It’s been a tremendously busy offseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a summer where the team has revamped every level of the organization. Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka worked tirelessly through Canada Day to retool the team, acquiring Sergei Bobrovsky as the headliner from his first free agency class, while executing a sign-and-trade for defenceman Darren Raddysh on June 19.

Although there are still some key free agents on the board, for all intents and purposes, the offseason transfer window has slowed significantly. Here’s how the Atlantic Division shapes up after the first weeks of free agency.

Florida missed the playoffs after consecutive Stanley Cup victories, a lost season that was largely ruined by injuries. Aleksander Barkov missed the entire season, while the entire team seemingly absorbed the effects of three consecutive runs to the Final. This was a clear anomaly to the Panthers’ management group. Brady Tkachuk demanded a trade from the Ottawa Senators, and Florida pounced, adding the menacing power forward to an already loaded forward corps. Consider last season a blip on the radar, as the Panthers enter the 2026-27 season as one of the leading contenders.

Zito re-signed Eetu Luostarinen to an eight-year contract worth $5 million per year, an absolute steal when considering the exponentially rising salary cap. Florida also quietly added Lars Eller to its fourth line, a faceoff specialist with championship pedigree, looking for another ring to end his career. Radko Gudas returned to the Panthers on a six-year deal that aggrieved rival parties as ostensible cap circumvention.  Sergei Bobrovsky will glide into the Hall of Fame, but he posted a .877 save percentage, and the team did not want to pay him $7 million per year on his next deal. Bobrovsky joined the Maple Leafs, and the Panthers did well to attempt to replace the 38-year-old in the aggregate, acquiring Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid to man the goal this year. Last year was a one-off. The Rat Kings are back.

Tampa Bay’s overall prospectus hasn’t changed much: led by Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov and Vezina Trophy recipient Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning will always be in the mix for a Stanley Cup. Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel provide Tampa Bay with plenty of firepower, while Anthony Cirelli is one of the NHL’s elite two-way forwards. The nucleus of the dynastic years are still intact, and the challenge remains the same: an all-out pursuit of one more Stanley Cup.

Darren Raddysh was traded to the Maple Leafs, but Tampa Bay replaced him with John Carlson. Carlson recorded 60 points split between the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks, and is looking to prove that he’s still among the NHL’s best offensive defenceman, while looking for a second Stanley Cup ring. J.J. Moser and Charle-Edouard D’Astous will be motivated to prove that last year’s breakout seasons weren’t a complete anomaly, while Victor Hedman should be motivated to return to form. Aside from Carlson, Tampa Bay made minor tweaks to its roster, trading Nick Paul in a package centred around two draft picks and goaltender Dennis Hildeby. The two Floridian powers should be atop the Atlantic, in what will be the NHL’s most competitive division.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Montreal won the Atlantic outright. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has done an excellent job since taking over the reins, as the club boasts one of the NHL’s best prospect pools, with ideal cap management as a bonus. Montreal signed Ivan Demidov to an exceptionally team-friendly contract, which grades out as the best deal from this summer’s free agency window. Demidov and Lane Hutson are now playing on the two most cost-effective contracts in the NHL. The entire league should be punching the air!

Montreal didn’t make any major changes during the offseason and it didn’t have to. Demidov’s new deal is a massive win, and the team’s internal growth, along with a core entering their prime years, should position the Canadiens as the class of the division for the next 5-10 years. Michael Hage could graduate into the No. 2 centre role this year and if he plays in the NHL, he would be a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy. Expect the Canadiens to build upon their run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Buffalo finally broke its playoff drought, and the perpetual rebuild is over. The challenge for the Sabres is to prove their lasting power in the Atlantic and build upon a terrific 2025-26, where the team caught fire during the second half of the year. And it appears the Sabres are finally making some clever moves as well, earning league-wide praise.

Bowen Byram was a clever player for the Sabres. Chicago viewed Byram as a franchise-altering defenceman, and Buffalo took advantage of this misevaluation, acquiring the No. 4 and No. 45 picks in exchange. Daxon Rudolph won’t immediately make the Sabres’ roster, but he could be a foundational piece for the franchise, while Rasmus Dahlin is firmly in his prime as one of the NHL’s best blueliners. Ahead of next season, the Sabres appear to be a lot more balanced, and they may not be done yet, as they’ve been rumoured to be in the mix for a potential trade involving Connor Hellebuyck.

These aren’t the same old Leafs. Toronto made several changes to its front office, with general manager John Chayka and senior executive advisor to hockey operations Mats Sundin leading the charge. Craig Berube has been replaced by Jim Hiller behind the bench, while Daniel Alfredsson serves as the lead assistant. And the Maple Leafs received some franchise-altering luck, winning the rights to select Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick. McKenna will wear No. 92 and projects as an instant first-line winger, where he’ll be attached to Auston Matthews, and to a lesser degree, John Tavares, throughout his rookie campaign.

Toronto has restructured its entire team: Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz are the goaltending duo, Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae shore up a new-look blue line, while Morgan Rielly remains on the trade block. Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime have clearly-defined roles, as the Leafs clearly emphasized a need for speed. There could be a wide range of outcomes for the 2026-27 Maple Leafs, count us among the optimists.

Boston is one of the toughest teams to evaluate entering next season. David Pastrnak is one of the NHL’s elite scorers and has propelled the offence singlehandedly for several seasons. JJ Peterka is two years removed from a 68-point campaign, while James Hagens will join the Bruins as a dynamic playmaking rookie. Is that enough help for Pastrnak? Jeremy Swayman returned to excellent form last season in goal, but the Bruins will need to support Pastrnak, Swayman and Charlie McAvoy as the pillars of a team in transition.

Will Borgen is a clever add to Boston’s blue line, and slots in as the No. 4. Are the Bruins content staying in the middle, or do they believe internal leaps from Fraser Minten, along with a secondary scoring corps of Peterka, Hagens, Minten will be enough to elevate the core group to a sustained playoff run? Time will only tell which direction the Bruins elect to take.

Brady Tkachuk demanded a trade to Florida, and Ottawa acquiesced to his demands. William Eklund is a quality player in his own right, but the Senators should be significantly worse after their former captain wanted out, following a zero-point performance in the playoffs. Ottawa were easily swept by the eventual champion Carolina Hurricanes. And now that Tkachuk has asked out, what’s stopping Jake Sanderson from doing the same? Daniel Alfredsson also joined the Leafs as their lead assistant coach. No one wants to play in Ottawa, willingly.

Ottawa internally believes it was a better team than it displayed in 2025-26, doomed by inferior goaltending. It makes the decision to acquire Samuel Ersson all the more puzzling, as he’s arguably the worst active goaltender in the NHL. Even if Linus Ullmark returns to his median, will it be enough to keep a middling Senators team afloat?

The Yzerplan failed, and captain Dylan Larkin wants out. If the Red Wings are smart, they should trade Larkin for an army of picks, and rebuild entirely. This must be exceptionally frustrating for Moritz Seider, who emerged as one of the NHL’s truly premier defencemen, while Simon Edvinsson also took a major leap. Detroit can build around Seider, Edvinsson, Lucas Raymond their prospect pool, and strip the rest of the roster for parts.

Landon DuPont projects to be an exceptional, franchise-changing talent. Detroit should aim for as many lottery balls as possible, while charting a new course.

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