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Buffalo Sabres: Atlantic power rankings after first wave of free agency

By Sion Fawkes

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 12: Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 12: Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 29: Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his goal with Thomas Chabot #72, Josh Norris #9, and Tim Stutzle #18 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at the Wells Fargo Center on April 29, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 29: Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his goal with Thomas Chabot #72, Josh Norris #9, and Tim Stutzle #18 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at the Wells Fargo Center on April 29, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Team #7: Ottawa Senators

Fans of the Buffalo Sabres may have a grudge against Matt Murray after he refused to waive his no-movement clause to allow the team to acquire him. To add insult to injury, the Ottawa Senators shipped him to the Toronto Maple Leafs for future considerations.

But Sabres fans shouldn’t be too hung up, as Murray played second fiddle to Anton Forsberg last season. Joining Forsberg in a likely timeshare will be Cam Talbot, an aging goaltender who logged a 32-12-4 record in 2021-22. The Senators are going for the gold this season, having traded for winger Alex DeBrincat, signing winger Claude Giroux, and defenseman Jacob Larsson.

Many pundits will likely overrate the Senators given their splashy offseason. You can have the best team in the world on paper. But if they don’t mesh, then it doesn’t matter how good they look. Until the Senators prove they can win with this group, they will rank in the lower half of the Atlantic Division power ranking.

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