Oh, it’s time to start power ranking the Montreal Canadiens against the rest of the Atlantic Division again as we creep closer to the NHL preseason. Montreal didn’t do much to give me a ton of faith heading into 2024-25, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to be relevant at some point this season.
They’re young, and they boast a strong core, thus making them one of the more intriguing units in the NHL heading into the season. No, they don’t rank very highly here just yet, but let’s remember the, “it’s not where you start,” rule, and that alone will provide some optimism. So let’s get to the rankings and discover where the Habs currently stand.
1 - Florida Panthers
They won the Stanley Cup, and they’re entering the 2024-25 season with much of their core still intact. Overall, it’s hard to claim that anyone else is a better team at the moment, not only in the Atlantic but in the NHL.
2 - Boston Bruins
Everything in me wants to put the Bruins front and center on this list, thanks to what was a phenomenal offseason. But then again, unless the Panthers held a “fire sale,” it’s hard to justify putting them above the Stanley Cup Champions.
3 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Burning Question: Did the Toronto Maple Leafs upgrade their weaknesses this offseason? Any answer you get will be a subjective one, but right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was less faith here. They got rid of role players, and they acquired role players, but at least there was a time a while back when they were among the better players in the game, right?
4 - Tampa Bay Lightning
The question here is: Does the Jake Guentzel signing outweigh all that the Tampa Bay Lightning lost in the offseason? If the answer is yes, they’ll be a Top 4 team in the Atlantic, but if they struggle, expect Tampa to freefall, and who knows, maybe Montreal will be one of the few teams that pass them? That said, they’re likely still good enough to compete in the top half of the division, or at worst, at No. 5 and in surefire wild card contention.
5 - Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings are putting a lot of faith in an aging goaltending duo (trio?). Plus, as I write this, a pair of cornerstones remain unsigned. It's not time to push the panic button yet in the Motor City, but it’s a definite cause for concern that will only intensify for as long as these players go without a contract.
6 - Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres most recent additions can go in one of two ways: Either they become a defense-oriented team that will win them hockey games, or they will regret not acquiring a top-six scorer at the time of this writing. Knowing the Sabres, let’s just try to act surprised when the latter happens, and they end up playing subpar hockey.
7 - Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are one of those teams that seemingly have everything in place to make a run, but they just don’t know how to get it together. You would think, with Linus Ullmark, Brady Tkachuk, and Tim Stutzle, that this team would do something in 2024-25, but I don’t want to make any premature assumptions just yet.
8 - Montreal Canadiens
Unfortunately, the Habs remain the weakest link in the Atlantic Division, but they are also an organization that boasts a lot of hope. We know Montreal is building something special in Quebec, and there’s a good chance that they surprise us and leapfrog potentially three teams this season.