2025-26 Atlantic Division Rankings

If one division has run the NHL in recent years, it’s the Atlantic.

Not only do they boast four of the last six Stanley Cups, but the division has sent eight teams to the Final in the last seven years.

The Atlantic has become to the Metroploitan what the NFC was to the AFC for a near 20-year stretch that John Elway put a stop to.

The regular season doesn’t matter much to the top teams, but there is a lot of intrigue in the middle.

1. Florida Panthers

Yes, the gang is still here. Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett all extended with the Panthers, keeping their window open for another several years. This team is a machine, make no mistake about it. A threepeat is all but impossible in the cap era, but if anyone could do it, it’s these guys. Not even Matthew Tkachuk’s surgery will slow this down.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

No, the gang is not still here. After years of disappointment, rumors and everything in between, Mitch Marner is gone. He was sent to Vegas in a sign and trade, which netted Nicholas Roy as consolation. You don’t replace him in the regular season, but they did a good job replacing star power with depth. Guys like Mattias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua will serve as great middle-six wingers, with Joshua particularly fitting a Craig Berube-coached team. They also hit home runs, extending John Tavares and Matthew Knies to team-friendly deals. The pieces are still here for the Leafs to be a strong team, so long as Auston Matthews and William Nylander play like, well, Auston Matthews and William Nylander should play.

3. Ottawa Senators

The Senators didn’t do much this offseason, but they really didn’t need much. The only real move, Jordan Spence, is a great buy-low youngster who should help revitalize the right side of their blue line. I don’t exactly consider Tim Stutzle or Jake Sanderson superstars just yet, but they are excellent building blocks for a team whose window is just getting started. The Sens are just strong across the board: good high-end talent, good depth, good defenseman and a good goalie. Last year, they felt ahead of schedule. This year, they feel like they can make a lot of noise.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning

I really thought last year was shaping up to be special for the Lightning. Instead, the Panthers made quick work of them for a second-straight season. Time is running out on the Bolts, as a majority of their top players are on the wrong side of thirty. Still, a team that boasts Andrei Vasilevskiy, back-to-back Art Ross winner Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point is going to be pretty good, especially with Jon Cooper behind the bench. Like the Senators, the Lightning had a quiet offseason. Their big move was disappointing, as they gave Hobey Baker winner Isaac Howard to the Oilers. Howard is a great talent and would’ve helped the Lightning transition into a new era. It’s a shame things didn’t work out.

5. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens really came out of nowhere to nab the final playoff spot in the East last year. Believing that their time is coming soon, they added Zack Bolduc in exchange for Logan Mailloux. That was after they found Mailloux’s replacement and upgrade in Noah Dobson, signing him to a giant extension. With all this being said, I’m hesitant to say they will repeat last year’s success. Yes, Lane Hutson is incredible. Yes, Ivan Demidov looks like he will be every bit as good. However, I question whether the team’s top forwards are good enough. Beyond the big three of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, there isn’t a lot of high-end ability there. I also have concerns about Sam Montembault replicating his strong season last year. This season could go a lot of different ways.

6. Detroit Red Wings

For the love of Mike Ilitch, is this team ever going to take the next step and get back to the playoffs? They let a horrendous start end their season, even with a strong record under Todd McLellan. They kept all their top players, unless you consider Vladimir Tarasenko to still be one. They’ve dealt with horrible goaltending, so they went and got John Gibson. There were no excuses last year, but now there are somehow even less.

7. Boston Bruins

If the Bruins weren’t an Original Six team with oodles of success this century, we’d be talking about them as possibly the worst-run team in the league today. Last year was a disaster and should’ve finally gotten Cam Neely and/or Don Sweeney fired. Instead, they’re both back and giving out more ludicrous contracts. Congratulations to Tanner Jeannot, this year’s recipient. They'd better pray that Jeremy Swayman gets his act together after the clown show that was his contract negotiation. The Blues thank them for Jim Montgomery every day.

8. Buffalo Sabres

What a disaster.