NFL
By: Greg Rector
The poorly named Atlantic Division (Only the Florida Panthers are on the Atlantic Ocean) features both Stanley Cup finalists from last season in the Montreal Canadiens and the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning, along with Toronto, Boston, and Detroit ( Four of the old Original Six franchises) That’s why I prefer calling this the Classic Division, but I digress, As with the other division previews I will go from the bottom to the top as I see this division unfolding for the 2021-2022 season.
Buffalo Sabres
What a mess in upstate New York. Their best player Jack Eichel has a neck injury and he and the team are at an impasse on what surgery/treatment should be done. Eichel has therefore demanded to be traded. After 10 straight non-playoff seasons there’s not much to look forward to with this group. The owner Terry Pegula gets an A+ for what he’s done in turning around the NFL’s Bills, but the F grade for the Sabres. The Sabres can’t attract free agents, have drafted poorly overall, and the management teams brought in haven’t found the answers. This years top draft pick, Owen Power opted to return to the NCAA rather than enter this quagmire.
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings legend and GM Steve Yzerman, who helped build the Lightning into a powerhouse has his work cut out for him in bringing the Red Wings back to prominence. The rebuilding process will take some time and Yzerman will be given a long leash by Red Wing fans. Tyler Bertuzzi the team’s most prominent player has opted to not get vaccinated. That means he will not be allowed across the Canadian border for the Wings 9 games in Canada. That will cost him about $450,000 in salary as well. The Wings have some pieces in place but won’t challenge for the playoffs this year.
Ottawa Senators
Much like Pegula in Buffalo, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has for years been a stumbling block for the Senators franchise. Embroiled in a 3rd attempt at bringing the Senators an arena actually in Ottawa (They play in a satellite city Kanata) Melnyk’s off-ice problems have long affected the on-ice product. Former Penguins netminder Matt Murray and a talented young group of defensemen that helped turned the Senators around somewhat last year after a disastrous start, bring some hope on the ice. They also have gritty Brady Tkachuk upfront who should be signed to a new deal shortly. They won’t be pushovers but do need more scoring punch to be a playoff team.
Montreal Canadiens
Les Canadiens excited Canadian hockey fans from coast to coast with their surprising run to the Stanley Cup finals. Trouble s they lost Tatar, Perry, and Danault to free agency. Carey Price long the best big-game goaltender in the world was simply exhausted by the time they got to the finals, Price is fantastic however when the Canadiens do fall behind they simply don’t have the firepower needed to recover. That’s why Jake Allen will also get plenty of games in goal for the Canadiens. Their biggest loss is Captain Shea Weber, who will miss the entire season and many think his career may be over, he’s dealing with several injuries. They could challenge for a playoff spot but I feel they will fall short.
Boston Bruins
A veteran-laden roster with Patrice Bergeron, Taylor Hall, and Brad Marchand leading the way the Bruins will just fine upfront. Tuuka Rask the longtime netminder is recovering from hip surgery and may not return as he is also an unrestricted free agent. Enter Linus Ullmark who escaped Buffalo. The Bruins will not have one of the game’s most underrated players in David Krejci though as he opted to end his NHL career after 15 years and is playing back in the Czech Republic. I believe this is the last hurrah for Bergeron in Boston. They could flip spots with Montreal. The Bruins will need to remain healthy in order to sneak into the playoffs.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Long-suffering Leaf’s fans suffered another ignominious ending to a playoff run last year. When the Canadiens stormed back from a 3 to 1 series deficit to oust Toronto from the playoffs the Stanley Cup drought was extended to 54 years. The hits kept coming as their young core was hit thanks to the salary cap. Zach Hyman left via free agency for Edmonton. So Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner remain. Goaltender Frederik Andersen also left town.Peter Mrazek is now the hope between the pipes. The rest of the roster is good enough that the Leafs will make the playoffs. I believe their veteran defense corps though will be challenged to keep up against some rosters.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Still, plenty of talent remains even after losing several key players to free agency and trading away Tyler Johnson. Stamkos and Kucherov upfront along with world-class goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, still make the Lightning a formidable foe on a nightly basis. The deep defense corps is still there as well, led by Victor Hedman. Nasty veteran Corey Perry couldn’t beat them with Montreal so he decided t join them via free agency. His game simply translates into playoff hockey. They will challenge to make it a three-peat of Stanley Cup titles.
Florida Panthers
Many might forget the Panthers finished ahead of Tampa last season. They will again in my opinion. This roster is scary good offensively led by the likes of Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anthony Duclair, and Brandon Montour. They only added to it by signing Sam Reinhart in free agency. For good measure and leadership, they added 42-year-old Jumbo Joe Thornton, who left Toronto in the hopes of joining a team for the elusive Stanley Cup ring that he has never been able to get. Sergei Bobrovsky is in goal and the Panthers have a team that should be in the fight for a President’s Trophy.
