Fall is a season of renewal for hockey players. In the NHL, the calendar shift is a mindset switch. Crisper air and shorter days foster boundless optimism for the season ahead. Anything is possible. Every team has a realistic shot to still be playing in the spring.
“You wouldn’t be excited if you thought you were just playing to finish up outside of the playoff picture,” Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner said. “That’s what drives that excitement is everyone starts off with a clean slate. For us, expectations have started to build and that’s something you want and that’s something you obviously have to earn. It’s just about taking that next step. Hopefully we can do that this year.”
He’s not the only one. Buffalo is one of three Atlantic Division teams — along with the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators — on the rise, looking to bust a multi-season playoff absence. The organizations have patiently grown through their cores, recently added veteran talent in free agency and trades, and are closer than ever to making a push. Expectations are heightened. But what will come of them?
Another NHL season will dawn next week. When it does, divisional races could wind up spicier than ever as exciting new teams enter the mix.
Say hello here to the next wave of up-and-coming Atlantic clubs, a ready-and-willing trio that’s hoping to challenge the division’s status quo.
Detroit: Extreme Makeover edition
Moritz Seider thought he might still be dreaming.
The NHL’s reigning Calder Trophy winner was asleep at home in Germany last summer when Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman made several key trades and free agent signings to significantly re-load the Red Wings roster.
In rapid succession, Yzerman signed Andrew Copp, Ben Chiarot, David Perron and Dominik Kubalik. Then there was the trade with St. Louis for Ville Husso, who projects to be the club’s new No. 1 starter alongside rising star Alex Nedeljkovic.
To avoid seeing Detroit again go home early, Yzerman went big instead. Seider lapped it up.
“My mom was awake already, and she just starts telling me all the new players we’d gotten,” Seider shared with ESPN recently. “I was definitely shocked; couldn’t believe it. So, I started texting everyone [to confirm]. I think we’re all just really happy. Overall, we’re looking at [being] a better team this year.”
The Red Wings were once perennial contenders in the Atlantic — and the league at large — reaching the playoffs in 25 straight seasons from 1990-91 to 2015-16…
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