NHL offseason grades: Atlantic Division

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

Key arrivals

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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

Key arrivals

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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

Key arrivals

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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

Key arrivals

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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

Key arrivals

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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

Key arrivals

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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

Key arrivals

N/A

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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

Key arrivals

Key departures

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Re-signed

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