Sabres division rival freefalls in Week 1 Atlantic Division Power Ranking

The Buffalo Sabres may not find themselves relegated to ‘have not’ status in the Atlantic Division this season, especially with the current fiasco going on in Boston, plus less-than-complete teams in Detroit and Toronto. 

But it doesn’t mean I’ll overrate them just yet, as there is plenty of time to do that if Lindy Ruff can motivate them to go on a winning streak longer than three games. Hey, it’s fun to start poking fun at last season now, right?

Anyway, where do the Sabres start the year in Edition No. 1 of the Atlantic Division Power Rankings for the 2024-25 season? Keep reading to see where they stand, and don’t forget to check out which division rival has freefallen. 

8 - Ottawa Senators

Linus Ullmark could be a real difference-maker in Ottawa if the rest of the team plays reasonably well. But I still have no idea what they were thinking in bringing in Travis Green as the new head coach this season. 

7 - Montreal Canadiens

Losing Patrik Laine for a while is a heartbreaker for both the team and the player, but the Canadiens still look poised to take another step. Most will put them in the basement, but there’s enough to like and even more optimism in Quebec to give them another spot. 

6 - Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are the sixth-best team for now, but the more I’ve watched this revamped bottom six play in the preseason, the more I’ve come to like it. Now, they need to hold up their end of the deal when the games count and set the tone early. 

5 - Boston Bruins

I honestly don’t mind Joonas Korpisalo playing often early, but this is a team that might just go from having one Vezina candidate and one Vezina winner on its roster to having zero. Did anyone think the Swayman saga would turn into a fiasco a few months back?

4 - Detroit Red Wings

Meanwhile, the Red Wings didn’t exactly solve their woes in the net this past offseason, but they did enough to at least concoct a respectable patchwork unit of stopgaps. That might be enough for them to sneak into a wild card spot this season. 

3 - Toronto Maple Leafs

Like the Bruins, I can’t get over this team’s goaltending issues, and no, neither Anthony Stolarz, Matt Murray, nor Joseph Woll are the answers. Unlike the Bruins, the Leafs boast an elite scoring group that can easily keep the team in contention by averaging four goals per game. 

2 - Tampa Bay Lightning

Unpopular opinion, but losing Steven Stamkos and acquiring Jake Guentzel is a trade-off that Lightning fans will appreciate in the long run. Unfortunately, Sabres fans and their team will be dealing with Guentzel and what is still a loaded Lightning team for a while. 

1 - Florida Panthers

There’s nobody else here to take the No. 1 spot than the defending Stanley Cup Champions, and at this point, the Florida Panthers lead the Atlantic in these rankings by a significant margin. Until another team goes on a run and the Panthers stumble, you won’t see them dropping for a while.