u/nhl_hockey_fan

AM34: ELITE 1C. I'd say we have the best center in the divison, maybe top 5 in the league. I'd say he has a fair shot a winning Selke next season if he stays healthy, way ahead of Suzuki and maybe even Barkov.

Knies: Soon to be top 5 power foward in the league. I know his underlying stats are not the best but he's still young.

Nylander: >ppg player with incredible ceiling. His work ethic leaves to be desired. With the right culture, he could push his game to another level.

McKenna: Borderline generational talent, offensive dynamo. Might take a season or two to adapt his game but sky-high ceiling. By far the best rookie next season, easily the U23 with the highest potential in our divison.

JT: Perfect "culture" veteran 2-3C. Leads by example.

Raddysh: Big strong D-man with high offensive upside. Trending up the last 3 seasons.

If the depth players gel well together, I'm not sure who can stop us in our division. We are definitely a stronger team than the habs, the lightning and the sabres.

We are so fucking back!!! GLG

I keep hearing he was a borderline generational talent. Not on McDavid or MacKinnon tier but a notch below.

Will he eventually become the best foward of the leafs? Who is comparable? Celebrini? Bedard? Demidov? Jack Hughes? Where would you rank him among these young NHL skill-based star fowards?

Thanks!

I just want to highlight how incredibly refreshing it is to have a management that takes ACTION to make the team better. The team went from bottom 5 in the league to an incredibly exciting revamped lineup in the span of a single offseason. I cant wait to see how the next season pans out with shiny new toys of McKenna / Raddysh / Bob and healthy Nylander / Matthews / Knies. If we get Werenski, we have what it takes to go very far next spring.

With the panthers acquiring Brady Tkachuk and Senators falling down a cliff, what do you think the Atlantic division ranking will look like next season?

This is my personal, maybe slightly optimistic opinion:

1-Florida Panthers: hard to argue there, that might be one of the best top 9 in the salary cap era. Grit, skill, depth, they have it all. Very serious cup contenders.

2-: Toronto Maple Leafs: I LOVE the work done by JC so far. I truly believe that with a true 1D and the injection raw skill of borderline generational talent Gavin McKenna, this team can bounce back. With decent goaltending from a Stolarz / Akhtyamov duo, we could very well be the second best team in the Atlantic division.

3-Tampa Bay Lightning: The team is getting older and lost their best D-man for basically nothing. They still have game breaking talent of Kutcherov and a Vezina trophy-level goalie in Vasy and will be able to secure the third spot.

4-Buffalo Sabres: After winning the division last year, the team chemistry and overall skill-level will be greatly diminished by the loss of Tuch and Byram. They will secure the first WC spot.

5-Montreal Canadien: Although this team has a lot of talent, I personally think this season was a fluke. The stars aligned for the Habs with career high seasons from Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkowsky and Hutson. Personally, I think their team lacks grit, size and game breaking talent. Their playoff run was carried by puck luck and a hot goalie. The second WC spot is a toss up between the Habs, the Devils, and the Flyers.

6-Ottawa Senators: After losing Brady Tkachuk, the Sens lose a lot of grit and skill. Unless they pull off a miracle and haul top 6 talent with their picks, I dont see them making the playoffs. Stutzle is an amazing 1C, but the team now lacks the big power foward to finish his plays. What a disaster for such a promising young team. They do have a lot of assets to try to turn the boat around.

7-Detroit Red Wings: With the loss of their 1C who is soon to be traded, the Red Wings will not be able to reach the playoffs. They might be an interesting team to trade with if they go full rebuild.

8-Boston Bruins: This year will finally be the time for the Bruins to fall off. Their team lacks talent at almost every position and Pasta / Swaymann will bottom out by a significant margin.

Thoughts?