a first-round draft pick. The Bruins did not have to do a ton, as the core group is already assembled. However, they are a better team heading into 2024-25 than in 2023-24.
The Bruins play in the Atlantic Division, which saw each team shuffle the deck with adding and subtracting. Given the moves made, it’s time to see how the Bruins stack up in the Atlantic Division.
Buffalo Sabres
Additions: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Sam Lafferty, Beck Malenstyn, Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker, James Reimer
Subtractions: Zemgus Girgensons, Tyson Jost, Victor Olafsson, Eric Robinson, Matthew Savoie, Jeff Skinner, Eric Comrie
What an offseason for the Buffalo Sabres. First order of business was welcoming back former head coach Lindy Ruff. General Manager Kevyn Adams went on to shuffle the deck and bolster the roster.
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Depth players moved on, but the more puzzling move was parting ways with Jeff Skinner. The Sabres bought out the remaining three years of his contract, which should make room for younger players such as Zach Benson to step up.
When it came to adding, the team signed experienced forward Jason Zucker, who will be a huge veteran presence to what is a young Sabres hockey team. The biggest set of fireworks came when the team acquired Ryan McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers and sent prospect Matthew Savoie the other way.
The Sabres are heavy at the top of the lineup, led by Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens. By adding McLeod, it gives them balance on the roster. McLeod is a solid two way center and brings much-needed depth; with increased minutes, his production should rise. McLeod did finish with a 50.8% faceoff win percentage too, which is good to have. Adding depth players such as Sam Lafferty and Beck Malenstyn should round out the roster but the heavy load will need to be carried by the top players.
The Sabres are a team on the rise everyone is waiting for to emerge onto the scene. They are a step behind the Bruins, but not as far away from contention as it may seem. It is all about putting things together and taking the next steps as a hockey team.
Detroit Red Wings
Additions: Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrick Kane (re-signed), Tyler Motte, Erik Gustafsson, Jack Campbell, Cam Talbot, William Lagesson
Subtractions: Zach Aston-Reese, Robby Fabbri, David Perron, Daniel Sprong, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jake Walman, James Reimer
The “Yzer-plan” is quite a puzzling one, to say the least. Parting ways with defenseman Jake Walman was a puzzling move, as he was a good player for the Red Wings. The team also saw key contributors such as David Perron and Daniel Sprong leave the club. Also, Shayne Gostisbehere returned to the Carolina Hurricanes for his second stint in “Raleighwood.” The subtractions were glaring, but the additions could soften the blow.
Bringing back Patrick Kane was a no-brainer decision. Since returning from hip surgery, Kane looked like a new player and didn’t skip a beat. In 50 games with the club, he finished the 2023-24 season with 47 points. Now with a full 82-game season coming up, he should pick up where he left off. Kane will be reunited with Vladimir Tarasenko, who signed a two-year contract with the team. Adding Tarasenko should help bring much-needed scoring depth to the lineup. Losing Gostisbehere hurts, as he provided a major boost in production from the back end. His ability to seamlessly transition the play forward and help quarterback the power play will be missed.
Although, the club did add veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Like Gostisbehere, he is a good puck mover and can help push the play forward. Also, he is much more affordable. The more puzzling move was adding two goalies to the mix. It is not a position of strength, but having Jack Campbell, Cam Talbot, Ville Husso, and Alex Lyon is a lot. Competition is a good thing and Talbot is coming off a strong season with the Los Angeles Kings.
The team still has money to spend, but needs to ink Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Overall the Red Wings are in good shape and should be right in the playoff mix like they were during the 2023-24 season. The Bruins are a better team than the Red Wings, but they’ll be a problem in the division and will compete hard.
Florida Panthers
Additions: Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek, Adam Boqvist, Nate Schmidt
Subtractions: Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Ryan Lomberg, Kevin Stenlund, Josh Mahura, Anthony Stolarz, Kyle Okposo, Vladimir Tarasenko
When you are a good hockey team and with multiple good players, you unfortunately cannot keep everyone. Tough decisions always have to be made in a salary cap world and that was the case for the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Depth players departed who played key roles, but losing Brandon Montour was a tough pill to swallow. His ability to move the puck and provide offense was a huge boost for the Panthers. The consolation prize? They managed to hang on to Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe.
Related: Bruins’ Forward Lines After Initial Free Agency Moves
The Panthers opted to bring in value free agent signings, taking a page out of the Bruins playbook from the season prior. With little money to spend, it’s about adding quality depth and that’s where they went. They even plucked a few former Bruins in the process. Jesper Boqvist will bring tremendous speed and skill to the bottom half of the lineup. In the attempt to maintain their physical edge, signing A.J. Greer makes a ton of sense and the same goes with the addition of Nosek. The best value signing was Nate Schmidt, who will be a great depth addition to the new-look blue line, as was as Adam Boqvist.
For the Bruins and their attempt to take down the champions, they’ll stack up nicely. The Panthers will be the cream of the crop in the division, but they’ve certainly taken a hit with the players they’ve lost.
Montreal Canadiens
Additions: Juraj Slafkovsky (extension)
Patience is a virtue and what the Montreal Canadiens are building is special. This is a team the Bruins won’t have to worry about when it comes to fighting for playoff position. However, their time is coming soon and the pieces are beginning to fall into place.
The Canadiens did not do a ton during free agency and with their offseason moves. Their biggest prize was signing Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year contract extension. He made the proper strides in his development and is now a long-term piece to the puzzle. He played in all 82 games this season and scored 20 goals and 50 points — inking him long-term was a great “buy-in move” by the Canadiens front office. Standout young defensive prospect Lane Hutson should crack the opening night roster. Having Hutson, Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Kirby Dach is a nice place to start. They may not contend just yet, but they will be a fun dynamic team to watch.
Ottawa Senators
Additions: Linus Ullmark (trade), Michael Amadio, Shane Pinto (re-signed), Nick Jensen (trade), David Perron
Subtractions: Mark Kastelic, Jakob Chychrun, Erik Brannstrom, Dominik Kubalik, Joonas Korpisalo
Much like the Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators have the pieces in place. It is all about them putting those pieces together and taking the next steps as a hockey team. The team opted to trade Jakob Chychrun to the Washington Capitals and received shutdown defenseman Nick Jensen in return. It may not have been the return they wanted, but on an expiring deal it is a good grab. Their forward group got stronger: David Perron is a pesky forward who brings a physical edge to the lineup. Also, he is a good depth scorer, as he is coming off two strong seasons with the Red Wings. The biggest addition, though, was getting a real goaltender.
The Senators brought in Linus Ullmark from the Bruins and this was a move that HAD to be made. During the 2023-24 season, the Senators finished 31st in team save percentage (.884). Joonas Korpisalo was one of the worst goalies all season and his long-term deal looked ugly right away. Out goes Korpisalo and in comes Ullmark. Ullmark was stellar for the Bruins and won the Vezina Trophy during the 2022-23 season. He posted another strong season in 2023-24, with a 2.57 goals against average and .915 save percentage.
With the core group up front and the players in place, a reliable goalie could propel the Senators into the playoff picture.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Additions: Cam Atkinson, Jake Guentzel, Zemgus Girgensons, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser
Subtractions: Anthony Duclair, Tanner Jeannot, Tyler Motte, Steven Stamkos, Calvin de Haan, Matt Dumba, Mikhail Sergachev
The Tampa Bay Lightning are an interesting group to monitor. They’ve lost some key pieces that played a crucial role to their success. However, no loss is greater than Steven Stamkos. It’s truly hard to picture him in another jersey and he is a player who should have been a lifer in Tampa Bay. Things did not work out that way and he is now a proud member of the Nashville Predators.
The subtractions came with additions to help soften the blows. Ryan McDonagh was brought back and will slot in on the second pair. Trading Sergachev was the biggest blow, but having McDonagh in the mix and getting a young piece in J.J. Moser was a good grab. A new top line is in order for the Lightning, as top free-agent target Jake Guentzel signed a long-term deal.
Guentzel is a major addition and will slot next to Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Guentzel showed he can play with players not named Sidney Crosby and still produce. After joining the Hurricanes at the trade deadline, he developed good chemistry with Sebastian Aho. In 15 games, that line generated 9.58 expected goals for and averaged 3.16 expected goals for per 60 minutes. Guentzel became a point-per-game player for the Hurricanes and had nine points in 11 playoff games.
Losing Stamkos is a major blow, but adding a high-caliber player like Guentzel softens it a bit. Overall, the Lightning are going to be fine and going to be a team the Bruins fight with for seeding come playoff time. When you have a core of Point, Kucherov, Victor Hedman, McDonagh, Brandon Hagel, and Andrei Vasilevskiy, the show will still go on.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Additions: Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, Max Domi (re-signed), Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Subtractions: Tyler Bertuzzi, Ilya Samsonov, TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, Joel Edmundson, Martin Jones
There are certainly some key subtractions from this roster and that doesn’t include the coaching change. Out the door is Sheldon Keefe and in the door is Craig Berube. Losing Tyler Bertuzzi hurts the depth scoring up front, but the team desperately needed reinforcements on the blue line and that’s what they got in return.
General Manager Brad Treliving finally got his defenseman in Chris Tanev. He is the perfect top-four shutdown d-man the team needs. Also, he can eat big minutes and be a good complementary piece for Morgan Rielly. With the team needing more offense from the back end, they added Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Not only was he fresh off winning the Stanley Cup, but also his best offensive season since 2018-19. Bringing back Max Domi made all the sense in the world. He is a tough player to play against, can play in multiple situations, and brings depth up the middle Also, Domi was tied for the most points in the playoffs for the Maple Leafs.
One thing that has seemed to plague the Maple Leafs is their goaltending. The tandem they have in place with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz does look good. Woll has shown promise in his young career and received a three-year contract extension because of it. Stolarz was brilliant with the Panthers. He had a 2.03 goals against average, .925 save percentage, and finished third in the league in goals saved above expected (20.1). There is no doubt the Maple Leafs will be a playoff team and be fighting with the Bruins for playoff seeding the entire season.
Where the Bruins Stand
After evaluating what the division did in terms of moves this offseason, the Bruins stack up nicely against them. Even though the Bruins suffered the departures of Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, and Ullmark, they are a better and deeper team than last season.
You’ll see teams like the Sabres, Red Wings, and Senators look to take the next steps forward. Also, you’ll see the same four teams that have been the division’s powerhouses fighting for the crown. The Bruins match up nicely against the Panthers, Lightning, and Maple Leafs and should be in prime position to win the division. Those teams will be threats, but the Bruins can compete with them.
