The Atlantic Division is the most diverse branch in the nhl picks , as it contains groups that have a very realistic shot of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup in June and nightclubs that will likely only be competing for the No. 1 overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft.
For the very first time in recent memory, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be the +160 favorites to win the Atlantic in BetOnline, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning (+165), Boston Bruins (+260), Florida Panthers (+1200), Buffalo Sabres (+3500), Montreal Canadiens (+4000), Detroit Red Wings (+5000) and Ottawa Senators (+6600).
The time is now for your Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have the chance to win the Stanley Cup, along with being division favorites. The Leafs set franchise records for wins and points last season and were a span away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs before suffering another first-round exit into the Bruins. But Toronto made the biggest splash of the summer by registering hometown boy John Tavares, giving them a three-headed monster down the middle with Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri.
Toronto ranked fourth in the league in goals for some time boasting the second-best power play in 2017-18, therefore adding Tavares to the combination is downright terrifying for the rest of the NHL. The shield remains a work-in-progress and is obviously the group’s weakest link, and goaltender Frederik Andersen has revealed inconsistency occasionally but remains an excellent starter. The Leafs won’t be going anywhere for a longlong time, and an Atlantic Division banner is a very realistic chance for Mike Babcock’s crew.
Lightning, Bruins offering worth The Lightning have made three trips to the Eastern Conference final in the past four years, yet they have nothing to show for this. On paper, Tampa Bay owns what is arguably the best team in the NHL, as Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, J.T. Miller, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson make up an extremely talented top-six ahead group. Starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy looked as the Vezina Trophy favorite for its first half of this 2017-18 effort before falling off as the playoffs approached but will be fresh for the season opener.
The Bruins weren’t anticipated to be this good this fast, but Boston’s youthful group arrived ahead of schedule this past year along with the Bruins ended with 50 wins and 112 points as a result. The B’s, who ranked sixth in goals for and fourth in goals against, also had the fourth-best power play and third-best penalty kill at the NHL. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak comprise the top lineup in the league, although the remainder of the roster is loaded with both depth and potential.
Apart from the Maple Leafs, Bruins and Lightning, only the Panthers seem like a potential playoff team in my eyes. The Sabres, Canadiens, Red Wings and notably the Senators all boast their fair share of problems and should not be even considered as a potential futures wager.