The Detroit Red Wings want to be a top-eight team in the Eastern Conference, and the fastest way to get there is if they prove to be a top-four team in their own division. So, are they currently on the right side of the Atlantic Power Rankings, or do they still need to make up some ground?
There is no objective truth to any power ranking, but this particular list was extra subjective because there are four middle-of-the-pack teams that can go either way. And yes, the Wings are one of them, so where do they stand with roughly a month to go before they kick off camp and the preseason?
8 - Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are in eighth place for a few reasons: They’re young, they’re unproven, they’re unfinished, and they’re a far cry from at least what we’ll see from the top-six teams in the Atlantic. Sure, a group like this will be exciting to watch throughout the season because they will grow, but the Habs are entering yet another throwaway campaign.
7 - Ottawa Senators
The Senators want goaltender Linus Ullmark to finally provide stability in the net, and while the Sens have some good pieces to the puzzle, they have yet to put them together. Sooner rather than later, their star players aren’t going to want to stick around if perpetual mediocrity - to be generous - keeps up.
6 - Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres looked like they were well ahead of the Red Wings as we entered the 2023-24 season, but that narrative has since changed. Buffalo could be a tough team defensively, but until they show consistency, they’re still an irrelevant team in the Atlantic.
5 - Detroit Red Wings
Right now, the Wings have more than proven themselves worthy of lapping the Sabres, and they’re still well ahead of the Senators and Canadiens. Realistically, they could finish the year as the third-best team in the Atlantic, but they must prove themselves against Tampa and Toronto first.
4 - Tampa Bay Lightning
I wanted to put the Red Wings at No. 4, but the Tampa Bay Lightning still have a respectable core, with Jake Guentzel joining the fray. On paper, they’re a slightly better team, but I still expect Detroit to give them a tough time often throughout the 2024-25 season.
3 - Toronto Maple Leafs
The Red Wings stack up well against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and these two teams could be neck-and-neck throughout the season. Should the Wings stay healthy all year, it wouldn’t surprise me if they competed with the Leafs for third place in the division.
2 - Boston Bruins
The Bruins proved this past offseason that some of the best in the league have room to get better, and that’s the case on paper. Look for a stronger team offensively and defensively, and one that will, unfortunately, prove tough for the Red Wings to beat.
1 - Florida Panthers
Right now, the Florida Panthers have set the standard for the rest of the NHL, and they didn’t lose much this offseason. Look for them to be serious contenders, at least in foresight, once more to make a deep playoff run and a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.