If your favorite NHL team is in the Atlantic Division, buckle up.

Amidst a chaotic offseason yet to draw to a close, it’s apparent the division with the least amount of parity in recent seasons will have a broader range of reasonable outcomes in 2023-24.

The Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs have made up three of the top four teams in the division every season since 2017-18, save for the 2020-21 campaign, which saw a temporary divisional realignment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the past few years, the Florida Panthers added their name to the titans of the division, often drawing a vast chasm between the top four and bottom four teams.

Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, and Montreal have been left to slog it out through a quartet of aggressive rebuilds since the start of the decade.

After most of those teams took significant steps forward last season, more forward progress is expected to shake up the results we’ve gotten used to seeing.

While the Canadiens still seem a few seasons away from playoff contention, the other three outsiders are primed to make a run at postseason play.

Buffalo finished just one point out of a playoff spot last season, and Detroit’s made perhaps the largest trade acquisition of the offseason in Alex DeBrincat.

Ottawa may have lost some important secondary scoring by trading DeBrincat to a divisional rival, but they’re hoping a full season of Jakob Chychrun on the back end and some improved (and healthy) goaltending can get them closer to playoff contention.

Many teams are on the rise, so it begs the question: who falls out of the playoff picture?

If Boston or Florida do struggle, who can push them out? Even if they don’t, are other teams strong enough to surpass them anyways?

Some would say the Buffalo Sabres have reached that point.

They weren’t a merchant of big offseason splashes, simply fortifying their defense with depth adds like Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson, but with their entire core poised to take a step forward in each of their individual development paths next season, you have to think this could be the year they end their decade-plus playoff drought.

No catalyst will be greater than the development of Owen Power in his sophomore season.

The 2021 first-overall pick showed flashes of elite play during his rookie season, posting solid two-way numbers and elevated confidence with a strong first year under his belt could give Buffalo two true aces on defense along with Rasmus Dahlin – on different pairings to boot.

Detroit’s made the biggest trade splash in the division by acquiring Alex DeBrincat from Ottawa, a move necessary after shipping out a key top-six piece at last year’s trade deadline in Tyler Bertuzzi.

But questions remain about their depth scoring, and free agent signings of players like J.T. Compher, Justin Holl, and Shayne Gostisbehere left many wondering about how much Detroit’s roster construction has actually improved from this time last season.

Without Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek, it’s fair to say Detroit has simply tread water from year to year – and while a DeBrincat breakout and rejuvenated offense from players like Lucas Raymond could help elevate them to the playoff conversation, few would have them in the mix ahead of the Sabres, and it’ll likely take a significant misstep from a Boston or Florida team to pave the way for the Wings to reach the postseason.

A healthy Josh Norris could also change things for the Senators, but they find themselves in the Red Wings tier of a “maybe, but not probable” team to make the playoffs.

Losing DeBrincat does leave a rather glaring hole in their top six, and while Dominík Kubalík could provide solid secondary scoring, they haven’t done very much to address their depth, and it’s not realistic to assume any major leaps forward – although a full season of Jakob Chychrun should help them keep the puck out of their net with more proficiency.

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