Detroit — An argument could be made the NHL’s Atlantic Division has been the league’s deepest the last several seasons.
Five teams made the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, Boston and Ottawa claiming the two wild-card spots after the top three automatic berths from the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions.
The Metropolitan is deeper this season, but it’s difficult to say the Atlantic has gotten much weaker.
Florida has assembled a roster ready to make another Stanley Cup run, while Tampa Bay looks capable of another championship sprint, and Montreal and Buffalo look like new powerhouses.
Where does that leave the Red Wings?
Until captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request is either fulfilled, or not, will make an obvious impact on the Wings’ present lineup. Who will make that decision, after the decision to move Steve Yzerman from his general manager’s role, is also yet unknown. What options the new GM will have this late in the summer to upgrade the roster is also unclear.
Regardless of what is done, though, the Wings’ path to move up the Atlantic standings will be difficult.
Here is a look at where the division stands deep in the summer, in order of last season’s final standings:
Buffalo, 50-23-9, 109 points (2025-26 record) — The defending division champions were eliminated in Game 7 of the second round by Montreal, ending a 14-year playoff drought and raising expectations going forward. The Sabres should be good, but they’ve taken a hit this summer. They traded forward Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, as both weren’t going to re-sign and stay in Buffalo. and haven’t clearly replaced them. Buffalo is banking on young players such as forwards Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius — all of whom excelled in the playoffs — and newly acquired defensemen Olen Zellweger and Louis Creiver to further progress.
Tampa Bay, 50-26-6, 106 points — The Lightning are another year older, but does anyone really suspect the Lightning to slip much. If at all. Tampa lost defenseman Darren Raddysh in free agency, but signed John Carlson to replace Raddysh, which might even be an upgrade. If defenseman Victor Hedman returns to form, the defense will be elite. The deep forward group already is superb, led by NHL MVP NIkita Kucherov, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is coming off a second Vezina Trophy (best goaltender). Tampa has been eliminated in the first round four consecutive seasons after winning two Stanley Cups. The motivation is there.
Montreal, 48-24-10, 106 points — Montreal has remained quiet this summer other than re-signing forward Ivan Demidov and goaltender Jakub Dobes (who was a revelation in the playoffs). Reaching the Eastern Conference finals, Montreal showed it’s not far away from being a Stanley Cup contender. This is a young roster that has matured together and the payoff of a championship doesn’t seem far away. If the Canadiens can add one more offensive threat, this lineup could be complete.
Boston, 45-27-10, 100 points — The Bruins were a minor surprise last season and give coach Marco Sturm credit for the way he got the most out of this roster. Forward David Pastrnak continues on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goaltender Jeremy Swayman are elite players. The Bruins added enough and built superbly around that trio and are looking to do it again. Forward JJ Peterka replaces Viktor Arvidsson (who signed with the Wings), and rookie forward James Hagens is being counted on heavily. There’s room for internal growth, too. Discount the Bruins at your own risk.
Ottawa, 44-27-11, 99 points — The Senators are a mystery. Trading captain Brady Tkachuk, who wasn’t going to commit to a long-term contract, and not getting any NHL players in return hurt. But this lineup was deep last season and was able to succeed over a long Tkachuk slump post-Olympics. Ottawa did well to acquire forward William Eklund, who can partially offset the loss of Tkachuk. There’s still a lot of talent in Ottawa, and as long as goaltender Linus Ullmark remains healthy — always a question mark — the Senators might not miss Tkachuk as much as many people believe.
Detroit, 41-31-10, 92 points — Until the Larkin saga is decided, and whether Larkin is traded or kept on the roster, and who makes that decision with Yzerman no longer general manager (and his replacement yet unnamed) it’s difficult to know where the Wings stand in this division. With Larkin and possibly adding one more winger with goal-scoring ability, this lineup could possibly battle late in the season for a playoff berth. But if Larkin is traded, then the teardown begins with potential unrestricted free agents John Gibson, Justin Faulk, Alex DeBrincat and Andrew Copp all probably being traded at the deadline, the Wings would sink fast. Either way, you get the feeling the Wings are going to be closer to the bottom than the top.
Florida, 40-38-4, 84 points — With the addition of Tkachuk, to play alongside his brother Matthew, and return of forward Aleksander Barkov (missed entire season to knee surgery), the Panthers are loaded for a potential third Stanley Cup title in the last four years. Injuries decimated this roster, but everyone is back healthy and motivated. The top nine forwards are as deep as any teams’ in recent years. The only concerns? Is goaltender Jacob Markstrom an upgrade over Sergei Bobrovsky, who left in free agency, and in an increasingly fast NHL, this roster isn’t quick. But it has every other possible ingredient and then some.
Toronto, 32-36-14, 78 points — Last place to first? Not likely, but definitely a climb to a top-three spot seems possible. Give GM John Chayka credit for revamping a disappointing roster and giving the Leafs a terrific jolt. Winning the draft lottery and selecting forward Gavin McKenna was a tremendous stroke of luck. Toronto added the best free agent goaltender (Bobrovsky) and defenseman (Raddysh) on the market, then added more speed and grit in their bottom-six forward group. If forward Auston Matthews reverts to a 40- or 50-goal scorer, this Leafs lineup could be sneaky real good.
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: NHL’s Atlantic looks deep, unforgiving as Wings await major decisions
Reporting by Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
