6. Ottawa Senators
The only reason why I have the Ottawa Senators above the Red Wings is because I think they are a better team overall. They have a solid group of players and were not easy to play against last year. I do think they will be a solid team again but in a tough division, I’m not sure if they will crack the top five.
Their only major move was acquiring Dominik Kubalik in a trade with the Red Wings as well as signing goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. If Jakob Chychrun can stay healthy, they can be a team who makes a run for a playoff spot. They had a record of over .500 last year as well.
5. Boston Bruins
This might be a bold prediction but I have the Boston Bruins finishing fifth in the division. Yes I know they were absolutely dominant until the playoffs started but they had a very rough offseason so far at least.
Just in free agency alone, they lost Patrice Bergeron who retired. On top of that, they traded Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno. One of their trade deadline acquisitions last year Tyler Bertuzzi signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Connor Clifton signed with Buffalo but those are just a few. I know they still have two solid goalies but I’m not sure if they can have a good season like they did last year.