Camp Preview: Atlantic Division rewind

We're obviously pretty locked in on what the Sabres have done this offseason, but let's take a moment to go around the Atlantic Division and check in on what the Bruins, Canadiens, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Red Wings and Senators have been up to.

Boston Bruins

Last Season: 112 points; Second in Atlantic Division
First Game vs. Buffalo: Thursday, Oct. 4 at KeyBank Center
The Bruins have had a relatively quiet offseason, but after a 112-point campaign - including a 28-8-5 record at home - they're looking to build on what they've begun to establish with a new young core.
In his fourth season, David Pastrnak hit the 80-point plateau for the first time in his career with 35 goals and 45 assists. Rookies Danton Heinan (47 points), Jake DeBrusk (43 points) and Charlie McAvoy (32 points) had strong years and will look to make bigger impacts this year. Ryan Donato broke out at the end of last season with nine points in 12 games.
Of course, the vets are still productive as well. Brad Marchand led the team with 85 points and Patrice Bergeron (who may not be ready for October because of offseason groin surgery) scored 30 goals for the fourth time. Zdeno Chara is also still around as the 41-year-old captain enters his 13th season with the Bruins.
They'll open the season against the Sabres in Buffalo.

Detroit Red Wings

Last Season: 73 points; Fifth in Atlantic Division
First Game vs. Buffalo: Saturday, Nov. 24 at Little Caesars Arena
The Red Wings extended Dylan Larkin to a five-year contract on Aug, 10, signed goaltender Jonathan Bernier and former Sabres captain Thomas Vanek on July 1, and re-signed defenseman Mike Green.
Captain Henrik Zetterberg's status is uncertain and it seems unlikely that he'll play this season. As Dan Rosen of NHL.com writes, "It would be a tough loss for the Red Wings if Zetterberg can't play because of his back issues. He would be an effective player and a role model for the younger players. The forward had 56 points (11 goals, 45 assists) last season. He's not done unless his back is telling him he is."
It also could be Niklas Kronwall's final season.
A few rookies could make Detroit's opening night lineup: forwards Filip Zadina, who fell to Detroit sixth overall this summer, and Michael Rasmussen (ninth overall in 2017), who was a big playoff performer in the WHL last season, and defenseman Filip Hronek (second round, 2016) are all in the mix.
Detroit will also lean on Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi and Andreas Athanasiou next season. Larkin, Zetterberg, Mantha, Gustav Nyquist and Justin Abdelkader were Detroit's top five scorers last year.
- 2018-19 Individual-Game Tickets On Sale Sept. 7

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Florida Panthers

Last Season: 96 points; Fourth in Atlantic Division
First Game vs. Buffalo: Friday, Nov. 30 at BB&T Center
The Panthers used a red-hot second half to get back into the playoff race, but missed the postseason by one point.
As NHL.com notes: "The Panthers were the only NHL team with four players who scored at least 27 goals and had at least 65 points last season: Aleksander Barkov (27 goals, 78 points), Vincent Trocheck (31 goals, 75 points), Jonathan Huberdeau (27 goals, 69 points), and Evgenii Dadonov (28 goals, 65 points)."
The team added Mike Hoffman (when they swapped some picks with San Jose on the same day the Sharks acquired Hoffman from Ottawa) and KHL defenseman Bogdan Kiselevich.
At 39 years young, Roberto Luongo returns to man the crease. He went 12-5-1 to close out the season and will look to stay strong between the pipes in his 19th NHL season.

Montreal Canadiens

Last Season: 71 points; Sixth in Atlantic Division
First Game vs. Buffalo: Thursday, Oct. 25 at KeyBank Center
The Habs are looking for Carey Price to rebound from what was statistically the worst season of his career. Price finished the year 16-26-7 with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage, all of which were full-season career lows for the 2014-15 Hart Trophy winner. Price, 31, enters the first year of an eight-year, $84-million extension that makes him the second-highest player in the NHL this season (John Tavares is first with a $15.9 million salary).
Montreal acquired Max Domi in a trade with Arizona for Alex Galchenyuk and added former Sabre Joel Armia and defenseman Xavier Ouellet this offseason. They traded for 2013 first-round pick Hunter Shinkaruk on Aug. 20.
"We already have young players in place so we're not getting rid of older players to bring in young players," general manager Marc Bergevin said. "We already have a core of young players who are growing together, so that's why I'm not ready to say we're rebuilding."
Brendan Gallagher led the team in scoring last season with 31 goals and 54 points.
One looming question is if the team will trade captain Max Pacioretty, a five-time 30-goal scorer. The team will also be without Shea Weber until at least mid-December as he recovers from knee surgery.

Ottawa Senators

Last Season: 67 Points; Seventh in Atlantic Division
First Game vs. Buffalo: Thursday, Nov. 1 at Canadian Tire Centre
The future of Erik Karlsson has been up in the air since last season and now, he will enter the final year of his contract with everyone still wondering if - and when - the Senators will trade their captain and two-time Norris Trophy winner. Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com ranked Karlsson as the best player in the division, but how much time does he have left in the Atlantic?
Forwards Matt Duchene and Mark Stone are also set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Stone and Karlsson led the team with 62 points each while Duchene tied for the team lead with 23 goals (27 total) after being acquired from Colorado in November.
Fourth-overall pick Brady Tkachuk signed an entry-level contract and will forego his sophomore season at Boston University. You could consider him the big offseason addition (especially if he makes the roster), as well as Mikkel Boedker, who was acquired from San Jose in a trade that involved Mike Hoffman.
- Prospects Challenge Tickets On Sale Now

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Tampa Bay Lightning

Last Season: 113 points; First in Atlantic Division
First Game vs. Buffalo: Tuesday, Nov. 13 at KeyBank Center
The reigning division winners didn't change much of their personnel this offseason and they'll enter 2018-19 as Cup favorites once again.
The Lightning boasted the Eastern Conference's best road record last year (25-13-3) and finished with the most points in the conference behind dynamic scorers and a deep defensive corps. Chris Kunitz and Anton Stralman were their biggest departures.
Nikita Kucherov finished third in scoring last year with 100 points (39+61) and was rewarded with an eight-year contract extension that will keep him in Tampa through 2026-27. Over the last four seasons, Kucherov ranks fourth in the NHL in scoring (316 points) and is tied for third for goals (138).
Victor Hedman won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman for the first time in his career. Their top six D-men - Hedman, Ryan McDonagh (who signed a seven-year contract extension that kicks in next season), Anton Stralman, Dan Giradi, Mikhail Sergachev and Braydon Coburn - are all slated to return.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, fresh off a Vezina nomination, will begin his second season as the starting goaltender.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Last Season: 105 points; Third in Atlantic Division
First Game vs. Buffalo: Tuesday, Dec. 4 at KeyBank Center
On July 1, James van Riemsdyk and his team-leading 36 goals left for Philadelphia and Tyler Bozak signed with St. Louis, but the Maple Leafs made headlines that day when new general manager Kyle Dubas inked free agent John Tavares to a seven-year, $77 million contract.
Tavares will join a forward group that includes Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, who each posted over 60 points last season.
Nylander is a restricted free agent who has yet to sign. Matthews and Marner are set to become RFAs next offseason.
Toronto finished in third place in the division and made the playoffs for the second year in a row, but lost their first-round matchup to the Bruins in seven games. They also added Tyler Ennis and Josh Jooris this summer to help them get over the hump.
The Sabres and Leafs will become reacquainted pretty quickly when they face each other in two preseason games this month (Friday, Sept. 21 at Scotiabank Arena and Saturday, Sept. 22 at KeyBank Center) before squaring off for real in December.