Last season, the story in the Atlantic centered on which of the strongest teams would win the division. With five teams in this division making the playoffs, the Atlantic playoff push was one of the most exciting in the league.
The Atlantic Division was the most competitive all season long. This year will be no different. Making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and in this division in particular, is difficult. The teams playing playoff hockey this spring will have to get off to a strong start and keep battling all season long. No one wins easy points in the Atlantic Division standings.
This year’s playoff picture will feature different teams from last year, and some familiar faces in different playoff spots. The teams below will either miss the playoffs or barely sneak into the Wild Card spots in the East.
8. Detroit Red Wings
Last season, the Red Wings looked like they were going to snap their nine-year playoff drought. Between American Thanksgiving and mid-March, the Wings consistently sat in the top three of the Atlantic Division. In March 2026, the Wings lost nine of fourteen games, forfeiting their playoff spot. Between February 26 and March 24, the Red Wings fell four spots in the standings, ultimately extending Detroit’s playoff drought to 10 years
Detroit has drawn a lot of attention this offseason. The most damaging thing to happen to the Red Wings is undoubtedly their former captain, Dylan Larkin, demanding a trade. Larkin played an important role on this team, scoring 34 goals and putting up 67 points last season. He has a full no-move clause and is signed until 2031. This puts Detroit in a tough spot.
In addition, the Red Wings have made limited offseason improvements. This is due in part to a two-month-long period in which the Wings had no general manager. On September 15th, the Red Wings named interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, manager of Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Red Wings signed Viktor Arvidsson, who had 25 goals with the Bruins last season. The Wings still need to sign 25-point defenseman Simon Edvinsson. Detroit’s bright spot is defenseman Moritz Seider. Seider played all 82 games and had a 60-point season. He is a true number one defenseman, leading the league in time on ice last season. Detroit fans should look forward to watching Seider in the coming season, even if they finish at the bottom of this division.
The Red Wings begin the 2026-2027 season with no captain, no permanent general manager, and a ten-year playoff drought. The best outcome for the Red Wings is to finish in the bottom five in the league and to walk away with a high draft pick.
7. Ottawa Senators
Last season, the Ottawa Senators landed in the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference for their second playoff appearance in a row. The Senators underperformed in the playoffs. They were swept in the first round by the Stanley Cup Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Senators are beginning the season without their captain. Brady Tkachuk had 59 points in 6o games last season. Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers. Despite this, the Senators have brought in a lot of talent. Ottawa acquired William Eklund, who put up 56 points last season with the Sharks. The Senators extended fourth-liners Nick Cousins and Claude Giroux, who had 23 points and 49 points, respectively.
Ottawa’s offense is led by center Tim Stützle, who had 83 points in 80 games. Ottawa’s best offseason move is Drake Batherson‘s extension: an eight-year deal worth $86 million. Batherson had 71 points and 33 goals last season. Alongside Dylan Cozens on the second line, Batherson is poised to have another impressive season.
Ottawa has no shortage of offensive talent. They finished ninth in the league in goals-for with 278. In addition to clear scoring ability, the Senators are a physical group, finishing third in the league in hits with 1,953. This physicality is boosted by the size of the Senators’ core, which is top seven in the league.
Defenseman Jake Sanderson posted 54 points, averaged 24:50 minutes a game, and ended the year with a +16. He will lead Ottawa on the backend. Goaltender Linus Ullmark is essential to this team’s success. He posted an .891 save percentage last year during the regular season. Ullmark posted a .932 save percentage in the playoffs. If he remains healthy this season, Ottawa should be set in net. The Senators signed goaltender Samuel Ersson, who posted an .870 save percentage last season, as the backup.
Ottawa will be in the hunt as the season winds down, but they’ll fall short again this season. There is a lot of talent in Ottawa, but this team has a lot to prove and will take a step back in the standings this season.
6. Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins clinched the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference last season. Matched up against the winner of the Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres, the Bruins took them to six games. The Bruins overperformed for their roster in many ways, finishing with 100 points in the standings. The Bruins capitalized on both Florida and Toronto missing the playoffs last season.
Pastrnak completed his fourth consecutive 100-point season last year. Pastrnak will likely play with Elias Lindholm, who had 48 points last season. The Bruins traded for forward JJ Peterka from Utah, who had 47 points and 25 goals. Also up front, the Bruins have rookie center James Hagens. 19-year-old Hagens had 47 points in 34 games with Boston College. Also among the Bruins’ young talent is 22-year-old center Fraser Minten, who signed a seven-year deal worth $50.4 million. Minten had 35 points and 17 goals last season.
Charlie McAvoy had 61 points in 69 games, a career high. McAvoy achieved this despite missing time for serious injuries. There is a strong chance that McAvoy beats his career-high point total this season. In addition to a scoring defenseman, the Bruins have a physical shutdown defenseman in Nikita Zadorov. Zadorov had a +18 rating last season and threw the third-most hits by NHL defensemen.
In July, the Bruins added to their defense by signing Connor Clifton, who played 60 games last season. Management also added defenseman Will Borgen, who threw 111 hits and blocked 99 shots last season.
In addition to new defensemen, the Bruins benefit from Vezina finalist Jeremy Swayman‘s exceptional presence in net. Last season, Swayman posted a .908 save percentage. Swayman is key to any playoff plans the Bruins might have.
The Bruins can make the playoffs with this roster, but a lot has to go right. The Bruins never go away and somehow are always in the mix for a playoff spot. They will not be an easy out, but the Atlantic isn’t getting any easier for them.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are nearing the end of their window of contention. With an average age among the oldest in the league, the talented, cup-winning core is nearing the end of its era.
Last season, the Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division, just behind the Buffalo Sabres. Tampa then faced Montreal in the first round and were eliminated in seven games. This is their fourth straight loss in Round 1 of the playoffs.
This result is not due to a lack of individual performance. In the 2025-2026 season, Tampa Bay’s head coach, leading scorer, and starting goaltender all earned league recognition. Head coach Jon Cooper, who is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, won the Jack Adams Award for best coach.
Also in Tampa, 33-year-old Nikita Kucherov finished with 130 points in 76 games and won the Hart Memorial Trophy for his regular-season performance. Between the pipes, Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender. He is one of only four goalies to be a Vezina finalist six times. Vasilevskiy posted a .912 save percentage in the 2025-26 regular season.
The Lightning have a strong forward group surrounding Kucherov. Jake Guentzel posted 88 points last season, and Brandon Hagel had 74 points. Brayden Point took a step back last season, ending with only 50 points, but in previous seasons he has delivered 90 points. He could bounce back this season.
In the offseason, Tampa traded 70-point defenseman Darren Radysh to the Maple Leafs, but signed defenseman John Carlson. Carlson had a 60-point season in Washington and Anaheim and signed a two-year deal. With captain Victor Hedman returning this season, the Lightning could have two 60-plus-point players on the backend. In addition to incredible defensemen, Tampa also has a Selke Trophy finalist in Anthony Cirelli. Cirelli ended the season with a +38.
Tampa Bay fans expect a team capable of reaching the final three times in three years and winning back-to-back, not first-round exits. Tampa Bay has more than enough experience, skill, and leadership to deliver on those expectations.
The Top Four
While this season’s Eastern Conference Wild Card teams will almost certainly come from the Atlantic, a few key factors separate the bottom and top of this division. Cracking the top four of the Atlantic won’t be easy. To do that, teams will need successful offseasons, strong starts, and consistency.
![May 13, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates his goal with center Martin Necas (88) and center Brock Nelson (11) and ]center Nazem Kadri (91) and defenseman Brent Burns (84) in the third period against the Minnesota Wild in game five of the second round of the 2026 Stanely Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images](https://theleadsm.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-05-14T031004Z_351474971_MT1USATODAY28948903_RTRMADP_3_NHL-STANLEY-CUP-PLAYOFFS-MINNESOTA-WILD-AT-COLORADO-AVALANCHE-680x453.jpg)
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