Speculation: How do you see the Atlantic Division shaping up in 5 years?

[Nineteen67]

I expect Ottawa, TTOE and Boston to be shifting to the top of the division over the next couple of years. I would like to say Buffalo and Detroit would be in the mix, but they’ve proven that they can mess up a good thing with the best of them.

The two Florida teams will age out or tire out depending on how this UFA group sorts itself out.

The Leafs should be in the playoff race for another year or two, but it’s hard to say who will be managing the team and what they decide to do with the roster.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

In 5 years too much change can happen. 2-3 years if really the limit of making predictions that make sense. But, to answer the question, in 5 years the division will look like:

-Montreal at the top.
Everyone else fighting for every other spot. Tampa already well into their rebuild and turning upward. Ottawa and Buffalo dangerous but not elite. Florida and Toronto starting to age out. Boston I have zero clue. Detroit just lingering in mediocrity.

Now, if we are talking the next 2-3 years:
-Detroit is who I am the most down on. They don't have enough elite youth, as they tried to accelerate their rebuild. To me they are perpetually going to be 8th-11th in the conference.

-Montreal, Ottawa and Buffalo will likely be at the top of the division in 2-3 years with Florida and Toronto in the mix but starting to fade with age.
-Ottawa made the playoffs and should hopefully build on that.
-Buffalo would have made the playoffs this year and been pretty darn good other than their goaltending/UPL took a major step backward. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin would be talked about as borderline elite/top 25 NHL players if they were on a better team with more media attention.
-Montreal was the latest of the rebuilds and they took a huge step forward.

Boston. I have no clue. I would not be surprised if in 3 years they are a 65 point team in the middle of a huge rebuild...just as I would not be surprised if they are back to 100 points and fighting for the division.

Tampa is going to slowly fade. Still a very good team, but I think every year they are likely losing 3-5 points in the standing.

Next year the division is the Leafs and Florida. They both begin a very slight fade from that level 2-3 years down the road.

Buffalo at the top of the division in 2-3 years?

Based on what?

People have been saying that about Buffalo since about 2013, 2 years after this playoff drought started.

Not only has it not happened, they have gotten worse.

They have already had to rebuild the rebuild, and now It looks like they are going to have to rebuild the rebuild that they already rebuilt.

Which is a problems because Kevin Adams is without question the worst GM arguably all of sports, 1000% the worst GM in hockey.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

People are all doom and gloom about the Leafs but I don't see it, because I look at the division now and I see a lot teams in a similar spot.

Detroit and Buffalo will be at the bottom because there is absolutely ZERO reason to believe anything will change there because those teams are run by people who have proven to be idiots, Yzerman and Adams are both bottom 3 GMS in the league.

Boston appears to be entering a rebuild It's going to be awhile before they rise up again because they have a bottom 5 farm system.

I'm not sold on Ottawa or Montreal especially not Montreal and especially not in net.

Toronto, Tampa and Florida are all teams who have traded picks and prospects and they all have limited futures.

I honestly think Toronto COULD be in the best shape long term because yeah like Florida and Tampa their core is ageing, and yeah they are probably losing Marner.

But Florida is possibly losing, Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand, and wingers are A LOT easier to replace then centers.

And Tampa might be in wose shape then either Florida or Toronto because like those teams their core is also ageing except It's arguably worse because their top prospect, the top guy that they could use to plug in some youth doesn't want to sign with them.

The truth is the Atlantic is probably going to be the worst division in hockey in 5 years because no of the teams have particularly bright futures they just don't.

It depends on who drafts the best, and spends their money properly in free agency.

Can the Leafs find another Knies with that Florida 2nd?

Can Tampa find another Point?

Can Buffalo hit on a pick that isn't top 2?

The team that finds the most steals will be the best.

 

[IPS]

Leafs are definitely in their descent into mediocrity/sliding out of the playoff picture.

Unfortunately I see this as well.

The 1st year of the remainder of our core + fill ins from FA slop, I think it'll be a very mediocre year and a lot of fans will be calling for a rebuild. The organization however - they are always multiple years late on moves that everyone knows needs to happen. they'll drag their feet until Matthews walks as FA, lose another big piece for nothing, and I'm guessing they'll slowly start edging towards the rebuild after that.

It's really demoralizing when you see this team has absolutely zero assets to work with. There's potential huge moves to be made but we just don't have the currency to participate.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Losing Mitch Marner is not going to turn this team from 1st in the Atlantic to a bottom team

You missed the sarcasm emoji.

 

[Fogelhund]

Well if you're going to dig into my post history for a comeback I didn't want to do this, but I may have to get back into early Metallica and blast fade to black.

But yes, I can be anti-run it back but still not like losing a top player for nothing. Hard to grasp I know

It's detached from reality, but what can be said. They tried to move him, he refused. The really neat thing, is we can now sign players for nothing, just like we've done many times.

We will now have the cap, to build more depth, the one thing many people have asked for.

That's how this works. Hopefully those who are negatively impacted will recover fully.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I expect Ottawa, TTOE and Boston to be shifting to the top of the division over the next couple of years. I would like to say Buffalo and Detroit would be in the mix, but they’ve proven that they can mess up a good thing with the best of them.

The two Florida teams will age out or tire out depending on how this UFA group sorts itself out.

The Leafs should be in the playoff race for another year or two, but it’s hard to say who will be managing the team and what they decide to do with the roster.

TTOE?

 

[Fogelhund]

Playoff Goals.

Sam Bennett, 2025 -> 14
Mitch Marner, career --> 13

 

[Suntouchable13]

Can you see Tampa falling?

Will TOR be playing MTL, and OTT a lot more in the playoffs?

Will BUF's hiring of Jarmo Kekolainen help them be competitive again?

DET?

Florida continues a winning tradition?

What do you see happening?

In 5 years, William Nylander will be 34 years old and Auston Matthews may not even be here anymore. We won't be making the playoffs 5 years from now. Leafs will probably 7th or 8th in the Atlantic by then.

 

[ULF_55]

Between 5-10 years Panthers move to Atlanta

No.

I think they'll just build a dyke around the arena and have a fairy service for husbands and cousins.

 

[Stephen]

The Canes and Leafs should get together and agree that they NEED to sign all of Bennet/Marchand/Ekblad to harm Florida.

That's the main thing right now, harming Florida.

If we can sign those guys it will swing the power balance away from Florida to a sizeable degree. Does it balance out the dual 6-1 ass whoopings? Maybe. But to win the Atlantic and the East we just need to get incrementally better relative to the decline of the champions.

A lot of this depends on Auston Matthews. If he’s in permanent decline and health management and we are without Marner for those regular season power drives, we may want to retool now and be stronger in 2028.

Or the cap grows so much you actually see a separation at the top and we bully our way to the top by outspending everyone else.

 

[Stephen]

In 5 years, William Nylander will be 34 years old and Auston Matthews may not even be here anymore. We won't be making the playoffs 5 years from now. Leafs will probably 7th or 8th in the Atlantic by then.

If the cycle ends organically like that, so be it. Begin anew with hard lessons learned.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Man the negativity around this team is amazing, everybody is talking like we will be at the bottom in 5 years and maybe we will.

But what if we aren't?

What if that 2025 2nd turns into another Matthew Knies?

What if Easton Cowan turns into a 60-70 point winger?

What if the Leafs find their own Brayden Point in the later rounds like Tampa did?

What if Danford becomes a legitimate top 4 D?

I'm not saying all these things will happen I can't predict the future and that's the point.

Nobody Can predict the future.

Every single thing I said could happen.

Maybe some of them happen

Maybe none of them happen.

There is no point in being doom and gloom now because right now on June 10th 2025 they are a very good team.

What are they going to be on June 10th 2030?

Who knows maybe they have drafted a couple late round gems and are loaded for bare.

Maybe they are dog shit and are drafting 1st overall.

ALOT can happen in 5 years

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Brother nobody is in tears blasting Numb by Linkin Park. The team has little trade assets, is becoming old and expensive, and our latest embarrassment is actually our best record so far. Then you add were losing a free star player. Why is this good?

We're well into One More Light territory bro

 

[Tak7]

Brother nobody is in tears blasting Numb by Linkin Park. The team has little trade assets, is becoming old and expensive, and our latest embarrassment is actually our best record so far. Then you add were losing a free star player. Why is this good?

It's not - this is as dejected as I've felt as a Leafs fan in decades.

 

[Fogelhund]

Man the negativity around this team is amazing, everybody is talking like we will be at the bottom in 5 years and maybe we will.

But what if we aren't?

What if that 2025 2nd turns into another Matthew Knies?

What if Easton Cowan turns into a 60-70 point winger?

What if the Leafs find their own Brayden Point in the later rounds like Tampa did?

What if Danford becomes a legitimate top 4 D?

I'm not saying all these things will happen I can't predict the future and that's the point.

Nobody Can predict the future.

Every single thing I said could happen.

Maybe some of them happen

Maybe none of them happen.

There is no point in being doom and gloom now because right now on June 10th 2025 they are a very good team.

What are they going to be on June 10th 2030?

Who knows maybe they have drafted a couple late round gems and are loaded for bare.

Maybe they are dog shit and are drafting 1st overall.

ALOT can happen in 5 years

That would ruin the sky is falling narrative most have. Some people just like to complain all the time, about anything.

 

[Niagara Bill]

I have no care about the Atlantic division, Bettmans dream, it may not even exist 5 years from now, we have been in 6 team, 12 team leagues, been in the central, the east, it matters little what others do. With politics being what they are we may never cross the border again.
After 57 failed years by management in hockey mecca, where fans, money, opportunity for players, with cap and no cap, with old arena, new arena, with airlines, banks, media companies sponsorship, the first import players, home of the HOF, with local boys returning, with statues, no matter what....failure.
How does a life long fan who listened to games on transitor radio, watched on black and white TV, knew Murray Westgate, read hockey mags, newspapers,, all the way to 10 sports channels, blitzed on email of every rumor imaginable, watches 27 minutes of Steve Dangle, how does the life long fan maintain hope...screw the Atlantic screw Bettman,
Imagine wasting Dougie and Wendel, Borge and Darryl, and Lanny, and Vaive, now AM and Mitchy and Willie...how can you care about the flippin Atlantic

 

[NVious]

If we can sign those guys it will swing the power balance away from Florida to a sizeable degree. Does it balance out the dual 6-1 ass whoopings? Maybe. But to win the Atlantic and the East we just need to get incrementally better relative to the decline of the champions.

A lot of this depends on Auston Matthews. If he’s in permanent decline and health management and we are without Marner for those regular season power drives, we may want to retool now and be stronger in 2028.

Or the cap grows so much you actually see a separation at the top and we bully our way to the top by outspending everyone else.

Those 6-1 games happen as we saw with Edmonton this year and last year.

What the difference is that we literally could've won game 3 or 4 (or even both really) and by taking players away from Florida, maybe we don't even make the team that much "better" due to losing Mitch, but we definitely make Florida worse which is exactly the difference in the close games 3/4.

I think this is the final stretch for our window, maybe 5 more years and then it's totally over, hell if Matthews was retired in 5 years I wouldn't be the least bit shocked tbh.

 

[NVious]

That would ruin the sky is falling narrative most have. Some people just like to complain all the time, about anything.

Brah we haven't won for 60 years, this isn't like Tampa Bay fans being negative or even Detroit fans who were basically a dynasty for 2 decades (and now have sucked for a decade), we are arguably the worst sports franchise in all of sports over the last 60 years.

Even in the past 10 years which "should" be good, we've won 2 rounds or the same amount as Ballard's last 13 years.

People aren't being negative as much as the truth is the team has been beyond pathetic for 60 years, but really atrocious the past 20, 20 years ago we were spinning our wheels in a perpetual retool, the past 10 years brought the most talented group in Leafs history and they won 2 rounds lol.

 

[Fogelhund]

Brah we haven't won for 60 years, this isn't like Tampa Bay fans being negative or even Detroit fans who were basically a dynasty for 2 decades (and now have sucked for a decade), we are arguably the worst sports franchise in all of sports over the last 60 years.

Even in the past 10 years which "should" be good, we've won 2 rounds or the same amount as Ballard's last 13 years.

People aren't being negative as much as the truth is the team has been beyond pathetic for 60 years, but really atrocious the past 20, 20 years ago we were spinning our wheels in a perpetual retool, the past 10 years brought the most talented group in Leafs history and they won 2 rounds lol.

Thank you for proving the point. Cheers.

 

[Stephen]

Those 6-1 games happen as we saw with Edmonton this year and last year.

What the difference is that we literally could've won game 3 or 4 (or even both really) and by taking players away from Florida, maybe we don't even make the team that much "better" due to losing Mitch, but we definitely make Florida worse which is exactly the difference in the close games 3/4.

I think this is the final stretch for our window, maybe 5 more years and then it's totally over, hell if Matthews was retired in 5 years I wouldn't be the least bit shocked tbh.

Yeah my fear is Matthews doesn’t have that much left in the tank in his career. I think about how he’s able to produce these incredible peaks but runs out of momentum and health and we’re always bargaining that he save himself for this, we’ll gladly take less of that etc. But you compare him to his peer group they just keep chugging along. Just an awful year for him in 2024-25.

If he’s able to rebound and find his old form that will potentially lengthen the Leaf runway by quite a bit. If he’s a stable cornerstone there’s less to worry about, the better shape the program is in for 2028, the more likely he would find the Leafs to be worth re-committing to.

 

[NVious]

Thank you for proving the point. Cheers.

Yeah people should be happy losing for 60 years and being the worst sports franchise in the world

 

[Jmo89]

How can you not be in a bad mood when you get clobbered in your final two home games and then you're about to lose your 28 year old 100+ point player whose top 10 on Selke every year for free?

You remind yourself that 50 point player Sam Bennett has more goals in a single playoff run this year than the 28yo, 100+ point, selke finalist does in his entire career. Then you realize it isn't so bad. Said player is very replaceable when it counts.

 

[thewave]

Yeah people should be happy losing for 60 years and being the worst sports franchise in the world

Not happy being the best losers in Hockey?

 

[Trapper]

Not happy being the best losers in Hockey?

Are you sure we’re the best losers in Hockey? I would think the best losers could even lose that.