Let's do some more hockey

The NHL off-season is in full swing following the Entry Draft and free agency. There will probably be other roster moves before the start of the 2018-19 season, but it has been relatively quiet and it’s a good time to examine how teams currently stand with training camps drawing closer.

Part One will start with the top five teams in the Atlantic Division based on the standings from the 2017-18 campaign.

Tampa Bay Lightning

2017-18 Finish: 54-23-5 record, Eastern Conference Final loss to Washington (4-3)

Noteworthy Gains: N/A

Noteworthy Losses: Chris Kunitz

Biggest Strength: Tampa Bay has a deep and talented roster, especially up front. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov formed a dynamic and dangerous duo in 2017-18, while Brayden Point stepped up on the second line and Yanni Gourde exceeded expectations during his rookie season. The Lightning were in the hunt for John Tavares and the team has been linked to superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson, but there hasn’t been much roster movement during the off-season. Tampa Bay locked up Kucherov to an eight-year, $76 million contract, while agreeing to extensions with former Rangers J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh on five- and seven-year deals, respectively.

Biggest Weakness: Tampa Bay is not a team that had many issues in 2017-18, but the penalty kill was a problem for the club all year. The Lightning placed 28th in the league with a 76.1 penalty kill percentage. Tampa Bay surrendered 64 power-play goals against, which was the second-highest total in the NHL. It didn’t get any better in the postseason and will likely be something that is addressed early in training camp. Andrei Vasilevskiy had an .865 power play save percentage. He struggled in the second half of the season, which relates to a less-pressing area of concern. Vasilevskiy was third in Vezina Trophy voting despite posting a .902 save percentage and 3.37 goals-against average in 25 appearances following the All-Star break. The 24-year-old netminder bounced back in the playoffs and should pick up where he left off in 2018-19 as one of the top fantasy options between the pipes. However, if there are consistency issues then it could become something to monitor.

Player to Watch: Miller is worth keeping an eye on, as he could have great sleeper value in 2018-19. He spent time alongside Stamkos and Kucherov shortly after his arrival from the Rangers. Miller had 10 goals and 18 points in 19 regular-season outings with the Lightning. His production slowed in the playoffs and he was dropped down the depth chart, but a return to Tampa Bay’s top-six forward group could lead to a breakout performance.

Boston Bruins

2017-18 Finish: 50-20-12 record, second round loss to Tampa Bay (4-1)

Noteworthy Gains: John Moore, Jaroslav Halak

Noteworthy Losses: Rick Nash, Riley Nash, Anton Khudobin

Biggest Strength: Boston boasts one of the best top lines in the league with Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron leading the charge. They have the ability to take total control of the game in all situations. All three members of the combination scored at least 30 goals last season, while Marchand and Pastrnak both managed to reach the 80-point plateau.

Biggest Weakness: The Bruins rely a great deal on the trio of Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak for offense. The next closest player to their offensive totals last season was defenseman Torey Krug, who had 59 points in 76 games. Boston didn’t have another skater reach the 50-point mark in 2017-18. Rookie forwards Danton Heinen (47 points) and Jake DeBrusk (43 points) need to continue to progress this year to provide some much-need secondary scoring. A healthy David Krejci should be able to reach the 50-plus points, but the team has to get more out of a young group that showed flashes of promise last campaign.

Player to Watch: DeBrusk and Heinen are intriguing talents, but Ryan Donato should garner plenty of attention in what could be his first full season at the NHL level. He was used sparingly in the playoffs, while appearing in only three contests, but he looked great when placed in increased roles during the regular season. Donato produced four of his nine points in 12 appearances on the power play. He could be dangerous if given more opportunities in that spot this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs

2017-18 Finish: 49-26-7 record, first round loss to Boston (4-3)

Noteworthy Gains: John Tavares

Noteworthy Losses: James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak

Biggest Strength: Toronto has a high-octane offense that attacks with speed and skill. The Leafs’ depth down the middle following the signing of big-ticket free agent John Tavares will create line mismatches that not many teams can. The ability to roll out a combination of Tavares and Mitch Marner as well as a pairing of Auston Matthews and William Nylander will create problems for opposing teams. Toronto will have also have Nazem Kadri, who has topped 30 goals in each of his last two seasons, waiting on the third line. Toronto’s offensive capabilities will have potential fantasy owners salivating going into the season despite the losses of van Riemsdyk and Bozak.

Biggest Weakness: Toronto’s defense remains an area of concern. The Leafs often struggle to move the puck efficiently out of their own end and rely too much on Frederik Andersen to bail them out of unfavorable situations. Toronto permitted the fourth-most shots against per game (33.9) last season and Andersen was frequently under siege. The Leafs need a much better effort from Nikita Zaitsev and for some members of the AHL Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies to impress to turn things around if outside help doesn’t come.

Player to Watch: Watching what Tavares does in his first season with his hometown team will be interesting, but Andreas Johnsson could have some great under-the-radar value. He is poised to get a larger role with the Maple Leafs this year after he skated in nine games with the big club at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. He was named the MVP of the AHL postseason and could open the season on the third line with Kadri. Johnsson is also a candidate to see time on one of Toronto’s potent power-play units. There are vacancies that he and Tavares could fill alongside Marner and Kadri, which would be huge for his fantasy value.

Florida Panthers

2017-18 Finish: 44-30-8 record, 9th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Mike Hoffman

Noteworthy Losses: N/A

Biggest Strength: It can be argued that Florida’s offense is a bit top heavy, but the ability to roll out centers the likes of Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck is a tremendous benefit. Adding Mike Hoffman to a winger group that possesses Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov will give the Panthers plenty of firepower on the top-two lines.

Biggest Weakness: Florida’s defense had their fair share of struggles in their own end, though, while permitting the third-most shots against in the league (34.6). The health of Roberto Luongo has become a concern. He played in 35 games last season and at the age of the 39 there is plenty of risk there for more ailments with long recovery times. James Reimer struggled to maintain the crease at times in Luongo’s absence. If injuries for Luongo and Reimer’s battle with consistency becomes a pattern that continues for a third straight year then Florida could be in trouble again when it comes to competing for a playoff spot.

Player to Watch: Henrik Borgstrom and Owen Tippett will have plenty of eyes on them at training camp, as they look to claim bottom-six roles on the club. They have the scoring talent to be impact players, but the most fascinating player to watch will be Hoffman. The off-ice issues concerning his fiancee and the Karlsson family resulted in his departure from Ottawa, but the Panthers insist he will be welcomed with open arms. Hoffman is loaded with offensive ability and pairing him with Trocheck could be big for Florida.

Detroit Red Wings

2017-18 Finish: 30-39-13 record, 13th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Thomas Vanek, Filip Zadina, Jonathan Bernier

Noteworthy Losses: N/A

Biggest Strength: Detroit had a great draft in 2018 highlighted by selections of Zadina at No. 6 and Joe Veleno at No. 30. The Red Wings were led in scoring by 21-year-old Dylan Larkin’s 63 points and Anthony Mantha, who will turn 24 in September, topped the team with 24 goals.  There is still plenty of work to do to restock the organization's cupboard with talent, but that’s an encouraging group of young forwards that Detroit can build around.

Biggest Weakness: Despite some good building blocks, Detroit is a team that still lacks star power. The offense struggled in 2017-18 with 2.59 goals for per game, which ranked 28th overall in the league, and the Wings placed 25th with 30.4 shots per match.  Detroit brought back Vanek and he could help offensively.  However, Henrik Zetterberg's health could complicate matters if he ends up missing action due to a back problem. The club also surrendered 3.10 goals against per contest, which was better than just seven other teams.  Mike Green re-signed with Detroit, which was important for a team that doesn't get much production from the blueline, and Bernier was added to bring a veteran presence to the crease.  Still, another season near the bottom of the standings and a successful draft would go a long way to helping the rebuild.

Player to Watch: Filip Zadina wasn’t expected to fall to the sixth overall pick and the Red Wings were thrilled that he did. He has game-breaking ability and a player with his skill set could immediately help a team starved for offensive contributors. Zadina is also eligible to be assigned to the minors, which gives Detroit some added flexibility when dealing with his development. Still, the best place for him is probably a top-six role with the big club where he can learn on the job and help the team in key situations.

Let's do some hockey

Montreal Canadiens

2017-18 Finish: 29-40-13 record, 14th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Max Domi, Joel Armia, Tomas Plekanec

Noteworthy Losses: Alex Galchenyuk

Biggest Strength: Carey Price struggled last season, while posting career lows in goals-against average (3.11) and save percentage (.900), but he remains the most important player on the roster and should be able to prove that was an aberration. Antti Niemi played well for the Canadiens after he was bounced between teams earlier in 2017-18. They have the potential to be a decent goaltending duo for a Montreal team that has glaring problems on defense and offense. Price will have to recapture the form he had in previous years when his ability to steal wins was among the best in the league.

Biggest Weakness: As previously mentioned, Montreal ranked near the bottom of the league in goals for per game (29th overall) and goals against per game (25th overall). Shea Weber’s absence for most of the year left a significant hole on the back end and he may not be available to play in 2018-19 until at least mid-December. It’s been well-documented that the Canadiens lack depth down the middle and that wasn’t addressed during the off-season. That will hold true even if 2018 first-round pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who was selected third overall, makes the roster.

Player to Watch: Kotkaniemi will make for an intriguing story to monitor, but Jonathan Drouin is a key player who has to step up in 2018-19. Drouin had trouble adjusting to center during his first season with Montreal. He also failed to make an impact on the scoresheet with 13 goals and 46 points in 77 games. Much more will be expected from him this year, especially after he made some progress late last season.

Ottawa Senators

2017-18 Finish: 28-43-11 record, 15th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Mikkel Boedker

Noteworthy Losses: Mike Hoffman, Alex Burrows

Biggest Strength: There hasn’t been much to be excited about in the land of the Ottawa Senators this off-season. Problems on and off the ice plagued the team throughout the year and they have carried over into the summer. A bright spot is that they haven’t rushed into a trade involving Erik Karlsson. There was plenty of trade speculation surrounding the superstar defender last month, but he remains with the organization for now. If Ottawa insists on trading him then the return will need to provide immediate help as well as add something for the future. They can’t afford to mishandle this situation.

Biggest Weakness: Uncertainty surrounds Ottawa beyond the fate of their team captain. Mark Stone has a possible salary arbitration hearing around the corner. He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer if an arbitrator rules on the deal, which can only be a one-year agreement. Cody Ceci recently had his hearing with the Senators to try to settle his next contract. Matt Duchene is also eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2018-19 campaign. They are all integral pieces who need to be taken care of by Ottawa promptly. Brady Tkachuk expects to make his decision to turn pro or play college hockey by August 12. The Senators hope to see him at training camp. Aside from contractual problems, the Senators will have to find a way to keep the puck out their net this year after the team finished with the second-worst goals against per game (3.46) last season.

Player to Watch: Tkachuk will get chances to produce as a top-six forward if he decides to join the NHL. Another player who could get opportunities is Colin White. He is a skilled player who can succeed at both ends of the ice. White was granted some time on Ottawa’s top line during the 2017-18 campaign. If he receives more opportunities like that then he could be in store for a productive rookie season.

Buffalo Sabres

2017-18 Finish: 25-45-12 record, 16th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Dahlin, Patrik Berglund, Conor Sheary, Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, Carter Hutton

Noteworthy Losses: Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner, Chad Johnson

Biggest Strength: It’s a case of out with the old, in with the new for the Sabres. The roster will have a different look this coming season with Skinner, Berglund, Sobotka and Sheary joining the top-nine forward group. The Sabres will have some new players to try out alongside Jack Eichel. Casey Mittelstadt and Dahlin could both be in the conversation for the Calder Trophy, as the league’s top rookie, when they will likely take on large roles with the team in 2018-19. Buffalo still has some fine-tuning to do, but the forward group looks deeper on paper and there are some talented young players in place poised to make a difference.

Biggest Weakness: Even though the forward group appears to be improved, the team may continue to struggle to score goals. Buffalo ranked dead last in the league with a mere 2.41 goals for per game last season and the forwards they added, with the exception of Skinner, won’t exactly be lighting up the stat sheet. The Sabres also still have question marks in the crease with Hutton and Linus Ullmark poised to replace the former duo of Lehner and Johnson. Hutton has been a career backup to this point, while playing on strong defensive teams, while Ullmark has limited experience at the NHL level.

Player to Watch: Mittelstadt and Dahlin have the potential to be immediate contributors this year. They also possess plenty of flashiness and deserve to be watched closely. However, Sam Reinhart gets the nod here. Reinhart has been a highly-touted prospect of the Sabres since he was chosen second overall in 2014, but he hasn’t broken out offensively yet. He had a slow start to 2017-18 before exploding for 30 points, including 15 goals, in his last 32 appearances. If he can take up permanent residence alongside Eichel this campaign then a true breakout performance could finally be on the horizon.

Nashville Predators

2017-18 Finish: 53-18-11 record, second round loss to Winnipeg (4-3)

Noteworthy Gains: Dan Hamhuis

Noteworthy Losses: Scott Hartnell, Mike Fisher

Biggest Strength: The defense corps of the Nashville Predators is as deep as they come. Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm form an outstanding top-four group. The Predators also brought back Hamhuis, who played the first 483 matches of his career with the organization, on a two-year contract. He is capable of logging 20 minutes per game, while contributing points, blocks and hits. Adding him to the bottom-pairing with Matt Irwin or Yannick Weber provides further depth to what was already a stacked defense. Nashville’s rearguards also are among the team’s top producers offensively and as a group they led the league in 2017-18 with 206 points.

Biggest Weakness: Nashville has a great first line, but point production beyond Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen needs to be more consistent. The Predators got deeper down the middle with the acquisition of Kyle Turris last year. He helped elevate Craig Smith and Kevin Fiala, but the team needs more from them especially after they struggled to produce during the playoffs. Rookie forward Eeli Tolvanen and Ryan Hartman have the potential to contribute offensively from the third line. Nashville also needs to be more disciplined after the club was shorthanded a league-leading 299 times in 2017-18.

Player to Watch: Tolvanen didn’t burst onto the NHL scene the way most hoped he would when he joined the Predators at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. He only had three shots and didn’t post a point in three outings during the regular season, while averaging just 12:07 of ice time per contest. He didn’t get any playing time during the playoffs, but stands a great chance to crack the team’s roster out of training camp. Tolvanen could see action on the power play, where he can be a dangerous finisher.

Winnipeg Jets

2017-18 Finish: 52-20-10 record, Western Conference Final loss to Vegas (4-1)

Noteworthy Gains: Laurent Brossoit

Noteworthy Losses: Paul Stastny, Toby Enstrom

Biggest Strength: Winnipeg has a wealth of talent up front led by the skillful trio of Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine. When Nikolaj Ehlers’ back-to-back 60-point efforts and Kyle Connor’s impressive rookie campaign of 31 goals and 57 points are also factored into the equation it is easy to see why the Jets ranked second overall in goals for per game (3.33) last season. Winnipeg did lose Stastny during the summer, but the offense was rolling along before he joined the team from St. Louis and there are plenty of options available to take his place.

Biggest Weakness: Winnipeg locked up Connor Hellebuyck to a six-year contract a few weeks ago after he had a stellar season. He was second in Vezina Trophy voting following a season to forget in 2016-17. The play of Hellebuyck was a strength for the Jets and he should be able to carry that play into this campaign. However, the Jets don’t have a quality goaltender behind him on the depth chart. His backups struggled mightily last year and Brossoit was the only netminder added to the mix as a possible understudy. However, he didn’t look good in 14 appearances for Edmonton last year. He will probably compete with Eric Comrie for the number two job at training camp. Winnipeg may be forced to place a heavy workload on Hellebuyck again, which could take its toll as the season progresses.

Player to Watch: Jack Roslovic showed some promise last year with 14 points in 31 NHL matches. He could be a player that sees time up and down the lineup, but there will be a tantalizing spot up for grabs at training camp. If Roslovic plays between Ehlers and Laine at five-on-five then his value will skyrocket.