Atlantic Division - Preview

Detroit - With the veterans well since departed Detroit, coach Mike Babcock relied on 'kids' last season to secure a 23^rd consecutive playoff appearance. Once there, they didnt last long, dispatched by the Bruins in just five games. There were some plus points though, Gustav Nyquist scored 28 goals, while the line of Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco formed an effective scoring unit. Luke Glendening did well as a checking center, while Danny DeKeyser showed he could line up as a second-pair defenseman. Detroit really needed the younger players last season after veterans Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall all suffered injury problems. Zetterberg and Datsyuk each missed half the season, but are feeling as good as they have in a number of years. For the season ahead, Johan Franzen, Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader will be relied upon production and possesion, while Jonathan Ericsson and Kyle Quincey will help Kornwall on the Blue line. Two signings last season, Stephen Weiss and Daniel Alfredsson were hit by serious injury and that hampered Detroit further. Weiss, still recovering from double surgery will be looked at, to produce 50 points, while the Wings will re-sign Alfredsson if he can prove his back is up to it. Jimmy Howard will need to get over his injuries and inconsistent play that affected his game last season to give the wings some Elite goaltending.
Zetterberg – Datsyuk – Nyquist
Tatar – Weiss – Franzen
Abdelkader – Helm – Jurco
Sheahan – Andersson – Miller

Kronwall – Ericsson

Smith – DeKeyser
Quincey – Kindl
Boston - After winning the President's trophy last season the Bruins were humbled by their arch-rival Montreal Canadiens over seven games in the second round of the playoffs. They then lost joint-top scorer Jarome Iginla to Colorado over the summer, and questions remain as to who will replace the replacement for Nathan Horton. Loui Eriksson, despite injury concerns and Reilly Smith will hope to land that top-line spot. Despite the loss of Iginla, the majority of the team remains intact. The defense is certainly a strong point, with anyone of nine players laying claims to a starting six berth. Veterans Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg, who is returning from a lenghty injury lay-off, are all guarenteed to start. Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug had strong seasons in the top fout last year, while Adam McQuaid, Matt Bartkowski and Kevan Miller are all available for selection, and prospect David Warsofsky is well thought of by GM Peter Chiarelli.

Marchand – Bergeron – Smith

Lucic – Krejci – Eriksson
Spooner – Soderberg – Kelly
Paille – Campbell – Caron

Chara – Hamilton

Seidenberg – Boychuk
Krug – Bartkowski
Toronto - With Brendan Shanahan arriving as president this summer, it didnt take long for him to set about overhauling the team. Roman Polak and Stephane Robidas have arrived to help Dion Phaneuf in defense, while Jake Gardiner has signed a new five-year, $20.25 million contract. Both Matt Frattin and Leo Komarov have returned for a second stint in Toronto, while David Booth, Petri Kontiola, Mike Santorelli and penalty-killing specialist Daniel Winnik have also arrived. Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk, struck up a great partnership last year and combined for 67 goals and 111 assists. Joffrey Lupul and Nazem Kadri both hit 20 goals, and Tyler Bozak scored 19 as he anchored the top line. Jonathan Bernier will once again share goaltending duties with James Reimer who has just signed a new two-year $4.6 million contract.

Van Riemsdyk – Bozak – Kessel

Lupul – Kadri – Clarkson
Komarov – Kontiola – Booth
Winnik – Santorelli – Frattin

Phaneuf – Robidas

Gardiner – Franson
Rielly – Polak
Tampa Bay – After an eventful 2013-14 season which included losing their star player for 4 months and trading away their captain, not to mention their goalie getting hurt 3 games before the start of the playoffs. GM Steve Yzerman set about re-stocking the roster with veterans. Defenseman Jason Garrison arrived from Vancouver, while fellow blue-liner Anton Stralman joins him. Brian Boyle (Rangers) and Brenden Morrow (St Louis) add experience to the forward lines. Evgeni Nabokov arrives to strengthen the goal-tending while Ryan Callahan, who came in as part of the Marty St. Louis trade signed a new six-year, $34.8 million contract. Nabokov might have a tough job trying to usurp Ben Bishop given the latter's performances last season. Jonathan Drouin could help to make up for the loss of St. Louis, on Stamkos' line. Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat will be looking for top-six forward spots.

Drouin – Stamkos – Johnson

Palat – Filppula – Callahan
Killorn – Boyle – Brown
Morrow – Connolly – Kucherov

Hedman – Stralman

Carle – Gudas
Garrison – Brewer
Sustr - Barberio

Buffalo - The Sabres, impatient at the thought of a five-year re-build, were busy signing big-name players over the summer. Rochester native Brian Gionta arrives from Montreal on a three-year, $12.75 million contract, while two players who left for the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline have returned. Matt Moulson (five years, $25 million) and Cody McCormick (three years, $4.5 million) didn't work out in the State of Hockey and are back on familiar ice. Fellow forward Marcus Foligno has re-signed on a two-year $3.75 million deal, while Andrej Meszaros (one year $4.125 million) and Josh Gorges from Montreal will add depth to the blue line. Star center Tyler Ennis later signed a new five-year $23 million and defenseman Andre Benoit for a one-year $800,000 deal.

Moulson – Hodgson – Stafford

Ennis – Reinhart – Stewart
Foligno – Girgensons – Gionta
Ellis – Flynn – Mitchell

Gorges – Myers

Weber – Ristolainen
Meszaros - Pysyk
Ottawa - A slow start and inconsistent play left the Sens reeling, as they missed out on the playoffs for the third time in six seasons. If the team wants to return to the post-season they will have to do it without their captain, as Jason Spezza was traded to Dallas for Alex Chiasson. David Legwand arrived to help give the team more depth from center. It is most likely that Kyle Turris' line will be the placed first this season. Alongside Clarke MacArthur and Bobby Ryan, Turris' line was the most productive last year and it makes sense to keep that unit together. With both Spezza and Hensky gone, Milan Michalek will be looking for new line mates. Mika Zibanejad and Chiasson are most likely to join him. The tough third line of Colin Greening, Zack Smith and Chris Neil would be in keeping with the idea of continuity.

MacArthur – Turris – Ryan

Michalek – Zibanejad – Chiasson
Greening – Smith – Neil
Hoffman – Legwand – Stone

Methot – Karlsson

Cowen – Ceci
Phillips - Wiercioch