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NHL offseason grades: Atlantic Division

Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star / Getty

Divisions:
Pacific | Central
Atlantic | Metropolitan

The Atlantic Division features a few of the league's strongest teams, but also some of its weakest. Only one of the top dogs made a significant addition, while two of the rebuilding teams pulled off blockbuster trades.

Here's how each Atlantic club fared this offseason:

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted. Total contract value doesn't include bonuses.

Boston Bruins

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract Length Total Value
John Moore D 5 years $13.75M
Jaroslav Halak G 2 years $5.5M
Joakim Nordstrom LW 2 years $2M
Chris Wagner C 2 years $2.5M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Rick Nash LW Unsigned/Considering retirement
Riley Nash C Signed with Blue Jackets
Anton Khudobin G Signed with Stars
Tim Schaller LW Signed with Canucks
Tommy Wingels RW Signed in Switzerland
Paul Postma D Signed in KHL

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Ryan Donato LW 2014 2nd-round pick
Anders Bjork LW 2015 5th-round pick

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Sean Kuraly C 3 years $3.825M

Riley Nash's departure as the club's third-line center could hurt more than some think, especially if Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci miss some time like they did a year ago.

John Moore was a nice addition at a reasonable cost to solidify the left side of the club's blue line, but no other major upgrades were made. Instead, the Bruins will look to give bigger roles to some of their younger players.

Grade: C

Buffalo Sabres

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract Length Total Value
Conor Sheary LW 2 years $6M (trade with Penguins)
Matt Hunwick D 2 years $4.5M (trade with Penguins)
Patrik Berglund C 4 years $15.4M (trade with Blues)
Vladimir Sobotka LW 2 years $7M (trade with Blues)
Tage Thompson RW 2 years $1.85M (trade with Blues)
Jeff Skinner LW 1 year $5.725M (trade with Hurricanes)
Scott Wilson LW 2 years $2.1M (trade with Red Wings)
Carter Hutton G 3 years $8.25M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Ryan O'Reilly C Traded to Blues
Robin Lehner G Signed with Islanders
Chad Johnson G Signed with Blues
Viktor Antipin D Signed in KHL

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Rasmus Dahlin D 2018 1st-round pick
Casey Mittelstadt C 2017 1st-round pick

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Sam Reinhart RW 2 years $7.3M

Trading Ryan O'Reilly was unnecessary, and the three depth forwards they received in the deal won't be able to replace one of the game's best two-way centers.

However, there are a lot of positives to take away from the Sabres' offseason. The Jeff Skinner trade was a steal if he signs an extension, Carter Hutton was signed to a low-risk, high-reward contract, and they won the rights to draft a franchise cornerstone in Rasmus Dahlin.

Buffalo won't be contending for a playoff spot in this top-heavy division this season, but it's generally moving in the right direction.

Grade: B

Detroit Red Wings

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract Length Total Value
Thomas Vanek LW 1 year $3M
Jonathan Bernier G 3 years $9M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Henrik Zetterberg C Playing career over (back)
Xavier Ouellet D Signed with Canadiens

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Michael Rasmussen C 2017 1st-round pick
Evgeny Svechnikov RW 2015 1st-round pick
Dennis Cholowski D 2016 1st-round pick
Joe Hicketts D Undrafted
Christoffer Ehn C 2014 4th-round pick

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Martin Frk RW 1 year $1.05M
Tyler Bertuzzi LW 2 years $2.8M
Mike Green D 2 years $10.75M
Andreas Athanasiou C 2 years $6M
Anthony Mantha LW 2 years $6.6M
Dylan Larkin C 5 years $30.5M

Other than losing the heart and soul of the team in Henrik Zetterberg, the Red Wings won't look a whole lot different this coming season. They added Thomas Vanek up front but failed to upgrade their back end, which mostly contains over-the-hill veterans.

Standing pat wasn't necessarily the wrong move for general manager Ken Holland, since the youth movement is essentially in full swing. However, it'll take some time before the Wings are competitive again.

Grade: C-

Florida Panthers

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract Length Total Value
Mike Hoffman RW 2 years $10.375M (trade with Sharks)
Troy Brouwer RW 1 year $850K

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Radim Vrbata RW Retired

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Henrik Borgstrom LW 2016 1st-round pick

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Frank Vatrano LW 1 year $925K
Jared McCann C 2 years $2.5M
Alex Petrovic D 1 year $1.95M

Making minimal changes was probably the best move for the cap-strapped Panthers. They took some time adjusting to a new coach in Bob Boughner in 2017-18, but really hit their stride in the second half, finishing the season 25-8-2 and one point out of the playoffs.

Work could've been done to address the blue line, but the addition of Mike Hoffman gives the Cats one of the league's most potent top-six forward groups. The Panthers are talented enough to earn a wild-card berth, but their questionable depth means they'll need a clean bill of health.

Grade: C+

Montreal Canadiens

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract Length Total Value
Max Domi C 2 years $6.3M (trade with Coyotes)
Joel Armia RW 1 year $.185M (trade with Jets)
Xavier Ouellet D 1 year $700K
Tomas Tatar LW 3 years $14.4M (trade with Golden Knights)
Matthew Peca C 2 years $2.6M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Alex Galchenyuk C Traded to Coyotes
Max Pacioretty LW Traded to Golden Knights
Daniel Carr LW Signed with Golden Knights

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Jesperi Kotkaniemi C 2018 1st-round pick
Noah Juulsen D 2015 1st-round pick

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Phillip Danault C 3 years $9.25M

Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin got a solid return for Max Pacioretty, getting a decent replacement in Tomas Tatar, a top prospect in Nick Suzuki, and a draft pick. However, the trade makes the club worse in the short term. The Domi-Galchenyuk swap, however, could prove to look bad for the Habs both for this season and in the future.

Montreal is still a ways away from competing, but it's moving in the right direction by acquiring young talent.

Grade: C+

Ottawa Senators

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract Length Total Value
Mikkel Boedker LW 2 years $8M (trade with Sharks)
Chris Tierney C 2 years $5.875M (trade with Sharks)
Dylan DeMelo D 2 years $1.8M (trade with Sharks)

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Mike Hoffman RW Traded to Sharks
Alex Burrows RW Retired
Fredrik Claesson D Signed with Rangers
Erik Karlsson D Traded to Sharks

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Brady Tkachuk LW 2018 1st-round pick
Colin White C 2015 1st-round pick
Alex Formenton LW 2017 2nd-round pick

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Chris Wideman D 1 year $1M
Mark Stone RW 1 year $7.35M
Cody Ceci D 1 year $4.3M

The Senators failed to maximize the return of two valuable trade assets and made the questionable decision to keep this year's first-round pick instead of 2019's, when potential franchise-changer Jack Hughes will be available, amid an offseason full of drama.

It's safe to say Ottawa's front office isn't inspiring much confidence. It's going to be a long year in the nation's capital after an abysmal summer.

Grade: F

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Key arrivals

N/A

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Chris Kunitz LW Signed with Blackhawks
Matthew Peca C Signed with Canadiens
Andrej Sustr D Signed with Ducks

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Mathieu Joseph LW 2015 4th-round pick

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Louis Domingue G 2 years $2.3M
J.T. Miller LW 5 years $26.25M
Ryan McDonagh D 7 years $47.25M
Slater Koekkoek D 1 year $865K
Nikita Kucherov RW 8 years $76M
Cedric Pacquette C 1 year $1M
Adam Erne LW 1 year $800K

The Lightning didn't make any significant additions this offseason; frankly, they didn't need to. They're arguably the NHL's most complete team, and could hold that title for years to come after locking up big pieces of their core.

Grade: B-

Toronto Maple Leafs

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract Length Total Value
Par Lindholm C 1 year $925K
Igor Ozhiganov D 1 year $925K
John Tavares C 7 years $77M
Tyler Ennis LW 1 year $650K

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Tyler Bozak C Signed with Blues
Tomas Plekanec C Signed with Canadiens
Roman Polak D Signed with Stars
Leo Komarov LW Signed with Islanders
James van Riemsdyk LW Signed with Flyers

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Andreas Johnsson LW 2013 7th-round pick
Igor Ozhiganov D Undrafted

Re-signed

Player Position New Contract Length Total Value
Andreas Johnsson LW 1 year $788K

The Maple Leafs are one of the offseason's big winners after landing one of the best free agents to hit the open market in NHL history. However, failing to add a proven right-handed defenseman to solidify the back end prevents them from receiving a perfect grade.

Grade: A

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