Why the Tampa Bay Lightning should be the FAVORITE to finish FIRST in the Atlantic Division
Welcome in to the 2025 NHL Atlantic Division Locked On preview. We’ve got the Battle of Ontario and Battle of Florida coming up next. This is the Locked On podcast network’s 2025 NHL season preview. Your team every day. Hello everyone and welcome to Locked On NHL. We’ve got another division preview here and this time it’s the Atlantic division and we’ve got a battle of a province, Battle of Ontario, myself, Brandon Pillar for the Locked On Centers podcast and David Morasudi with the Locked On Leafs. And then going down south, we’ve got the Battle of Florida with Nick Morgan on Locked on Lightning and Arondo Valz with Locked on Florida Panthers. Uh I’ll start with uh my provincial partner here, David. It was, you get the last laugh. The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators in the playoffs yet again uh as as our big brother figure. Unfortunately, the sends weren’t able to pull off the full comeback. You guys almost let the sends get back into it, but how you feeling after a long off season? Um, yeah, it’s it takes a little bit of getting used to the changes that were made. Sometimes change can be a little uncomfortable and the Leafs did go through some change. Obviously, uh to much the grin of some Leaf fans, I will be bringing up Mitch Mner’s name right now, he who shall not be named. But it that’s that’s a big big player gone, right? And that’s that takes a lot of for the coaching staff is like, how do we go out and replace a guy who scored over 100 points, played on the penalty kill, one of your more trusted forwards in big game situations? Obviously, in the playoffs, the performances weren’t there. Uh, and that’s, you know, kind of the balancing act. The team’s life feels better with the depth that they were able to create from not having a Mitch Mner player in terms of the salary. But now you got to figure out how you how your team dynamic changes with a player like that gone because it it’s a no, it’s a he’s a small player, but he had a big role on this team. So, there’s just a lot of know a lot of adjustments. I feel like they’re going to be uh coming about. A lot of things are going to be a little little uncomfortable at first, but hopefully in the long run it’ll come to work out. And we’ll go down to Florida, but uh you know, we’ll let Armando wait a little bit because he’s had a lot of time to shine in the spotlight. Twice defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. So, I’ll throw it to you, Nick. How are you feeling after this off season? Uh, I feel great because it’s the first off season in I want to say four or five years where we haven’t had to retool on the fly. And and that’s kind of the biggest optimism for the Bolts this year is just they’re bringing back pretty much everybody. Uh it’s been a you and David, I’m sorry that you’re going to have to figure it out this year, but it’s it’s tough whenever there’s a hole in the roster, whether it’s for salary cap reasons, whether you just need to make a change, whenever there’s a big absence of somebody who’s helped you in many cases for us, win two Stanley Cups, it’s not easy to replace that. This year, we haven’t had to do any of that. We’re bringing back all of our leading scorers. We’re bringing back the same six defenseman that we used pretty much game in game out last year. Really, the only change is Luke Glendenning’s gone and we’re switching up one spot on the fourth line. So, as long as everybody stays healthy, I feel like the chemistry this year is going to get off to a quicker start. I feel like there’s really other than maybe some player age, no reason or at least none that we’ve seen that anybody’s going to regress. So I think the Lightning are still hanging around then that conversation for prime contender for not just the division but for a Stanley Cup as well. And if you’re going to get a Stanley Cup, you’re likely going to have to go through Armando’s team, the Florida Panthers. Uh, I can’t think of any real reason why you would have optimism after this off season. Yeah, lots lots of optimism, especially with Bill Zitto’s ability to bring the majority of the guys back, resigning Brad Marshant, Aaron Ecklad, and Sam Bennett, especially th those three of the free agents for the Florida Panthers who were pending after their second consecutive uh Stanley Cup championship. And the and the fact is when you when you win and you have the rise in cap like they did this off season compared to what was since 2020 with co it it gave the Florida Panthers an opportunity to pounce and bring everybody back together. And you know maybe this doesn’t happen if they don’t win the the Stanley in the Stanley Cup final as cons as convincingly as they did uh setting a record for most time led in a single Stanley Cup final. But this season coming up, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be uh challenges because Matthew Kachchuck is expected to miss time until at least December at the very earliest. Tomas Nok is going to be missing a significant amount of time. So uh the Panthers will have to find a way to navigate through the schedule early on in the in the season. But thankfully for for them, it’s a very homeheavy start to the schedule. And I’ve discussed this many times on the show. uh coming up after January. Their longest home stand is no more than three games after January. So, we’ll see how the Panthers really truly navigate things with bringing everybody uh back together. It’s going to be really tough for them to get out of that sunny weather when they’re not there. So, I feel pity for them. Yeah. Just just hope Florida stays a tax-free state and yeah, everybody’s good. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Much to the uh annoyance of every other team that’s not in taxfree states, specifically uh some certain Canadian teams that don’t have that advantage at all whatsoever. Now, as far as the Ottawa Senator goes, uh senators go, this is a optimistic franchise after missing the playoffs for seven straight years. something that neither the three of you guys have had to endure with your teams in a long time those long playoff droughts. The Ottawa Senators were able to punch back up against the Leafs uh down three nothing. Sure, they don’t make the comeback full, but they made it at least an interesting series and it was that much needed experience for pretty much their entire team who uh Brady Kachchuck, Tim Sto, Jake Sanderson, Ridley Greg, Shane Pinto, Thomas Shabbat, I could go on and on and on about all these guys that had zero games of NHL Stanley Cup playoff experience. Now you get six games under your belt. you understand more what you need, what it takes to at least be competitive in a round one. So, there’s a lot of optimism in the nation’s capital and Brady Kachchuck, the leader, set the standard being like, look, we’re not going to be just content and happy to just be in the playoffs. We want to start doing some damage and he’s got a front row seat watching his big brother, Matthew Chuck, have lots of playoff success. So, he’s going to want a taste of that himself, and hopefully one day he can be inviting Matthew to a Stanley Cup party rather than uh attending one on his own. But to get to the playoffs, guys, you got to have a good regular season. And our friends over at FanDuel have set the overunders for points for all of our teams. We’re pulling it up here on YouTube. For the Florida Panthers, their points are set at 105.5 overunder. the Lightning 102.5, Leafs 99.5, and the Sends at 95.5. Uh let’s start with you, Armando, because your team is is the highest here at 105.5. Now, sure, the Florida Panthers, they go back to the Stanley Cup final and win a Stanley Cup uh yet again, but they weren’t the divisional leaders, and you would have hit the under considerably on that number if that was what it was last season with 98 points. How are you feeling about hitting more than 105 points this regular season? I would go with the under for the Panthers because I mean, yeah, the Panthers were the first team to win the Stanley Cup, not having home ice advantage uh throughout the entirety of the playoffs since the 2012 Los Angeles Kings, but the fact is that that a lot of guys are going to be sidelined and you know, Alexander Barkoff never plays an 82 game season neither. So that that’s bound to happen for the Panthers as well. guys are going to be stepping up into the lineup. Anton Lindell to topline center and you never know h and and the fact that is that the Panthers have a new backup goalender. You don’t know how they’re going to be looking behind the Dell Terasoft starts for for the Panthers neither. And there’s also a new a new third pair with Jeff Petri in the in the mix. So, it’s it’s also going to be I I’m interested to see how the beginning of the season is going to be for the Panthers there and it might let let them to not not winning the division. So, it’s funny because I had a uh had a show with Kevin Rogers of locked on bets and he’s he was projecting that the Tampa Bay Lightning are are have the best chance possibly to uh win the division and that I would go for the under for the Panthers there. All right. Well, that’s a good natural transition to you, Nick. Uh your overunder is set at 102.5. Do you agree with uh Arando’s proposal there that the Lightning could be a division leader and that you’ll surpass that point total? Thank you for making me sound less cocky when I say this, Armando. Uh, but I I’m going yes, and I’m with you. Uh, I do think the Lightning are bringing everybody back. I think the way that Florida has performed these past few years has kind of made people forgot that the Lightning just won two Stanley Cups themselves within the past five years. All of their players from that team are back. They have some good young people coming up. And I think you’re gonna see the Lightning take advantage of some chaos in this division. I mean, like we said, we don’t know how the Leafs are going to look without MNER. There’s also, you know, question marks wi with you, Brandon, in in Ottawa. There’s question marks in Montreal. I I mean, there’s there’s reason to believe other teams are going to take a step back. Looking at you, Boston. Uh I mean, there’s just there’s just I think a lot of chaos around the division this year. And when that happens, I think you have to look at the team who’s been here before and has performed in these situations before, and that’s the Tampa Bay Lightning. So, I’m going to go the over and and I agree. I I would say they are a division favorite. And now, let’s go to last year’s division winner, the Toronto Maple Leafs. David with Locked on Leafs. Your overunder is set at 99 and a half. So, can you hit triple digits again or maybe not? That that number kind of baffles me a little bit because the last time the Leafs had under 100 points in a full 82 game regular season was the first year of Austin Matthews and Mitch Martin in the league together. That’s 2016 2017. So I understand you lose Mitch Mner, but does that mean you all of a sudden go from 108 points to maybe you get 100? Like I I still think there’s good things that this Leafs team has. Goalending being one of them. They still have a pretty good tanm. Yeah, they don’t have an Andre Vaselvki that can steal you games each and every night. But I thought that 10 was a big reason why this league team had that consistency at the top of the standings. And I I would take the over on that because, you know, they’ve had 111 points, 115 points. So, even if they have, you know, a few games where they, you know, it it go doesn’t go their way, I still think they’re within the 105 to 108 point range that they were last year. So, I don’t know. I And Austin Matthews wasn’t at his best last year. Like, a healthy Austin Matthews makes such a big difference for this team. So, you know, if you want to bet the under on the lease for this one, do it at your own peril. Um, and as for the Ottawa Senators, they are over under a set at 95.5. Last year, the Sens finished with 97. I’m not going to be too crazy, too cocky here, but it’s always about just getting 1% better. I know one point on 97 isn’t exactly one point. Not a math guy, but I’m going the SS are going to get 98 points. So, I think they’re they’re going to get that over. Not I don’t think they’ll smash it by any means, but I don’t see them regressing uh from last year’s point total of 97. So, all of us are pretty optimistic here. Uh although Armando, I feel like it doesn’t really matter where the Florida Panthers finish. Just get to the playoffs and they can figure it out. Yeah, no doubt. Yeah. So, uh, by the way, all four of our teams, uh, were in the playoffs last season, and all four of us hoping to see that again. But how big were our teams offseason additions? Or maybe the subtractions are more of a factor here. We’ll get into that right after this break. Today’s episode is brought to you by our friends over at Monarch Money. Look, most people can’t name all of their financial accounts or even what they’re worth, whether it’s your 401ks, properties, or investments. 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That’s 50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code locked on NHL. All right, everyone. Brandon Pillar here with David, Nick, and Armando of Locked On Leafs, locked on Lightning, and Locked on Panthers. We teased it before the break. Offseason additions or for a lot of our teams more likely the offseason subtractions are going to be the bigger story as neither team and if anyone wants to hop in here, correct me if I’m wrong. Neither team really made a massive major splash as as far as additions go. Don’t think no yeah it was more like keeping every everybody for in the case of the Panthers and just adding a few veterans. Uh Luke Cunnin, Matthew Kachchuck’s childhood friend, who was who Bill Zo was also his agent. Jeff Petri, who spent some time with Montreal, Detroit, and now going to be the new third pair guy as Nate Schmidt walked. And then the trade for Denell Terasoff, someone Bill Zitto knew in Columbus, who him and Sergey Babroski are actually from the same exact hometown in Russia. And Babroski looked up to Terasov’s dad and Terasov looked up to Babroski. So, we’re hoping that with Babski being in the last year of his contract, maybe this could be a transition uh for for the next goalie of the Panthers, unless Babski signs a a short-term deal after this year. But we’re that’s the part that the Panthers are are trying to figure out uh for now and the future. So with you Armono, I want to tie more into the guys that you kept because I think the second the Stanley Cup was awarded everyone’s question was well who amongst uh Bennett, Marian, and Ecklad are going to be gone. Is it going to be one, two, or three of them? Nobody. And maybe maybe I’m wrong, maybe you thought it, but nobody thought they were going to keep all three of these guys. Just how surprised and how pleased were you that they were able to do that? I said that two out of the three were going to stay, not all three, but then it was the order Bennett, Eklad, then Marianne uh in in that. So the priority were the the the the guy that who won the K smi, then the homegrown player, and then the guy who really uh took the the Panthers to a different level in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs for for them. And the thing is with the with the term uh it some of them might not age well. I mean, the Eklag contract does have an opportunity to age well because he’s making lesser. It’s a lesser percentage, but the Bennett contract, that one’s going to be um looking good in the first few years and might not look so great at the tail end of it. But thankfully, most of Bill Zito’s contracts expire either at 2030 or the no movement clauses go to modified no trades after that. So, there’s still some future flexibility there for uh the Panthers front office. Yeah, Armando is looking ahead at to 2030 uh when he’s looking at guys leaving. Um Nick, let’s let’s go to you here. Um the Tampa Bay Lightning, like you mentioned, they’re pretty much running it back from last season. But in a case similar to the Ottawa Senators, their biggest additions weren’t in the offseason, but at the trade deadline or right around the trade deadline. So, how do you think those players are are going to perform? And I mean, Yanni Gourd, a returning Tampa Bay Lightning. Well, I was going to have Yanni Gourd back because the fourth line, I think, was a weak spot for the Lightning for a lot of last year. And now you have a guy that’s coming in and sort of being the anchor for the bottom six. Uh, and he’s even more important because Nick Paul is going to be out for at least the first month of the season. Oliver Bjorkstrand to me is a very intriguing guy uh that we got at the dread line because, you know, we we saw him in Columbus. We know he’s got some offensive potential or at least some depth, you know, offensive output. uh showed that a little bit in Seattle, but now he’s coming in and kind of being a depth player for the Lightning. I really like what I saw from him before he got hurt uh before the playoff series started last year. Uh and he’s come back in camp and has looked really, really solid. And John Cooper’s using him as kind of a Swiss Army knife in a lot of different roles on the power play, in the penalty kill, as sort of that bumper winger who adds some energy to the third line. So, that’s a guy that I’m intrigued. the oneoff season addition we did make uh and David back me up on this. Pontis Holberg, that’s a name I think to watch uh if you’re a Tampa Bay Lightning fan because he’s a player that, you know, he’s not a star. He’s not going to score a lot, but does a lot of things well and I think he’s going to fit that sort of Brian Bole, Pat Maroon, Alex Khorn, you know, Pierre Edward Belmar role of just sort of being a vibes guy that you can use in a lot of different scenarios. So there there are some new faces or new earth faces that I think are going to make a big impact in the Lightning this season. Uh yes, Pontis Holberg. Um I I think what I will say with him, you can put him up and down the lineup for sure. Lifes had him at points on the second line. They’ve used him at at center. They had him on the third line. Uh maybe miscasted in some ways as a second guy. He just doesn’t have the offense, but he puts the he puts the effort in. You’ll never question Pontis homeberg’s effort and you know the fact that he was able to earn himself minutes with a coach like Craig Burbe I think will work pretty well with John Cooper who does who is also very demanding coach from what I’ve seen and demands his players to bring some energy and I think that’s what he will definitely bring. He’ll bring the energy but if you’re seeing him playing your top six a lot that means someone in your top six uh is either hurt or not performing to Don Cooper standards. But I think that’s, you know, it gives them, it affords them a really nice versatile option to go up and down the lineup. Now, I saved you for last, David, for a reason because pretty much the the Leafs out of the three of us had the biggest, uh, change, I’ll call it, in the offseason. Mitch Marner, uh, signed and then immediately traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. and the Leafs have had to find ways to I don’t want to say replace him, but let’s say use that extra cap space to fill out the rest of the roster. In your opinion, how do you think they did? Did does this team look better to you or just different? I think what they did is they took one player and they made three other players show up, right? They took Mitch with the money they would have paid Mitch Martin, they brought in three other guys. Now, are they household names? Not not really, right? like Matias Machelli, somebody who fell out of favor in Utah and you’re kind of like like if he fell out of favor in Utah, how’s he going to do in Toronto? But, you know, they’re they’re hoping that with the opportunity to play with players that are a little bit better in Toronto like an Austin Matthews, John Tobar, will Knander, it’ll get him back to what he was earlier in his career and be able to produce a little more points. The, you know, I like his playmaking ability. That’s where you hope that he can kind of replace some of what you lose with Mner there as somebody who can help set up goals for your your top guys. And then you see the the the the thing they got back from Mitch Mner, which is Nicholas W Nicolola Wa, which unfortunately for him, he’s always going to be tied to that deal. But it answers one of the bigger questions that the Leafs have had is who’s going to be your third line center? Like they’ve tried so many different things. you know, throwing Max Doi there. He’s not really a third line center. So now they can comfortably say that, you know, from one to four, they have options that are going to work out a lot better than what they would have had beforehand. And then Dakota Joshua, like Leaf are usually the ones making the opposite of these traits to shed salary. They actually took on a player who, you know, not a bad player. He’s just, you know, the Canucks were like, “We really can’t afford to have this player.” So Lisa like, “Okay, we we actually can afford him, so bring him on.” And they didn’t really give up much to get him. And he he’s the exact type of player that Craig Buru needs. Physical. He’s going to play, you know, get under the skin of the opposing player, uh, opposing players, you know, Florida. That’s like the type of guy that you want to go up against a team like Florida, Ottawa, like the nastiness, right? Even Tampa has some guys who are nasty, too. So, sorry. So, like just bringing in those three guys changes the dynamic. That’s really what it comes down to. And it it wasn’t like big splashes, but just the little details that these guys can bring. They’re hoping together can kind of replace what MNER, you know, what you lose with Mner. And you know, people’s like, “Oh, that’s all they did.” Well, it’s also because at the trade deadline, they added Scott Laden and Brandon Carlo. two guys who are, you know, pretty significant additions if they were to come here in the offseason. Uh, and they paid quite a, you know, they paid a price for those two players because they had turn when they brought them in. That’s something the lease had never really done very often. They’re always bringing in a guy, he’s gone in the off season, right? Rhino Rally gone. Uh, I look at Nick Felino gone. Like the lease had done too much of that over the years. So they actually decided, let’s bring in guys. If we can get somebody with term, it actually helps, you know, eliminate the need to go out and make those big moves in the offseason because frankly in free agency, they’re really wasn’t if you’re trying to find a Mitch Mner replacement, there really wasn’t a guy there that the Leafs could bring in to really help uh, you know, replace him. So what they did, we’ll just see if we can get some internal improvement as well as bringing in guys, you know, that were not fits elsewhere. Oh, we lost Armando there. He didn’t like your points, David, so he bounced out of here. Yeah, as soon as I brought Dakota Josh, he was like, “No, I don’t like this guy.” Yeah, screw Ohio State. Yeah. And here’s Arando. He’s back. Um, so, uh, as you mentioned something, David, that I want to key in for the Ottawa Senators is internal growth. Uh, so many of the Ottawa Senators cornerstone franchise guys are young and like I mentioned, they got that taste of the playoffs and you’re expecting Tim Stitzler to score more goals than he did last year. If Brady Kachchuck can stay healthy, this was the first time in his career that he wasn’t healthy after that four nations faceoff tournament. He spent some time uh on the shelf and then Jake Sanderson did not start out the season the way we are used to seeing Jake Sanderson. And then you bring in those trade deadline acquisitions in Dylan Cousins and Fabian Zedtherland. Dylan Cousins was able to transition pretty smoothly because he went from being a second line center in Buffalo to being a second line center in Ottawa. But Fabian Zettherland struggled to fit in here, but the Ottawa Senator showed they believe in him as they extended him this off season to a 4-year deal. And he’s likely going to have a bigger role than he did initially. And if you’re a Sens fan, you’re underwhelmed by the big offseason splashes of Lars Zeller and Jordan Spence actually is an exciting one. Uh he’s going to be a nice boost for that decor. But overall, the big additions for the Ottawa Senators did happen at the trade deadline. Uh kind of like the Tampa Bay Lightning like we were talking about. Now, like I mentioned, all four of these teams, they made the playoffs. I would say all of them have aspirations to to do more apart from Armando. Uh I you can’t do much more than winning a Stanley Cup again. Although a three Pete is does not happen very often. So that would be extremely exciting for everyone down in the Sunshine State. Well, not everyone I should say. Um but what is at stake for each team here? We’re going to get into that next. You’re listening to Locked on NHL. All right, back here with an Atlantic Division preview on locked on NHL, locked on Sense, locked on Leafs, locked on Panthers, and locked on Lightning. All here representing um so we’re going to discuss what is at stake for each team. I I would say all four of our teams h have something at stake here and if expectations are not met, things could change. Um, I’ll start with you though, Arando. Uh, the Florida Panthers, three straight Stanley Cup finals, two straight Stanley Cup victories. Are they in a state where if they don’t make it to the finals or or at least don’t look like the same Florida Panthers in the playoffs that there could be changes made or is it kind of like look Bill Bill Zto Paul Maurice what more can you ask from them if they have a bit of a down year uh whatever you want to call that they’re still perfectly safe. Is there I guess better way to word this is there anything at stake for the Florida Panthers? I mean, you you don’t bring the guys back that you did for just just for bringing them back. You want to try to run it back and do it again all over again. And I actually did have an episode saying, is it actually cup or bust for the Florida Panthers? And I said, “Yes, it is for for them.” But at the same time, if they don’t win the Stanley Cup, there’s also lessons that can be learned from from from it and that they could take take away because you think about the LA Kings, they didn’t win in consecutive years. the Blackhawks didn’t win in consecutive years. Uh so so there’s also things that you you could look and and to improve the roster as uh as there’s going to be guys who are going to be up for contracts even next year. Nico Mikola for as a depth defenseman. I said in an episode that they should hold off on extension talks and wait to see what the state of the cap is. Plus if they repeat Macki Suskevich is likely going to get a bridge deal come next off seasonason. They actually signed him to a one-year deal this off seasonason because they just needed to fit everybody. Uh but yeah, you that this was all to go allin once again. They’re not going to be really active at the trade deadline. Yeah, there’s going to be a playoff cap this time around. So, there’s going to be some tough decisions to be made on an Evan Rodriguez or Yesper Bokquistas when Matthew Kachchuck is actually healthy enough uh to play. So, their depth is going to be uh kind of uh dwindled a little bit um once mid-season comes around. So, it’s a it’s going to be harder, but the Panthers do have the core in place. They have a core 10, which is crazy to even say out loud to begin with. A core 10 that’s like locked up for uh many years. So, if there are changes that are going to be made, it’s going to be uh very minor ones. Nick, I want to transition it to you with with two questions. Um, a as a fan of a team that basically ran the East for quite a while and had multiple Stanley Cups in a short window of time, where do the Florida Panthers or where did the Tampa Bay Lightning rank on? Are they dynasties? Do you do you believe either team achieve dynasty status in their heights? And then transition that into what you believe the expectations are for the Tampa Bay Lightning. I think if you win back-to-back cups and you go to three cup appearances in three straight years, which both of our teams did because the Lightning lost to the Avalanche the year after they won back to back. Yeah, I I would say there’s at least some talk of a dynasty there. Um, number two, for the Lightning, the big question I think that everybody is asking is just how long is this window open? And you know, there’s, if you talk to a lot of, I guess, pundits around the league, there’s been a lot of talk about the windows closed. Look what Florida’s doing. They’re stepping up. You look at Montreal and, uh, you know, Ottawa kind of peeking around the corner. Even Detroit starting to to creep up there with some of their prospects. You’re thinking, okay, this is a team that maybe doesn’t have a lot of time left. That’s the biggest question is just how much you can do in this, you know, small window you have. And look, if the Lightning, if something happens this year, it the bigger question is just going to be how did it happen? You know, if we missed the playoffs, was it because everybody got hurt and the there just wasn’t the depth there? Or is it because Victor Hedman doesn’t look like Victor Hedman anymore or Cout doesn’t look like Cuch? That to me is the more alarming I guess state of the franchise. And that’s I think when you have to look at and say like okay we might need to take some steps to build towards our future. But I if if we’re in a state where you know we we look good again and we win a division title and nobody takes a step back then yeah I do think there’s an expectation to challenge Florida and get back to the Eastern Conference finals at at the very least. Uh otherwise, yeah, if if we crash out in the first round again, I think think there might be some questions about this team moving forward. Well, David, as someone that lives in the heart of enemy territory, myself being in Collingwood, Ontario, I hear it every year. It’s the Leafs year. They finally figured it out. They’re going to go all the way. Everybody that’s been waiting since 1967 is finally going to be satisfied. How do you feel about the Toronto Maple Leafs? Is the change of no longer having that Core 4? Armando flexed on you with the Core 10. Doesn’t rhyme or sound as good, but the Core 4 is finally over. Does that exceed expectations being like, “All right, we’ve we’ve changed our core now. We can finally move on from the steps that we feel we’ve been stuck at, or is it like, okay, no Mitch Mner here. Maybe we need to temper expectations.” No, I think as long as you have the players that you have, you know, you’re expected to be at least playoffs and like this Leafs team is not in a position to say, “Oh, we’ll just, you know, get to the playoffs and see what happens.” No. The expectation for all these years has been to finally end that drought. Yeah. Getting one playoff series win a few years ago against Tampa, that was like the the joy I had. It was like kind of when you look at it, it was amazing. It was amazing feeling and it’s also like need more guys like it’s it’s that constant build towards getting when you know as you move on it does get tougher. Do the Leafs have the horses right and I think it’s been proven that the the amount of attention spent on the core four has really put in you know a spotlight on the fact that the rest of the team just wasn’t at that level that it needed to be. So, I felt like what they did did address that in a way and there’s going to be a need to, I think, further, you know, evaluate how that goes and how that changes. But, you know, this is a Leafs team that is all about contending and, you know, when you have an Austin Matthews still signed for a few years, you still, you know, you got Knander, you know, you gave a big ticket to Matthew N expecting him to take a step, right? like this isn’t a roster that’s built to just make a playoff run, like make the playoffs. It’s supposed to go that and more. So, the expectation doesn’t change. Uh, as long as you have these players around, it ain’t going to change. If if I could add something to that, David, do you feel the fact that the because Marner is gone and the fact that it’s a second year under Burube and more guys are now being getting acclimated into the system, not necessarily that the pressure is off of Toronto, but do you feel that this team is so much lighter going into a season? Uh, Buru does a good job of kind of insulating that, right? Um he he doesn’t he doesn’t like when if you bring up core for to him anymore he might snap on you like he might snap um like he he’s he said he’s tired of hearing that. I think they’re trying to change this narrative around what this team is the identity of what this team is the culture of this team. I hate always saying that, but like I’ve truly understood what that means now, right? And you know, we heard after, you know, going into this year, h, you know, one game away, right, to making that conference final, it’s like, well, we like got to stop saying that. But at the same time, it’s also like, why didn’t they do it, right? Certain guys, they didn’t rise to the occasion. like Mitch Mner as good as a player he was in the regular season. You bring up the game five, six, and seven stats and it’s like just wasn’t there for you, right? Your best player wasn’t your best player. So, you’re kind of saying, “Okay, we’re going to take that responsibility and shift it to a bunch of other guys and saying, “Okay, Martner’s gone. You guys are not have to do it, right?” And I think that’s what this year is going to be all about is building that trust throughout the lineup. It ain’t going to be easy, right? But you have to trust the whole team to get the job done. Now, I mean, I’m sure in Ottawa, it’s probably the reverse now. It’s probably a lot more pressure on the Stars as opposed to the whole team to elevate the centers into what they need to be. Yeah, definitely. The young players feel the pressure. Brady Kachchuck, the leader, he he knows he needs to find a way to not just get to the playoffs and be happy with that, but to win a playoff round. Um, I I don’t think it’s it’s realistic for the Ottawa Centers to have clear Stanley Cup aspirations, but you got to do it one round at a time, and they made the playoffs. That’s great. Now, you got to build on that, and you got to find a way to win a round and move on because no matter no matter who any of our teams play in the playoffs, I I think it’s fair to say it’s going to be a tough matchup. Like really in the East, especially in the Atlantic with five of the eight playoff teams coming from the Atlantic Division, there’s really no layups as far as playoff rounds go. So, it’s going to be fascinating no matter how things go. The regular season is coming around the corner. Preseason is upon us. Just a couple weeks till the real deal. So, all of us here are excited for our teams to get going. For myself, Brandon Pillar, for David Marsudi, for Armando Vez, and Nick Morgan, we thank you for watching this edition of Locked on NHL, the Atlantic Division preview. And you can find all of our shows on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. Stay tuned for the rest of the Locked On NHL division previews coming up later on. There we go. Good job, Brandon. Nice.
*RECORDED BEFORE THE ALEX BARKOV INJURY NEWS
Are the Tampa Bay Lightning the favourites to get back to the top of the Atlantic Division? Can the Toronto Maple Leafs withstand the loss of 100-point scorer Mitch Marner? Do the Ottawa Senators have another playoff-level season in them? And are the 2-time defending champion Florida Panthers in tough to complete the 3-peat? In a special Atlantic Contenders Preview special, Brandon Piller (Locked On Senators), David Morassutti (Locked On Leafs), Nick Morgan (Locked On Lightning) and Armando Velez (Locked On Panthers) take stock of the top of the Atlantic Division, always one of the toughest divisions in hockey. They run through the FanDuel over/under projections for each team in the points column, reasons for optimism, new additions, breakout candidates and the stakes at play for each team if things don’t go as planned this season.
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