NHL: One Move Each Atlantic Team Must Make

What must these Atlantic division teams do to get closer to their goals?

May 14, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save against Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) during the third period in game five of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Bruins

By far the biggest need for Boston is to resolve the contract situation with star goaltender Jeremy Swayman. The 25-year-old did not elect arbitration for the second year in a row, but more than a month into the offseason, he still doesn't have a new deal in place. Swayman is now the undisputed starter after a phenomenal postseason and the departure of Linus Ullmark, but the Bruins have to make sure he's actually under contract by the time the season starts.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres' offense took a noticeable step back last season, as they went from third in scoring in 2022-23 to 22nd in 2023-24. As such, the biggest need for Buffalo is for stars like Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens to get back to scoring at the rate they were before last season. The loss of Jeff Skinner will make that a tough task, but it's absolutely critical if the Sabres want to end their long playoff drought.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit has two massive restricted free agents to sign in leading scorer Lucas Raymond and top defenseman Moritz Seider, and with $17.6 million in remaining cap space (according to PuckPedia), they should be able to get it done. The goalie trio of Ville Husso, Alex Lyon and free agent pickup Cam Talbot is also cause for concern, but that issue probably requires an internal solution.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers are still flying high after their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, but that also means they have to pay the "Cup tax" of watching several free agents take huge deals elsewhere. Their core is still intact, but their depth, particularly on the blue line, is a far greater concern than before. With less than $1 million in cap space, this is probably another need that requires an internal solution.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens didn't do all that much this offseason aside from extending their young players, and they're probably still a year or so away from competing for a playoff spot. As much as this feels like a cop-out, the biggest need for Montreal is the continued development of Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and other youngsters. Staying healthy for a full season would also be huge, as the Canadiens have had some truly atrocious injury luck since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

Ottawa Senators

The loss of Jakob Chychrun, who led Ottawa defenseman with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists), looms large ahead of the season. Adding a puck-moving defenseman would help offset that loss, and help the offense remain on track, but with less than $2 million in cap space, that seems incredibly difficult.

A more realistic option would be to sign someone to make up for the departure of fellow defenseman Erik Brannstrom, who signed a one-year, $900,000 deal with the Colorado Avalanche after not being quallified by Ottawa. The Senators are another Atlantic team looking to break a long playoff drought, like the Sabres and Red Wings, but they may be in the toughest spot of the three.

Tampa Bay Lightning

There's a case to be made that the Lightning have the single most top-heavy forward corps in the league, as their top six is amazing but their bottom six is mediocre at best. Like Boston, a middle-six scoring winger would go a long way to balancing the lineup, as having 35-year-old Cam Atkinson on the second line doesn't inspire much confidence.

A viable backup for Andrei Vasilevsky would also be very welcome, but seems unlikely at this point in the offseason.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs did an admirable job of shoring up their back end this offseason, signing defensemen Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and goaltender Anthony Stolarz. With that in mind, their biggest remaining need is probably extending 21-year-old Matthew Knies, who scored a solid 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) last season and is entering the final year of his rookie deal. A bridge deal would probably be ideal, as it would save Toronto money in the short term while allowing them to circle back after Mitch Marner and John Tavares' current deals come off the books next summer.

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