After the first part of the analysis of the Atlantic Division teams, the second and last part is here before we move on to the Metro Division.
Montreal Canadiens — Difficult task
One of the Original Six, also known as the Habs, the biggest name in hockey history with 35 Finals appearances and 24 titles with a thirty-year dynasty from 1944 to 1979. The last time they lifted the Stanley Cup was in 1993, since then they have counted just one appearance (2021). If not all, most of the awards, individually and collectively, are owed to the Canadiens and the legends who have served them in the history of the sport. The surprising thing is that it has never won the Presidents’ Trophy.
Roster: Nick Suzuki, just 23 years old, was named as the new captain and instantly becomes the 31st youngest captain in the club’s history. It is said that Suzuki has been taking online lessons in French and how to manage himself on and off the pitch, which will be crucial in his new role.
In general, their roster is young. Six new additions, that of Sean Monahan of the Calgary Flames adds quality, but he’s coming off a serious injury, otherwise probably the Flames wouldn’t have let him go. Kirby Dach, 21, the №3 overall pick in the 2019 draft, moves from Chicago to Montreal and the Habs want to build on him and build their offensive game.
Seven players left, two of them experienced and quality defensemen.
Coach: This will be the first full season for Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton and Martin St. Louis that all three will work together. Each has been in Montreal for less than a year and the question is how long it will take for them to find chemistry. The first coach will be the inexperienced St. Louis, who replaced Dominique Ducharme on Feb. 9.
Crease: Carey Price, unfortunately for Habs fans, looks like he will miss the entire season due to injury. This means that Jake Allen will be the first choice with Sam Montembeault as the backup.
Analysis: There are a lot of questions that the Canadiens need to answer. Can Suzuki lead his team? Is St. Louis and his teammates capable of quickly finding chemistry and getting the engine going? Will Allen and Montembeault be able to fill Price’s void deservedly; given that defense is not the Habs’ strong line, means their goalie will be under a lot of pressure. Their task looks difficult, a spot is essentially still vacant for a ticket to the playoffs, and for that they have the Bruins, Sabres, Red Wings and Senators to compete for, who undoubtedly seem to be much closer to it.
Ottawa Senators — Changing level
One of the weakest teams in recent years, they are in a rebirth phase. Indicative of that is the fact that in the past three seasons the Sens have allowed 691 goals, slightly better than the Detroit Red Wings (743), New Jersey Devils (715), Montreal Canadiens (702) and Buffalo Sabres (698). The last time Sens won the President Trophy is 2002–03, reaching the Eastern Conference Final. Just one Stanley Cup Final appearance, the 2007 loser to the Anaheim Ducks.
Roster: General manager Pierre Dorion decided to go out on a limb by making some big additions to the Senators’ roster. The highly experienced 34-year-old winger, Claude Giroux, with 1,018 NHL appearances and 923 NHL points, was brought in to provide experience and tutor the young roster. He is joined by talented 24-year-old winger, Alex DeBrincat (78, 41+37), of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Coach: This will be D.J. Smith’s fourth season on the bench of Sens. Truth be told, the Senators have not had any success with him at the helm, this season will be his biggest test.
Crease: No sooner or later, the Senators used five goalies last season. They traded Filip Gustavsson (27 appearances) for veteran 35-year-old Cam Talbot, who has a 32–12–4 record and 2.76 goals per game (Sv% .911).
Analysis: Strengthened Senators, I expect them to be more competitive, but they belong in perhaps the toughest division, which means a minor or major upset will have to happen for them to secure a playoff spot.
Tampa Bay Lightning — They know how
Impressive the past decade the Lightning from Tampa, Florida State, with a President Trophy (2018–19), two back to back championships and a losing final. In short, tremendously strong side with three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances with a roster that combines quality and experience at all positions.
The dynamics are at the same level with the core remaining unchanged. Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman and Vasilevskiy make up an unreal group. The departures of Palat (49, 18+31) and defenders Rutta and McDonagh are question marks as to whether the gaps are filled deservedly. A big name was not acquired.
For the tenth consecutive season on the bench of Bolts, the team’s reformer, Jon Cooper, who with hard work and faith in his project managed to earn the trust and respect of everyone, even though in 2019 and after his team had won the President Trophy, they suffered an inglorious and early elimination by the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 0–4.
The goal is being protected by the mighty and formidable “Big Cat”, Andrei Vasilevskiy. At just 28 years old, the bionic Russian netminder, for many he considered the league’s best. Last season, which was not a good year for him, he had a .916 SV%, but he showed his class in the playoffs.
As long as the aforementioned players are Lightning members, this team deserves respect and is rightfully among the main contenders for the title. They have the know how in every aspect.
Toronto Maple Leafs — With potential and complex
The Leafs also belong in the elite hockey, namely the Original Six. Heavy jersey from Toronto, Canada with 21 finals appearances and 13 championships. Their home ice is the Scotiabank Arena. The pressure in the ranks is enormous, the fans can no longer endure watching their team go without a title for 55 years. Since 2004 they have only made six playoff appearances, each time experiencing an immediate elimination in the first and second rounds.
Roster: The transactions has kept them at the same level as last season. The names of the newcomers are not exciting, the big question mark is the change at the goalie position.
Coach: In his third season on the bench Sheldon Keefe with the pressure given, but him on one hand breaking records by becoming the third coach in NHL history with a point percentage of .678 with at least 150 games under his belt and on the other hand in the playoffs being engulfed by stress.
Crease: Gone is 30-year-old starting goaltender Jack Campbell (SV% .914, 2.53 GAA), his place is taken by two-time champion Matt Murray (SV% .899, 3.23 GAA) of the Ottawa Senators and Ilya Samsonov (SV% .896, 3.02 GAA) of the Washington Capitals. For the Canadian it’s all about staying healthy, for the Russian it’s about consistency and stability.
Analysis: Mitchell Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly make up a very cohesive and quality core that is desperate to compete for a trophy. It’s no news that the Leafs enter this season as the heavy favourites to win again, but with the psychological burden they carry it’s not at all unreasonable to doubt them.
