Rank the previous bottom feeder Atlantic teams by highest to lowest floor and ceiling, respectively.

[Bjornar Moxnes]

So the previous bottom feeder Atlantic teams were/are: Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit, and Buffalo.

Two of them have finally made the playoffs this season. Where would you rank them from highest to lowest floor and ceiling, respectively?

For floor:
1. Ottawa
2. Montreal
3. Detroit
4. Buffalo

Ceiling:
1. Montreal
2. Detroit
3/4. Ottawa/Buffalo interchangeably depending on if the Sabres finally get their act together or not.

 

[flyingfingers]

Ottawa and Montreal are in a class above Detroit and Buffalo, both for floor and ceiling.

 

[BB79]

I don't know what to make out of Detroit TBH. They just barely missed the playoffs on the last day last year, this year missed by 5 points. They're right on the cusp.

You have to think Montreal has the most potential. Buffalo scored more goals than Toronto and Edmonton, they could be a powerhouse if they learned to play defense and better on the road.

 

[banks]

I'd put Detroit on the bottom for both. I just don't see any hope on that roster, and they've just about missed the entirety of Larkin's prime already. What a waste.

And it's hard to ever pick Buffalo when they find a way to sewer their season no matter what. On paper they should have made some noise by now. But I'll put them third in both categories.

I'd say MTL has the higher floor, given how much I trust Suzuki. And you can never tell when Ottawa might screw things up due to management and ownership. So they always have the potential for good players to leave, or have an internal budget undercut them.

Based on the quality of the youth I saw from Ottawa in their payoff series against Toronto, I'll easily pick Ottawa as the top for ceiling.

For floor:
1. Montreal
2. Ottawa
3. Buffalo
4. Detroit

Ceiling:
1. Ottawa
2. Montreal
3. Buffalo
4. Detroit

 

[Bouboumaster]

Floor:
Ottawa
Montréal
Buffalo
Detroit


Ceiling:
Montréal
Ottawa/Buffalo
Detroit

 

[habsterr]

Floor:
Ottawa
Montreal
Buffalo
Detroit

Ceiling:
Montreal
Ottawa
Buffalo
Detroit

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Floor:
Ottawa
Montréal
Buffalo
Detroit

Ceiling:
Montréal
Buffalo
Ottawa
Detroit

How I think it will play out for most team success:
Montréal
Ottawa
Buffalo/Detroit

 

[TageGod]

Easy to forget Buffalo was younger than Montreal this year.

 

[Fledgemyhedge]

Easy to forget Buffalo was younger than Montreal this year.

Actually didn’t know that. But you still gotta show progress year to year. Think buffalo has been fairly placed on these lists. Above Detroit imo

 

[Lshap]

Easy to forget Buffalo was younger than Montreal this year.

True. In fact, Buffalo had the youngest roster in the league (Montreal was the second youngest).

The Sabres' offence is quite good; the issue seems to be defence and goaltending. Dahlin, Power and Byram seem like a great foundation – is it them? The rest of the D? I'm also hoping Levi develops into a legit goalie for you guys. He grew up three blocks from me in a Montreal suburb; he's a great kid and comes from a really nice family.

 

[BFLO]

Are we rating the prospective talent level of the drafted players?
Ceiling:
1. Sabres
2. Ott/Mont

4. Detroit

Are we rating the current actual predicted performance of the entire organization including ownership, management, coaching, etc.?
For floor:
1. Ottawa
2. Montreal
3. Detroit


4. Buffalo

The thing holding the Sabres back isn't the on ice talent, it's in the owners box.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

Feels premature to put Detroit in this conversation. Most of the top prospects of Ottawa, Montreal and Buffalo have already graduated.

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

Man do detroits young players really get underrated on this board. Pretty crazy imo.

 

[Goblin]

Feels premature to put Detroit in this conversation. Most of the top prospects of Ottawa, Montreal and Buffalo have already graduated.

Not really, I mean, Detroit is on its like, 2nd, 3rd wave of prospects in this rebuild already?? Montreal is still in the early(er) stages of its first rebuild since the last good team.

 

[Captain97]

Feels premature to put Detroit in this conversation. Most of the top prospects of Ottawa, Montreal and Buffalo have already graduated.

That's not true at all (atleast for the Habs)

Demidov has played 7 games, while he will be on the team next year he hasn't been on the team yet.

Reinbacher likely makes the team next year but again isn't yet.

Hage just put up P/G rookie campaign on a bad NCAA team.

Fowler our top goalie prospect just joined the AHL.

4 of our 5 top prospects going into last season have played a combined 7 games (Hutson being the 5th guy in that list).

 

[dangomon]

So the previous bottom feeder Atlantic teams were/are: Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit, and Buffalo.

Two of them have finally made the playoffs this season. Where would you rank them from highest to lowest floor and ceiling, respectively?

For floor:
1. Ottawa
2. Montreal
3. Detroit
4. Buffalo

Ceiling:
1. Montreal
2. Detroit
3/4. Ottawa/Buffalo interchangeably depending on if the Sabres finally get their act together or not.

Saying Ottawa and Buffalo have the same ceiling is wild. As it stands right now Buffalo's ceiling might be Ottawa's floor.

Ottawa's floor is basically this year's results: make the playoffs, lose early. I'm not sure you can make a solid argument that Buffalo's current ceiling is higher than 'just make the playoffs'.

 

[Maitz]

In the upcoming years Ottawa and Montreal rivalry has the potential to be one of the biggest in the game

 

[Maitz]

That's not true at all (atleast for the Habs)

Demidov has played 7 games, while he will be on the team next year he hasn't been on the team yet.

Reinbacher likely makes the team next year but again isn't yet.

Hage just put up P/G rookie campaign on a bad NCAA team.

Fowler our top goalie prospect just joined the AHL.

4 of our 5 top prospects going into last season have played a combined 7 games (Hutson being the 5th guy in that list).

And we have also 2 potentials mid 1st as well, Montreal keep stocking prospects

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

I still think people are sleeping on Detroit, they have one of the best prospect pools in the league and they have assets like Larkin and debrincat to get significant young players if they want to. Don’t be surprised if Larkin gets traded for a haul this off season.

Seider and edvinsson are both going to be 1d players and Raymond is a top winger. They basically are just missing an elite center but again, Larkin trade could bring that back.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

Not really, I mean, Detroit is on its like, 2nd, 3rd wave of prospects in this rebuild already?? Montreal is still in the early(er) stages of its first rebuild since the last good team.

As far as the "rebuild" is concerned, it started with Moritz Seider being picked in 2019.

The first 3 years of the old "rebuild" was under Ken Holland and Tyler Wright, who absolutely f***ed this franchise before hitting the bricks.

Still have yet to see what the likes of Cossa, Danielson, Sandin-Pelikka, Augustine and Brandsegg-Nygard can do in the NHL.

Ottawa and Buffalo have effectively ended their rebuilds, and all their core pieces are on the roster.

 

[GOALOFSSON]

Saying Ottawa and Buffalo have the same ceiling is wild. As it stands right now Buffalo's ceiling might be Ottawa's floor.

Ottawa's floor is basically this year's results: make the playoffs, lose early. I'm not sure you can make a solid argument that Buffalo's current ceiling is higher than 'just make the playoffs'.

Not sure you understand the concept of ceiling and floor in this context.

Ottawa and Buffalo have effectively ended their rebuilds, and all their core pieces are on the roster.

Tbf we still have Levi, Ostlund, Helenius, Rosen to potentially come up. While already on the roster, Benson, Kulich, and Power were 19, 20, 22. Peterka still improving and hopefully Quinn too after the injuries. Have to see how Norris does too.