My Offseason review and Season preview for the Atlantic PT2 plus my final east standings predictions and who the 1RD matchups would be

Offseason Review and Season and Roster  preview for Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto and the final Atlantic division standings and my final eastern Conference standings with my Projected 1RD matchups. 

Montreal 

Last years record: 22-49-11 55 points 

Significant UFA losses: Cedric Paquette, Tyler Pitlick, Mathieu Perreault, Laurent Dauphin, Sami Niku, William Lagesson, Kale Clague

Significant UFA additions: Mitchell Stephens

Significant trades: 

To MON: Evgeni Dadonov

To VGK: Shea Weber 

To MON: 2022 1RD (NYI)

To NYI: Alex Romanov, 2022 4RD (MON) 

To MON: Kirby Dach 

To CHI: 2022 1RD (NYI), 2022 3RD (MON) 

To MON: Mike Matheson, 2023 4RD (PIT)

To PIT: Ryan Poehling, Jeff Petry 

To MON: Sean Monahan, 2025 1RD (CAL)

To CAL: Future Considerations 

Montreal 2022 Draft: 

1RD #1 LW Juraj Slafkovsky 

1RD #26 FOR Filip Mesar

2RD #33 C Owen Beck

2RD #62 LD Lane Hutson 

3RD #75 RW,C Vinzenz Rohrer 

3RD #92 LD Adam Engstrom 

4RD #127 LW Cedrick Guindon

5RD #130 C Jared Davidson 

6RD #162 G Emmett Croteau 

7RD #194 LD Petteri Nurmi

7RD #216 RD Miguel Tourigny 

Season and roster preview: the Canadiens look a bit healthier then they did last year and have had a very productive offseason headlined by them moving out some money and making their team to be better in the future but I think they could play a bit better then they did last year with a lot more healthy bodies available and a younger team but I still think that the playoffs would be a pipe dream for this team right now even though I like what they had done in the offseason. 

In Net they still have their star goalie out due to injury but should be able to still put out a decent duo in Net for this season. Now Carey Price who missed basically all of last year due to injury will probably miss the entire season again for the Canadiens and that is a really big blow for Montreal and it does seem like his career might be over but with a few years still on his contract he may be able to make his way back, as for their goaltending duo this year the starter will probably be Jake Allen who they just extended and has been a really good goalie since coming to Montreal as he played 35 games last year and put up a .905 SV% on a bad Canadiens team so I would think that he probably plays better then last year with a improved team in front of him and should continue to be a really good goalie, and on the backup side they will probably have Sam Montembeault who they claimed off of waivers last year and extended this offseason as he didn’t play too well last year and was pulled on multiple occasions but the team in front of him didn’t really help him and I would think that he plays better this year then he did last as he should be able to have a better SV% then his .891 SV% from last year in 38 games and I think he bounces back this year and they also have Primeau waiting in the wings as he was forced into NHL action last year due to injuries but I think that he should play in the AHL this year and have one more year of development and if there are injuries again then I think he could be a viable backup option but the goaltending will be worse without Price but I think they will hold the fort and be better then most people expect. 

For the D-Corp they have made some pretty big moves and really revamped the blueline and at the moment it looks like at least a few rookies should make the NHL this year. Now on the top pair I would have Edmundson who is coming off a season where he had injuries and personal matters to attend with and the team felt his absence as he was only able to get into 24 games last year but arguably the Canadiens best defensemen should play a full year this year and the team will be better just because he is there and his partner in my opinion should be Justin Barron who was acquired at the trade deadline and was able to play a handful of NHL games before the season ended but the former first round pick has some really good upside and I think playing with Edmundson should show everyone his top 4 abilities, on the second pair I would have Mike Matheson who had been a really good defender in Pittsburgh the last few years and is coming to Montreal where he will probably get a bigger role then he had with Pittsburgh and should be able to show that he can still play top 4 minutes paired with David Savard who didn’t have all that good of a first season in Montreal but I think that with a better team that he should have a bounce back year and play more like he did a few seasons ago with Tampa in the playoffs, while on the 3rd pair I would have Harris who came out of college last year and played a few NHL games but I think that with the depleted blue line he should be able to work in some game time this year probably on the 3rd pair but should show that he belongs in the NHL and his partner will probably be Chris Wideman who was extended in the offseason and actually played quite well last year in his first season back in the NHL but he should be able to help a guy like Harris grow and be a key piece on the Canadiens blueline this year and then have a guy like Norlinder be the spare forward for this year and I think that he could see some game action himself if they run into injury troubles again but it seems there will be some growing pains this year for the Canadiens as having guys like Barron and Harris who are rookies in while guys like Petry and Romanov are now out will make this defence a bit weak at the start but they should be playing quite well at the end of the season and while I don’t think they will improve defensively this year I do think they will grow and be better in a year or two.

With the forward group they have a lot of players who could make the NHL roster this year and I still think a forward could be moved but as of right now it seems like they have a very deep roster. The Canadiens should have Caufield and Suzuki back on their top line as those two really excelled last year as Suzuki has proven time and time again over the past few years that he is the number 1 Center the Canadiens need and after a season where most Canadiens had a bad year he put up career high numbers so he should remain centering the top line and Caufield looked like a top 15 pick after the coaching change last year and seems like he could score 30-40 goals this year so I would keep those two together along with Josh Anderson who has been a good point producer when healthy over the past few years and the Canadiens really like him and I think he could be the prefect physical type player that young guys like Suzuki and Caufield need so I would say that is the Canadiens top line, I would have their second line be three trade candidates to try and up their value as I would have Drouin and Dadonov on the wings as both are entering the final year of their contracts and Dadonov has struggled ever since leaving Florida while Drouin has just been struggling to remain healthy over the past few years but if Drouin stays healthy and Dadonov shows he can still be a good contributor then I think these two could be moved at the deadline and centring them should be Christian Dvorak as Dvorak is another likely trade candidate with their Center depth pretty good and is coming off a season riddled by injuries and didn’t play too well in his first year with Montreal so a better year could help the Canadiens team as well as his value for a potential trade, on the third line I would have newly signed Kirby Dach who should be the future top 6 Center of this team and is coming off a down year in Chicago but I think he could push 40 points with the right line mates this year and I would have him play with Sean Monahan who is coming off a bad and injury riddled season with Calgary and hasn’t lived up to that contract over the past few years but in a contract year will be poised to show that he can still play in the top 9 and Mike Hoffman on the other wing as he is another trade candidate and has a bit of a down year in his first season with Montreal but with the right line mates he should be able to to get to 20 goal form again and should be able to help Montreal score this year, while the fourth line would actually make a pretty good 3rd line as I would have Rem Pitlick who had a great coming out season last year after being a waiver claim by Montreal and showed last year he can be a key component of a teams bottom six as well as Jake Evans who is a good bottom six Center for Montreal and will be looking to bounce back after a not to good season last year and also put Brendan Gallagher on that line as Gallagher is coming off a horrible season and is looking to bounce back this year and prove that he can still be a great middle six forward and when they have spares like Armia and Pezzetta who are decent bottom six forwards who could easily come in to the lineup if they need a change or if there are injuries and this isn’t even including Slafkovsky who I think would be sent to the minors until they move a forward or two as I think Montreal’s forward group is going to surprise a lot of people and some must remember that Montreal was destroyed by injuries and should have a good offensive season this year and while I don’t think that the offense will be able to carry them to the playoffs this year and I think this offense will cause teams some problems this year. 

Rating C: the Canadiens were able to do good on both sides this year and I think that it kind of levels itself out as they ended up moving out guys like Petry, Romanov and Poehling but we’re able to acquire guys like Dadonov, Monahan and Dach but the real loss was that Price won’t play this year so I think that the Defence and maybe even the goaltending will still be in transition mode this year and have growing pains but I think that the offense will wind up winning some games for them and I would say that the Canadiens miss again this year and would probably be in the Bedard sweep stakes and I think that a few years of pain will help this team in the long run. 

Montreal 

Projected lineup 

C.Caufield-N.Suzuki-J.Anderson

J.Drouin-C.Dvorak-Dadonov

M.Hoffman-S.Monahan-K.Dach

R.Pitlick-J.Evans-B.Gallagher 

     J.Edmundson-J.Barron

       M.Matheson-D.Savard

                J.Harris-C.Wideman

                        J.Allen

               S.Montembeault 

J.Armia-M.Pezzetta-M.Norlinder 

(IR P.Byron, C.Price)

My Projected point total and record for the Canadiens 

27-42-13 for 67 points 

Ottawa 

Last years record: 33-42-7 73 points 

Significant UFA losses: Tyler Ennis, Adam Gaudette, Chris Tierney, Victor Mete

Significant UFA additions: Claude Giroux, Tyler Motte, Jayce Hawryluk, Jacob Larsson 

Significant trades: 

To OTT: Alex DeBrincat

To CHI: 2022 1RD (OTT), 2022 2RD (OTT), 2024 3RD (OTT)

To OTT: Future Considerations 

To TOR: Matt Murray, 2023 3RD (OTT), 2024 7RD (OTT) 

To OTT: Cam Talbot

To MIN: Filip Gustavsson

To OTT: 2024 2RD (WAS)

To WAS: Connor Brown 

Ottawa 2022 Draft: 

2RD #64 LD Filip Nordberg

3RD #72 RW Oskar Pettersson 

3RD #87 LD Thomas Hamara 

4RD #104 C Stephen Halliday 

5RD #136 LD Jorian Donovan

5RD #143 RW Cameron O’Neill 

5RD #151 G Kevin Reidler 

6RD #168 LD Theo Wallberg

7RD #206 C Tyson Dyck 

Season and Roster preview: the Senators have done probably the best job of improving their team this offseason as they look completely different from last year and look so much more like a playoff team and I think that with all of these changes they are going to be a heavy competitor to make the playoffs this year and I think they could wind up slipping into the playoffs this year but they haven’t improved their defence at all this year so it will be tough to make such a improvement from far out of the playoffs right up to making those playoffs. 

In Net the Senators have a much better duo than they did last year as they were able to make a few moves to heavily improve this position. Now they were able to move Murray who had a bad injury history and didn’t work out in Ottawa and Gustavsson who was a promising young goalie but didn’t look to good at times and were able to bring in Cam Talbot. Now Talbot is a starter or at least a 1A with this team and is coming off a good year where he put up some pretty good numbers in Minnesota getting a .911 SV% in 49 games last year but lost the role to Fleury after he was acquired and should be able to replicate those results this year in Ottawa and help this Sens team shore up the goaltending position while they still have decent 1B goalie Anton Forsberg as well and Forsberg since coming to Ottawa has really revitalized his career and showed last year that he can take on a big role in net by putting up a .917 SV% in 46 games played last year and looks like he will probably have another good year in Ottawa, so the goaltending will be better this year especially with Talbot there and I think that Talbot would get slightly more starts but it would be more of a tandem in net this year and I think this team is going to be saved some nights by their goaltending this year. 

With the D-Corp I think it is the one area that everyone says they need to improve upon and I can see that but I think there are also ways that the team can improve their defence with the guys they have right now. Now on the top pair  I would keep the top pair from last year who was by far their best D-pair in Zub and Chabot as Chabot is the Senators top defensemen and has been playing at a very high level over the past few years including last year when he had 38 points in 59 games last year and would’ve been close to his career high if he played in all of the games last year and paired with Zub who is a really good partner for a offensive defensemen like Chabot and should be able to once again have a good season for Ottawa and should be the teams best right side defensemen, on the 2nd pair I would have young rookie and top prospect Jake Sanderson play on the left side as he hasn’t played a NHL game and is coming off a pretty productive college season but he doesn’t look out of place in the preseason and should be a force on the defence and pair him right now with Travis Hamonic as the veteran should still be able to play a top 4 role for this year and playing with a guy like Sanderson who has lots of offensive upside should help Hamonic and prove he can still be a good veteran defensemen, and on the 3rd pair I would have Nick Holden who was probably the Sens best veteran defensemen last year and is a pretty good 3rd pair defensemen and should provide stability to the position while I would pair him with Brannstrom who looks to be building off a better season last year then he has had for a while and he still looks like a potential top 4 defensemen and I think paring him with a good vet like Holden should bring his offensive skills out and I would put Jacob Larsson as the 7th defensemen as he has shown in training camp that he can still be a decent 3rd pair defensemen and should be able to step into the lineup if there is a injury but I think that they should move Zaitsev down and maybe even have Thomson or Bernard Docker play some time this year so I don’t see much improvement for this defence this year for Ottawa but with a few smart moves I think they could play well enough to win them some games and not have all the pressure on the goalies.

And for the forward group they have taken some major strides this offseason to becoming a lot Hardee’s to compete with and this team may be able to score at a very high rate this year. Now on the top line I would have the same line that had been the dominant line in Ottawa for the past few years with Tkachuk on one side who is a good physical forward for the Senators and has shown good offensive abilities and on the other wing have Batherson who has proved that he is worth his contract the last few years and showcased his scoring abilities last year and I think he will improve that this year and that line will be centered by Norris who is coming off a year where he hit 35 goals and had he not been injured he could’ve easily hit 40 and with his potent offensive abilities and new contract I think he could easily hit 40 goals this year if he stays on the top line, on the second line I would have new acquisitions in DeBrincat who has been a lethal goal scorer since coming into the NHL and can easily pot 30-40 goals on Ottawa’s second line this year and Giroux who signed a contract to come home to Ottawa this year and he can still be a effective playmaker and seems like just the veteran piece this Sens team needs to turn into a playoff contender and those two should be centered by Stutzle who almost reached 60 points last year with some lesser wingers and with these two on his side should be able to have a breakout year offensively and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a point per game player this year, on the 3rd line I would have Pinto who was supposed to get a NHL role last year but injuries halted that so I think he should be able to be a great top 9 Center and his wingers should be Joseph who the Sens acquired at least years trade deadline and should be a very productive middle six forward for Ottawa after his great showing at the end of last year and Tyler Motte who has seemed to fit in nicely in the preseason on the 3rd line and until Formenton is signed should have no problem holding that spot down, with the 4th line being made up of physical forward Austin Watson who should provide the grit the Senators need, Kastelic who has seemed to take the 4th line position and run with it and should be a very good 4th line player for Ottawa and Ridley Grieg for now as I think he could compete with Motte for playing time on the 3rd line until Formenton returns and I think that the power forward has shown enough to make the team and they would have some decent spares in Gambrell and Kelly who could also play 4th line minutes and once Formenton signs he should go straight to the 3rd line as that is probably the best fit for him and I think that the Senators have really done a nice job this year to improve this offense as their top 6 looks elite and should be able to compete with the best top six’s in the eastern conference and even their top nine looks deadly and I wouldn’t be surprised if their offense won them games this year and they were a top 10 team in scoring this year. 

Rating A-: the Sens have done a near perfect job this year by making this team more competitive by adding guys like DeBrincat, Giroux, Motte and Talbot and getting rid of Brown, White, Tierney and Murray and I think not only will they be a handful to deal with this year and will no longer be a easy to beat bottom dwelling team but I also see them ending the streak and going to the playoffs this year as I think they will have enough firepower on offense and will get enough saves that they should be able to squeak into a wildcard spot and finally get back to being a playoff team. 

Ottawa 

Projected lineup 

B.Tkachuk-J.Norris-D.Batherson

A.DeBrincat-T.Stutzle-C.Giroux

T.Motte-S.Pinto-M.Joseph

R.Greig-M.Kastelic-A.Watson

      T.Chabot-A.Zub

J.Sanderson-T.Hamonic

      N.Holden-E.Brannstrom

                C.Talbot

             A.Forsberg

D.Gambrell-P.Kelly-J.Larsson 

My Projected point total and record for the Senators 

43-29-10 for 96 points 

Tampa Bay 

Last year record: 51-23-8 110

Significant UFA losses: Ondrej Palat, Riley Nash, Jan Rutta, Frederik Claesson 

Significant UFA additions: Vladislav Namestnikov, Ian Cole, Haydn Fleury

Significant trades: 

To NAS: Ryan McDonagh

To TB: Grant Mismash, Philippe Myers

Tampa Bay 2022 Draft: 

1RD #31 LW Isaac Howard

3RD #86 LW,RW Lucas Edmonds 

5RD #160 G Nick Malik

6RD #192 RW Connor Kurth

7RD #223 LD Dyllan Gill

7RD #224 LW Klavs Veinbergs 

Season and Roster preview: the Bolts are coming off another Stanley cup final and being the camps of the east for the third year in a row but it seems like their time as east champs could be dwindling down as they weren’t able to do much this offseason as the lost some really good talent and replaced them as best as they could and while I think they are still a lethal team and should once again make the playoffs I am just not sure that they can make it past all of the east teams this year. 

In Net the Tampa Bay lightning didn’t change a thing and they didn’t need to as they have one of the best goalies in the world as their starter and a pretty good veteran backup and I think that leaving the goalie position was the right move. Now the starter as it should not com as any surprise is Vasilevskiy and I think that while Shesterkin should surpass him as the best goalie in the next year or two, Vasilevskiy is still a pretty dominant goalie and could still be considered the best goalie in the NHL right now and I think that after multiple great season he should continue to play as a high level goalie, and in the backup role have Brian Elliott who played well as backup in his first year with Tampa and while he doesn’t need to play much with Vasilevskiy as starter he has been good in the few games he has played and I think that he should have another solid season this year and I think the Bolts dominating goaltending should continue this year as they still have a really good tandem and should be playing at a high level again this year.

With their D-Corp they have taken a step back as they had to move a good defensemen to clear cap space and were able to bring in a few defensemen to replace him but I don’t think they are as strong on the backend as they have been in recent years. On the top pair I would keep Hedman who is still one of the top offensive defensemen in the NHL right now and can still help this Bolts team this year probably be paired with Philippe Myers in my opinion as Rutta needed up playing a lot of nights with Hedman and the Bokts brought in Myers as a Rutta replacement so I think placing him with Hedman will not only help his game but maybe the Bolts as well, on the second pair I would keep the duo that played most of last year together with Sergachev who is not the Bolts highest paid defensemen following this year and a real offensive dynamo being paired with Erik Cernak who is a great top 4 defensemen in Tampa and maybe one of the more underrated defensemen in the league but those two play well with each other and I think they could do well again this year, and with no more Ryan McDonagh on the 3rd pair for Tampa I would go with a veteran and young defensemen duo as I would place Ian Cole who was a really good 3rd pair defensemen in Carolina last year and should fill the gap left by McDonagh as good as anyone and have Foote be his pair as I think that this is a big year for Foote and he should show that he is ready to be a full time NHL defensemen on this volts team and then have a guy like Bogosian or Fleury be the spare as both are pretty good 3rd pair defensemen and if someone isn’t playing well or there is a injury then I could see either one get into some game action but I definitely think that no McDonagh is going to hurt this team and a pretty average right side is not the best for the Bolts as I think they should still be a pretty good defensive team this year and with Vasilevskiy should be in every game but this defence may end up costing the Bolts some games this year and I think that the Bolts will probably be more average this year.

And with their forward group not much has changed from last year with the only significant move being that Palat is out and Namestnikov is in and while Palat’s loss will hurt this team I do think that they have enough firepower to keep being a offensive juggernaut. Now on the top line I would keep Point and Kucherov on the top line as both have missed some time due to injuries these past few years but are dangerous offensive players and should be extremely hard to play against again next year and I would put Alex Killorn on that top pair as well to spread out their offence amongst different lines but I also think that Killorn hasn’t played to the best of his abilities recently and a move to that top line could help him a lot, on the 2nd line I would have Stamkos who is still a lethal offensive threat and the team could be more dangerous with him on line two and I would put Cirelli who has shown some real good 2 way play over the past few years but is also really good on offence and Hagel who they acquired last year at the deadline and for in really well with the team so he should continue to get playing time in the top 6, on the third line I would have Ross Colton who played really well last year on the third line and the speedy forward should be a force again this year with Nick Paul who they also acquired at last years deadline and proved that he could help be the new third line player for them and maybe that missing ingredient while I would put newly acquired Namestnikov also on the third line as his best seasons came in Tampa and I think he could be the player to round out that top nine for them and be one of those impactful third line players, while I would keep the 4th line of Perry Bellemare and Maroon as all are good veterans who know what it takes to win and can produce offensively if they get a chance but are also hard to play against and should continue to make problems for teams playing them and if they run into injury troubles they do have a few forwards who could come in  and be productive like Alex Barre Boulet who should get a chance at some point to shown he can be a every day bottom six forward while Gemel Smith should be able to take on 4th line duties if called upon but I think the Bolts still have a lethal offense and will be one of the league leaders in goals again this year but I think that while Namestnikov will be productive he may not be able to fill in Palat’s shoes so while I think they are still great on offense they still might be a tad worse then last year.

Rating C+: the Bolts were able to make the best out of a bad situation as they were able to get some pretty good talent in Cole, Myers and Namestnikov and keep around guys like Paul and Hagel and extend some of their younger talent to mega deals but this team does feel a little bit weaker and more vulnerable then they have in recent years and I still have no doubt they will be a playoff team and will probably still make the playoffs as a top 3 team but if they run into injury troubles or are met with a tall task in the earlier rounds of the playoffs then I could see them bowing out earlier then the Stanley Cup Final this year. 

Tampa Bay

Projected lineup 

A.Killorn-B.Point-N.Kucherov

B.Hagel-A.Cirelli-S.Stamkos 

R.Colton-N.Paul-V.Namestnikov 

P.Maroon-P.E Bellemare-C.Perry 

     V.Hedman-P.Myers

M.Sergachev-E.Cernak

              I.Cole-C.Foote 

              A.Vasilevskiy 

                  B.Elliott 

A.B Boulet-G.Smith-Z.Bogosian

(IR B.Seabrook)

My Projected point total and record for the Lightning

48-25-9 for 105 points 

Toronto 

Last years record: 54-21-7 115 

Significant UFA losses: Ilya Mikheyev, Ondrej Kase, Colin Blackwell, Ilya Lyubushkin, Jack Campbell

Significant UFA additions: Calle Jarnkrok, Nicolas Aube Kubel, Adam Gaudette, Victor Mete, Jordie Benn, Ilya Samsonov

Significant trades: 

To CHI: 2022 1RD (TOR), Petr Mrazek

To TOR: 2022 2RD (CHI) 

To TOR: Matt Murray, 2023 3RD (OTT), 2024 7RD (OTT)

To OTT: Future Considerations

Toronto 2022 Draft: 

2RD: #38 C Fraser Minten 

3RD: #95 RW, C Nicholas Moldenhauer 

4RD: #122 G Dennis Hildeby 

5RD: #135 RW Nikita Grebenkin 

7RD: #218 LW Brandon Lisowsky 

Season and Roster preview: the Maple Leafs handled the offseason pretty well as they have been able to let go of most of the players who probably priced themselves out of Toronto and they were able to get cheaper options and I think they were able to keep probably the same type of roster as last year and besides the risks they have taken in goal this team looks much like the team that took Tampa Bay to 7 games last year and I think that with teams like Tampa, Florida and Boston taking some steps back this year that the Maple Leafs should be in contention for the top spot in the Atlantic division.

In Net the Maple Leafs made a complete overhaul to their roster as they moved on from the two goalies who were their duo last year and have two new goalies who are going to make up a tandem this year to see if one can run with the starters job this year. Now moving on from Mrazek was smart as he didn’t pan out in Toronto and wasn’t playing really well while I am surprised that Campbell wasn’t brought back as I know he would’ve cost a lost of money but he was a good goalie last year and ai a surprised he didn’t come back to be their starter, so in the 1A position they will probably have Ilya Samsonov who the Caps surprisingly let go and the Leafs were able to bring in via free agency and while Samsonov is a bit of a risk and he hasn’t played the best in Washington the last few years I do think that he should be able to solidify himself as a good tandem player at least and should play well for the Maple Leafs while the real risk for them will be Murray as Matt Murray who hasn’t done well the past few years and has been riddled with injuries is a big risk as he has looked good at times but also looked bad at times and with all of the injury history the Maple Leafs are taking a huge risk that he can stay healthy but if he can then I think he could be a decent 1B or backup for the Maple Leafs this year and he should be able to help the Leafs and while some people think that the Leafs goaltending situation is a huge risk and I think that to I also think that the Leafs should have some pretty good goaltending as I think Samsonov can be a good starter and Murray a okay backup and with these two they should be able to get a save when they need to as long as Murray stays healthy.

On the D-Corp they have had a lot of bad injury news recently and could start the season really short handed but as they get healthier the team should start getting better and in no time I think this team should be able to defend with the best of them. On the top line I would have the Leafs best defender in Morgan Reilly who is a really good top end defensemen and with his new contract kicking in he should be able to continue to be a dominant offensive force and with Liljegren out due to injury right now I would start T.J Brodie as his pair as he is probably the best defensemen who is comfortable playing the right side and for a short time I think that he should be able to play with Reilly well, on pair two I would keep Jake Muzzin who is a really good physical presence for this Leafs team but is also injury prone so him staying healthy especially with a battered blueline already is big for Toronto and although he doesn’t want to play his off side I would say that Sandin is his partner as Sandin is a really good defensemen and with a opportunity to play top 4 minutes I don’t think he would pass that up and he would also get a chance to showcase his offensive talent so that could be a good pair to start, and on pair 3 I would keep Giordano who would make a good 3rd pair player for the Maple Leafs this season and bring the veteran skills that this team needs to win and have him be paired with Justin Holl who at this point is probably a decent 3rd pair defensemen with some offensive upside and is still probably a likely trade candidate for the Leafs once they have a healthy blue line but for now with the defence banged up and the lack of right side defensemen he is probably the best option to play on the 3rd pair and with all of the injuries I would have Victor Mete be the 7th defensemen right now as he is another possible defensemen who could play 3rd pair minutes and while he is now more of a spare if there is another injury I could see him get into some game action but I think that this team is probably going to be a good defensive team again this year and with two new goalies defending is going to be really essential for them and while I could see them have hiccups early on with the banged up D-Corp I do think they will get better as the year goes on and they will bébé a great D-Corp again this year. 

As for their forward group they have a pretty equivalent roster as they did last year and still seem like they will be scoring lots of goals this year and while their middle six changed a bit this year they still have Matthews Marner and Nylander who are going to help this team be lethal offensively again this year. On the top line I would keep one of the best lines in the NHL from last year together in Bunting who had a great breakout year last season and showed he can put up 50-60 points in a year, Matthews who became the first person in a long time to score 60 goals in a season and I don’t see why he couldn’t do it again this year and Mitch Marner who really showed that he is worth his contract value by putting up 97 points in 72 games last year and if he can remain healthy this season I don’t think 100 points is a unrealistic goal for Marner, now on line 2 Tavares who would usually be the Maple Leafs 2nd line Center is out to start the year due to injury so I would have Alex Kerfoot start as 2nd line Center as Kerfoot had a really productive year last season being a middle six forward and to start the season I feel he is the best player to take on Tavares role, and his wingers should be Nylander who has been one of the most consistent forwards in Toronto for some time now and his productivity might be overshadowed by Matthews and Marner but on most teams he would be a top line winger and should be a good 2nd line player again for the Leafs and on the other wing have Nick Robertson who I think should be ready to fight for a consistent NHL role and I think they could get the best out of him if they placed him on that second  line, on line three I would have three good middle six forwards as Engvall who has a really good year last year and in a contract season will want to prove he can keep up that pace, and newly acquired Jarnkrok on the other wing as Jarnkrok can put up a decent amount of points and isn’t too expensive so having him on the 3rd line would be smart and have Kampf center it as the good penalty killing forward came through in key times for Toronto last year and should be able to be a pretty productive forward if he were to have line mates like that, while on line 4 I would have Kyle Clifford who is a good physical forward who I think could be a good use on the 4th line and have Gaudette Center the line as I know that he hasn’t been the best of forwards recently but I think he can show he is still a good bottom six forward and on the other wing have newly brought in Aube-Kubel as the Stanley Cup winning forward is a very good bottom six forward and should be able to help the Leafs as a good penalty killing forward and then have guys like Simmonds and Anderson be there spares as they could get into game action as good 4th liners if there is any injuries but I think this offense might very well be the best in the NHL this year and I think that this offense alone is going to help the Maple Leafs through games and I think any team playing the Leafs are going to be scared of their offense. 

Rating B-: now I think that rating may be a bit generous for Toronto build you take into account that they got three decent players to replace Mikheyev, Kase and Blackwell plus a few decent 3rd pair players to replace Lyubushkin and if Murray can play better then Mrazek and Samsonov can play at least as good as Campbell did last year then I think this Maple Leafs team will be better off then they were last year and I think that the Leafs should win the Atlantic division this year as I see them being the same team who played last year and with all of the other teams regressing a bit I think that the Leafs should be victorious in the division as well as having a very good chance to end this streak of losing so many 1RD round series the past few years. 

Toronto 

Projected lineup 

M.Bunting-A.Matthews-M.Marner

N.Robertson-A.Kerfoot-W.Nylander 

P.Engvall-D.Kampf-C.Jarnkrok

K.Clifford-A.Gaudette-N.A Kubel

       M.Rielly-T.J Brodie 

     J.Muzzin-R.Sandin

M.Giordano-J.Holl

           I.Samsonov

            M.Murray 

W.Simmonds-J.Anderson-V.Mete 

(IR J.Tavares, T.Liljegren, J.Benn, C.Dahlstrom) 

My Projected point total and record for Maple Leafs

52-22-8 for 112 points 

2022 All Star game logo 

 My Projected Standings for the Atlantic division 

Toronto        52-22-8 for 112 points 

Tampa Bay 48-25-9 for 105 points 

Florida         47-28-7 for 101 points 

Ottawa       43-29-10 for 96 points 

Boston        39-32-11 for 89 points 

Detroit         39-25-8 for 86 points 

Buffalo        36-38-8 for 80 points 

Montreal    27-42-13 for 67 points 

This year I think is the year that the Maple Leafs establish themselves as the top dog in the Atlantic as I feel that they have what it takes to get past the now weakened Florida teams to claim the Atlantic crown, meanwhile I think Florida’s defence will be good enough to make the playoffs but will cause them to topple to 3rd in the division with the Bolts going past them again this year and finishing second as I think that the Bolts now have more firepower then the Panthers at this point, the Senators have done enough in my opinion that they should be able to sneak in to a playoff spot and kick the Bruins down a peg and finally make it back while the Bruins will find they will miss the playoffs due to their ageing core and the fact of the injuries to start the year, Detroit should be tons more competitive with the revamped roster and I would guess finish close to a playoff birth but still need another year to grow in my opinion while the Sabres will almost reach the .500 mark this year but still won’t be close to a playoff spot and need another year or two to get better while Montreal should be the worst of the bunch in the Atlantic and I think will have a better overall record then last season but with the team in the midst of a rebuild right now I think a higher pick in the draft would be better then maybe just missing the playoffs.

My Final Eastern Confrence Standings and who would play in the first round of the playoffs 

Top 3 in the Atlantic 

Toronto        52-22-8 for 112 points 

Tampa Bay 48-25-9 for 105 points 

Florida         47-28-7 for 101 points 

Top 3 in the Metro 

Carolina       52-24-6 for 110 points 

New York R 48-26-8 for 104 points 

Columbus    44-29-9 for 97 points 

The 2 Wildcard teams 

Ottawa       43-29-10 for 96 points 

Pittsburgh 44-31-7 for 95 points 

8 Eastern teams that miss the playoffs 

New York I 39-30-13 for 91 points 

Boston        39-32-11 for 89 points 

New Jersey 40-34-8 for 88 points 

Detroit          39-25-8 for 86 points 

Washington 36-37-9 for 81 points 

Buffalo         36-38-8 for 80 points 

Philadelphia 29-41-12 for 70 points 

Montreal    27-42-13 for 67 points

Projected 1RD matchups

1A Toronto vs Pittsburgh 2WC

2A Tampa Bay vs Florida 3A

1M Carolina vs Ottawa 1WC

2M New York R vs Columbus 3M