Atlantic Division team draft needs

The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually Oct. 6-7. NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, a look at needs for teams in the Atlantic Division. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here .

The 2020 NHL Draft provides an opportunity for teams to shore up positions of need with an injection of young talent.
The first round of the draft will be Oct. 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are Oct. 7 (11:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN1). The draft will be held virtually. It was scheduled for June 26-27 at Bell Centre in Montreal but postponed March 25 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
Here are what Atlantic Division teams could be looking to do at the draft (teams listed in alphabetical order):

BOSTON BRUINS

Top priority: Skilled forwards
First pick: No. 58
The situation: The Bruins, who lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, had five rookies who played at least five games during the regular season: forwards Karson Kuhlman (free agent, April 10, 2018) and
Anton Blidh
(2013 NHL Draft, No. 180) and defensemen Connor Clifton (free agent, May 3, 2018), Jeremy Lauzon (2015, No. 52) and Urho Vaakanainen (2017, No. 18). Jack Studnicka (2017, No. 53), a 21-year-old center, might be considered Boston's top prospect. He scored 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games for Providence in the American Hockey League and likely will compete for an NHL spot next season. Vaakanainen scored 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 54 games for Providence. Boston could look to add scoring forwards when its turn comes in the second round or maybe begin developing greater depth on defense. Torey Krug led Boston defenseman with 49 points (nine goals, 40 assists) but can become an unrestricted free agent after the season, as can 43-year-old captain Zdeno Chara.
Possible fits: Zayde Wisdom, RW, Kingston (OHL); Ryan O'Rourke, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL); Zion Nybeck, LW, HV 71 Jr. (SWE-JR)

BUFFALO SABRES

Top priority: Depth at wing
First pick: No. 8
The situation: The Sabres missed the postseason for the ninth consecutive season and were 21st in the NHL with 193 goals, the eighth straight season they have finished in the bottom-third of the League in scoring. Buffalo had three players who scored at least 15 goals this season: Jack Eichel (36), Sam Reinhart (22) and rookie Victor Olofsson (20); Reinhart and Olofsson can be restricted free agents Oct. 9. Forward prospects
Dylan Cozens
(2019, No. 7) and
Rasmus Asplund
(2016, No. 33) should provide some offensive help next season. Defensemen prospects
Ryan Johnson
(2019, No. 31) and
Mattias Samuelsson
(2018, No. 32), and goalie
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
(2017, No. 54) also are at the top of the list of players to watch. The Sabres have six picks and should target a few more creative forwards to complement Eichel, Cozens and
Casey Mittelstadt
.
Possible fits: Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa (OHL); Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa (OHL); Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurgarden (SWE)

DETROIT RED WINGS

Top priority: Top-end talent
First pick: No. 4
The situation: The Red Wings have 10 selections in the draft, including six in the opening three rounds, so they'll look to load up on potential top-six forwards and top-four defensemen. Detroit has failed to qualify for the playoffs the past four seasons after appearances in 25 straight. The last time it had the No. 4 pick, it chose Steve Yzerman in the 1983 NHL Draft. The Red Wings had the best odds (18.5 percent) to win the No. 1 pick in the First Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery on June 26 but fell to No. 4. Detroit has three picks in the second round, and likely will use one of those selections on a goalie.
Possible fits: Lucas Raymond, LW, Frolunda (SWE); Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw (OHL); Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie (OHL)

FLORIDA PANTHERS

Top priority: Offensive defenseman
First pick: No. 12
The situation: The Panthers need to fortify their depth on defense, particularly defensemen capable of generating offense. Keith Yandle (45 points) and Aaron Ekblad (41) were the only two to score at least 21 points during the regular season, and Mike Matheson was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 24. Florida could lose as many as three top-six forwards and a defenseman when free agency opens Oct. 9: Forwards Mike Hoffman, Evgenii Dadonov and Erik Haula, and defenseman Mark Pysyk each of whom can become an unrestricted free agent. Six of the eight Panthers defensemen to play at least 30 games this season were at least 26 years old and
John Ludvig
(2019, No. 69),
Vladislav Kolyachonok
(2019, No. 52),
Max Gildon
(2017, No. 66) and Brady Keeper (free agent, March 18, 2019) could push to contribute soon. Ludvig scored 62 points (17 goals, 45 assists) in 60 games while captain for Portland of the Western Hockey League and Kolyachonok scored 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 53 games as an assistant captain for Flint of the Ontario Hockey League. Florida will take the best player available in the first round, but could lean toward a defenseman if all things are equal.
Possible fits: Jake Sanderson, D, USA U-18 (NTDP); Kaiden Guhle, D, Prince Albert (WHL); Braden Schneider, D, Brandon (WHL)

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Top priority: Top-six forward depth
First pick: No. 16
The situation: The Canadiens have 11 picks in the draft, including four of the top 57 (three in the second round). Montreal has a top prospect at each position: defenseman
Alexander Romanov
(2018, No. 38), who was named to the All-Star Team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship after he scored six points (one goal, five assists) in seven games for second-place Russia; forward
Cole Caufield
(2019, No. 15), who led the University of Wisconsin in goals (19) and points (36) as a freshman; and goalie Cayden Primeau (2017, No. 199), who made his NHL debut Dec. 5 and had a .931 save percentage in two games. He also went 17-11-3 with a 2.45 goals-against average, four shutouts and a .908 save percentage in 33 games for Laval in the AHL. The hope is Romanov can play in the NHL next season after he played the past two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League. Canadiens assistant general manager Trevor Timmins said Montreal will select the player with the most potential, regardless of size or position, but it's hard not to consider positional needs when building a solid foundation.
Possible fits: Dylan Holloway, C, Wisconsin (BIG10); Seth Jarvis, C, Portland (WHL); Connor Zary, C, Kamloops (WHL)

OTTAWA SENATORS

Top priority: Impact players
First-round picks: No. 3, No. 5, No. 28
The situation: The Senators had the second- and third-best odds to win the No. 1 selection in the 2020 draft (13.5 percent from their own pick, 11.5 percent from a pick acquired in the trade of defenseman Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 13, 2018), but ended up with the No. 3 and No. 5 selections. Ottawa may target a forward and defenseman with those early picks. "In this plan of the rebuild we always felt that this 2020 draft would be one of the deepest that's come along in many years," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. The Senators have 13 picks, including seven of the top 62 selections (four in the second round). The pipeline already is fertile with defensemen
Erik Brannstrom
(trade with Vegas Golden Knights, Feb. 25, 2019),
Lassi Thomson
(2019, No. 19) and
Jacob Bernard-Docker
(2018, No. 26); forwards
Alex Formenton
(2017, No. 47),
Josh Norris
(trade, Sharks, Sept. 13, 2018) and
Shane Pinto
(2019, No. 32); and goalie
Mads Sogaard
(2019, No. 37) close to being ready for the NHL. Defenseman Mark Borowiecki can become an unrestricted free agent Oct. 9, and among the restricted free agents are forwards Anthony Duclair, Chris Tierney and Connor Brown. Goalie Craig Anderson will not be offered a contract.
Possible fits: Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury (OHL); Tim Stuetzle, LW, Mannheim (GER); Jamie Drysdale, D, Sudbury (OHL)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Top priority: Defensemen depth
First pick: No. 62
The situation: The Lightning have qualified for the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons; during that span they've reached the conference finals four times and the Stanley Cup Final twice. This year they have eight picks, but none in the first round after trading that selection to the Sharks for forward Barclay Goodrow on Feb. 24. Assistant general manager/director of amateur scouting Al Murray has helped create a strong foundation of prospects who have rotated into the lineup at various points, including forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Mitchell Stephens this season. Tampa Bay will depend on a few more in the future with forwards
Alexander Volkov
(2017, No. 48),
Alex Barre-Boulet
(free agent, March 1, 2018),
Boris Katchouk
(2016, No. 44) and
Taylor Raddysh
(2016, No. 58) next in line to fight for roster spots. The Lightning traded top forward prospect Nolan Foote (2019, No. 27) and a 2020 first-round pick (previously acquired from the Vancouver Canucks) to the New Jersey Devils for forward Blake Coleman on Feb. 16. Defenseman
Callan Foote
(2017, No. 14), Nolan's brother, scored 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 62 games for Syracuse of the AHL this season and could push for full-time NHL duty soon. The Lightning have two defensemen signed beyond the 2020-21 season: Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh.
Possible fits: Tyler Kleven, D, USA U-18 (NTDP); Topi Niemela, D, Karpat (FIN); Mitchell Miller, D, Tri-City (USHL)

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Top priority: Top-six forward depth
First pick: No. 15
The situation: The Maple Leafs lost their best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifier series to the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games. They had six rookies play at least 11 regular-season games, including forward Ilya Mikheyev (39 games, 23 points) and defenseman Rasmus Sandin (28 games, eight points). The Maple Leafs have 11 picks, including the Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round selection, which was acquired as part of the trade for forward Kasperi Kapanen on Aug. 25. Toronto chose three forwards and three defensemen in the 2019 NHL Draft and have several quality prospects, including forwards Nicholas Robertson (2019, No. 53) and
Jeremy Bracco
(2015, No. 61), defensemen
Timothy Liljegren
(2017, No. 17) and
Mikko Kokkonen
(2019, No. 84) and goalie Joseph Woll (2016, No. 62).
Possible fits: Seth Jarvis, C, Portland (WHL); Mavrik Bourque, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL); Braden Schneider, D, Brandon (WHL)
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