Atlantic Division Preview Part 3- Montreal/Ottawa

The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators were two of most successful teams in the Atlantic Division last year. Through strong defensive play, the Canadiens finished second in the Eastern Conference, only behind the New York Rangers, but couldn't get past Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs. The Senators looked doomed half way through the season, but after an incredible turnaround and surprising heroes, Ottawa clinched their ticket to the playoffs. After an exciting first round series between the two teams, the Canadiens will be looking to make a deeper playoff run this year, and the Senators will be looking to carry their momentum from last year into the 2015-2016 season. Both teams look similar going into this season , and are looking to make a big splash in the league.

Montreal Canadiens

Off- season Moves: The Canadiens have a similar look to what was seen in the 2015 playoffs, with a few new additions. Montreal made a somewhat surprising move, signing buyout victim Alexander Semin to a one-year deal. Though people have criticized Semin for his work ethic, he could prove to be a key asset for Montreal. By spending only $1.8 million on Semin, the Canadiens pulled off a great low-risk move for a skilled forward. Montreal also went and signed former Anaheim Duck, Tomas Fleischmann. This was another great move for the team, gaining depth for the year, while making almost no dent in their salary cap. The Canadiens will be hoping Fleischmann will be able to return to his 2012 form, where he tallied a career-high 62 points for the Florida Panthers. Adding the two forwards may be the depth up-front that Montreal was missing last year, and could allow the team to make a deeper playoff run.

Direction of the Team: Montreal has one of the league's hottest commodities in goaltender Carey Price. Price had a great year coming off winning Olympic Gold, leading the league in wins, save percentage, and goals-against average. The Canadiens finished with the lowest goals against in the league last year, but that can't be put only on Carey Price. With PK Subban, Andrei Markov, Jeff Petry, and Alexei Emelin, the Canadiens had one of the strongest defence cores in the NHL. The group was a great mix of defensively stability, while also being able to contribute offensively. However, when it comes to offence, Montreal is an average. Max Pacioretty was a bright spot for the Habs last season, but as a team Montreal finished only 20th in the NHL in total goals for. Montreal may be looking to make a deadline deal for a forward, but will have to work around their cap space which is set at $4.925 million.

Projected Finish: Montreal will look to finally make a deep playoff run, with many of their players at the top of their game. If Price can stay healthy, the Canadiens could go into the 2016 playoffs as a favourite.

Final Prediction: Montreal will be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, with a 1st or 2nd place finish in the Atlantic Division.


Ottawa Senators

Off-season Moves: After the team's imncredible run last season, no one can blame Ottawa for sticking to their 2014-2015 roster. The only move made this season was shipping off young goaltender Robin Lehner, and David Legwand to Buffalo in exchange for the 21st overall pick, which the Sens used to select centre Colin White, from the US National Under- 18 Team. Lehner is only 24 years old, and has good potential, but has already struggled with injuries since entering the league. Legwand had only one year left on his contract, and put up a career-low 0.34 points per-game average. To get a first- round pick back from the Sabres for Lehner and Legwand was a great deal for Ottawa, especially with the Sens already having a solid goalie pairing of Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond.

Direction of the Team: Ottawa is a very young team, and in a couple of years Ottawa could be a cup

contender. With Bobby Ryan locked up long-term, and emerging stars Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, and Mika Zibanejad still restricted by contract, Ottawa looks like they'll have the core of their team for a while. Kyle Turris also scored a career-high 64 points last season, and will need to be one of Ottawa's top forwards again this season. The Senators also have one of the best offensive defencemen in the NHL in Erik Karlsson, as well as stay-at-home defenceman Marc Methot to balance out the Senators' top pairing. The two players will be the anchor to the Sens' defence, and will provide leadership for Cody Ceci, and rookie Chris Wideman. In net, Ottawa has both Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond playing at their best, and both are signed for three more years.

Projected Finish: In a strong Atlantic division, with both Montreal and Tampa Bay, as well as Boston and Detroit, Ottawa will likely take one of the Eastern Conference wild card spots. The Sens could squeeze in and take the last Atlantic spot, but either way, the team will likely see themselves in the playoffs once again.

Final Prediction: Ottawa will continue to grow stronger this season, and will finish 7th or 8th in the Eastern Conference.