Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Each year, the dynamics of the NHL shift – sometimes in a major way.
To wit: in recent years, this writer has argued that the Metropolitan Division is the league’s most competitive division. Metro teams, such as the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, have battled it out for a playoff berth. Last year, the Philadelphia Flyers entered the fold as well.
However, after this summer’s roster changes, the NHL’s toughest division has changed.
As the Metro has tumbled down the division rankings, two divisions – the Atlantic Division and the Central Division – have risen in power.
That said, the Atlantic is our new choice for the toughest division in the league.
Why the Atlantic Division Has High Expectations
For starters, seven of the eight Atlantic teams have very real expectations to at least qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Last year’s Atlantic playoff teams – the Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning – all expect deep playoff runs in 2024-25, even if the Bolts aren’t as strong as they once were. Each of those four teams should, at minimum, be back in the post-season picture this coming year.
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Meanwhile, three other Atlantic teams – the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings – are clubs on the rise that badly want to end lengthy playoff droughts. As such, they’ve made notable changes to their teams.
The Senators and Sabres have new coaches on top of adding new players, such as goaltender Linus Ullmark and forward David Perron in Ottawa and forward Jason Zucker on Buffalo. The Red Wings, meanwhile, brought in veteran goalie Cam Talbot, two-time Cup-winning winger Vladimir Tarasenko and defensemen Erik Gustafsson and William Lagesson to augment their core.
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It’s possible one of the Senators, Sabres or Wings will unseat an Atlantic Division rival or a wild-card contender in the Metropolitan Division, but it’s such a competitive battle that it’s far less likely that two of the Senators, Wings or Sabres will be playoff teams in 2024-25, let alone all three.
Whichever Atlantic Division squads pushing for the playoffs but miss out will be severely disappointed. Buffalo, Ottawa and Detroit have been trying for at least the last two years to make the playoffs – longer than that for the Sabres – and Tampa Bay is still trying to hang onto its competitive window, so not making the post-season would be devastating.
We haven’t yet mentioned the Montreal Canadiens, which added sniper Patrik Laine and should be significantly improved this year. While they might still be rebuilding, they will certainly not be an easy out.
All in all, the Atlantic will be extremely more competitive, and we expect the battle for playoff spots will come down to the final days of the regular season once again.
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Central Division On the Rise
The Central Division is a close second in competitiveness.
It is home to the terrific Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, all of which were playoff teams last year.
We see them as locks for the post-season, although the Central standings could change notably. The Predators, in particular, have been one of the most improved teams in the off-season after adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. The Stars and Avalanche, meanwhile, have enough high-end talent to put them at or near the top of the division.
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The Utah Hockey Club and St. Louis Blues have also done more to challenge for a playoff spot. Utah is another much-improved team on paper by adding Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino. The Blues also aggressively added to their overall talent and depth by successfully signing RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers and acquiring Mathieu Joseph and Ryan Suter.
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There’s still the Minnesota Wild seeking a playoff spot with Kirill Kaprizov, Brock Faber and Matt Boldy, while even the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks have added depth and skill. That makes the Central the most improved division, even if they take a slight backseat to the Atlantic in the macro picture.
What about the Metropolitan and Pacific?
The Metropolitan and Pacific Divisions now lag behind the Atlantic and Central. This isn’t to say the eventual Stanley Cup champion won’t come from either division because it certainly won’t be a cakewalk, but their overall collection of talent is not as deep as that of the Central and Atlantic.
Of course, things can change during the regular season with trades and internal development, but on paper, the Atlantic and Central stand out above the rest as the toughest divisions in the game. Only one team in each division is considered to be rebuilding, and the rest will be distraught if they miss the playoffs. The Pacific, meanwhile, has three teams either retooling or rebuilding, while the Metro has two currently and another two – Pittsburgh and Washington – approaching a crossroads.
The Metropolitan still has elite teams in the Rangers and Hurricanes, while the York Islanders, Capitals and Penguins will try again to get to at least the first round.
The Pacific almost had Stanley Cup champions in back-to-back years, but the Oilers missed out in Game 7 to follow up on the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2023 win. The Vancouver Canucks significantly improved last season, leading the division last year and looking to take yet another step.
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The NHL’s structural focus on having divisional rivalries early in the playoffs means that, once again, very good teams will lose out in the first or second rounds next spring. But the league’s parity is so pronounced now that there will be above-average teams in the Atlantic and Central that don’t even get a shot at the post-season.
In a 32-team league, you must be consistently solid right out of the gate and peak at the right time of year. If one of those two things doesn’t materialize, it will be tough sledding for franchises that aren’t firing on all pistons.
The balance of power can and does switch from year to year in hockey’s top league, but as it stands, the Atlantic and Central are the toughest divisions heading into this coming season.
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News Summary:
- The NHL Has a New Toughest Division
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