Hello again, Razzball faithful!
I’m very excited to be back on the hockey side of things for the 2025 season! When Viz sent out the ‘puck-beacon’ into the night sky, asking if anyone was down to help write some words about our beloved frozen fandom, I got that Flame in the belly again.
After I realized it was not indigestion, or Jarome Iginla, all it took was a quick message from Grey asking if I’d be interested in jumping back in on the word-Zamboni, and I was in.
Some of you might remember me from a few years ago when I wrote up some DFS for Viz here. Since then, I’ve been hammering out words on the baseball side most recently as our Top 100 Starting Pitchers writer for the last two years. You can check that stuff out here if you have a lot of time on your hands and/or have read through the divisional preview 25 times already.
As for me, I told Viz that I would be happy to preview the divisions and bring you names and some notes to help you get your squad up to snuff for the 2025-2026 season. After that, I’ll be coming back each Wednesday to do the Tuesday night recaps.
The plan is to hit the Eastern Conference for the first two weeks, then finish us off in the West right around Halloween.
My favorite division to watch is the Atlantic, so I figured that was a natural starting point this week.
To give you a heads up – I’ll give the final standing of each team’s finish from last year, the old/new faces on each team’s roster, as well as what MY lines would look like if I were in charge of the locker room whiteboard. Finally, I’ll do a write-up on a player to watch, a player to fade, and a younger name that should be poised for better things this year, or worthy of a stash in those dynasty leagues with a bunch of minor league reserve slots.
So without further ado, I give you…
THE ATLANTIC DIVISION
Boston Bruins – 33-39-10. 76 PTS – 8th in the division.
Oh boy. The only place the once-mighty Bruins are in first place these days is when we list the teams in alphabetical order. After one hell of a run over the past couple of decades, B’s fans slowly died inside as the club acknowledged they weren’t going to make much noise with Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm both on the IR for extensive periods of time. Instead of loading up at the trade deadline, the Bs cut bait on anyone that was still on the hook and started the inevitable retool.
IN: Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont
OUT: Brandon Bussi, Cole Koepke, Vinni Lettieri, Tyler Pitlick, Parker Wotherspoon, Jakub Lauko, Ian Mitchell.
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Geekie | Elias Lindholm | David Pastrnak |
| Pavel Zacha | Casey Mittlestadt | Victor Arvidsson |
| Tanner Jeannot | Fraser Minten | Matthew Poitras |
| Michael Eyssimont | Sean Kuraly | Mark Kastelic |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Mason Lohrei | Charlie McAvoy |
| Hampus Lindholm | Henri Jokiharju |
| Nikita Zadorov | Andrew Peeke |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| Jeremy Swayman |
| Joonas Korpisalo |
Other notable names on the depth chart: John Beecher, Marat Khusnutdinov, Georgii Merkulov, Michael Callahan, and Michael DiPietro
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Fraser Minten – The Brandon Carlo deadline trade netted the Bruins a legitimate young center. Fans knew that the days of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci solidifying the middle were numbered, but that didn’t make it any easier to see names like Morgan Geekie and Charlie Coyle pencilled in as their #1 center options last year. Minten could just as easily have been our Rookie pick here, but I wanted to save that spot for another. The Bruins should give the 21-year-old Minten every chance to win the 3rd line center spot, especially now that they’re fully transitioned away from building a perennial juggernaut roster with Top 9 guys who would slot much higher on other teams’ depth charts. Keep an eye on this kid.
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
Matthew Poitras – It’s a bit of a theme here, as each of our write-ups is a baby-faced kid with a bunch of potential. I’m not saying we should completely abandon hope on a 21-year-old prospect with oodles of potential. I’m just saying that Poitras needs to work on his game at the minor league level and put on some more beef if he’s going to make his mark in the big leagues this year. Boston’s lack of options down the middle last year was a big reason why this kid got pushed into a Top 6 role, and he looked like a boy overmatched against men in his first stint in the NHL. Hopefully, the Bruins’ restocking of centers means Poitras can continue to develop in Providence for a while. Don’t expect a huge point explosion here for at least another year.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. You want to add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Fabian Lysell – After shipping out any and (almost) all of their prospects of any worth over the last 15 years in advance of their annual playoff run, the Bruins shifted gears last season for the first time since the days of Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov. B’s management made sure to take Fabian Lysell’s name out of any trade deadline discussions when rival GMs came calling over the last three years. If he takes camp by storm, I could see them running the shifty winger out on the third line for Game 1. Prospects need to step up at some point, and the 22-year-old Swede could be a bright light in what might be another cloudy season in Beantown.
Buffalo Sabres – 36-39-7. 79 PTS – 7th in the division.
Ah, the Sabres. With all due respect to the Goo Goo Dolls, “Buffalo’s finest” was once again a puzzling group last year. Each season, this roster looks significantly better on paper, but then reality sets in, and the Sabres struggle to make the playoffs. It’ll be tough to pick them as a playoff team this year, but I’ll fall for it again and say “I like the look of the lineup” for 2025-2026. They won’t be as good as the Bills, but they can’t be as bad as they were last year…right?
IN: Alex Lyon, Alexandar Georgiev, Josh Doan, Michael Kesselring, Conor Timmins
OUT: Sam Lafferty, Connor Clifton, James Reimer
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Benson | Josh Norris | Tage Thompson |
| Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | Alex Tuch |
| Jack Quinn | Jiri Kulich | Josh Doan |
| Beck Malenstyn | Peyton Krebs | Justin Danforth |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Bowen Byram | Rasmus Dahlin |
| Owen Power | Michael Kesserling |
| Mattias Samuelsson | Conor Timmins |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen |
| Alex Lyon |
Other notable names on the depth chart: Jordan Greenway, Zach Jones, Devon Levi, Alexandar Georgiev, Konsta Helenius
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Tage Thompson – I nearly went with Owen Power here, who is due for a nice boost in his 4th full season. But ultimately, the one who swings the heaviest sabre in Western New York is Tage Thompson. A 44-goal season is nothing to turn up your nose at, but Tage hasn’t hit that ‘superstar’ gear just yet. 72 points in 76 games (last year) is a great return on investment in your fantasy league, and in his age-27 season, the big forward is poised to jump to the next level as the Sabres’ go-to point getter. The only knock on him is that he won’t give you many PIMs or Hits in those leagues with extra categories outside of your basic scoring ones, but he’ll make up for it with dual eligibility (RW/C).
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
Bowen Byram – Oodles of potential is great if you’re looking at a 21-year-old defenseman who is on the cusp of hitting that next gear. Byram is still young (24), but the history of injuries and concussions makes me a bit leery of adding him as early as he’ll likely be drafted in our leagues. The 5-year veteran isn’t a bad pick, but you won’t find value here with him fighting Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin for PP time.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. Add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Devon Levi – A friend recommended I go with Helenius, but also said that he doubts the kid breaks camp. So, I went with the netminder here. Devon Levi might be buried behind three other goalies right now (Luukkonen, Georgiev, and Lyon), but there’s no question he’s the one to target in dynasty leagues if you want to lock in the next big Sabres backstop.
If goalies aren’t your thing, I’d have a look at Shane Doan Jr. (Josh Doan), too. If that kid is half as good as his dad was, he’ll become a fan favorite pretty quickly.
Detroit Red Wings – 39-35-8. 86 PTS – 6th in the division.
Long gone are the old Red Wings that used to be an auto-qualifier for the playoffs. Last year was their 9th consecutive year of missing out on the big dance. They’ll be hungry to get back there and snap the streak this year.
IN: Ian Mitchell, James van Riemsdyk, Travis Hamonic
OUT: Jack Campbell, Alex Lyon, Jeff Petry, Craig Smith
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| James van Riemsdyk | Dylan Larkin | Lucas Raymond |
| Alex Debrincat | Marco Kasper | Patrick Kane |
| Elmer Soderblom | J.T. Compher | Mason Appleton |
| Andrew Copp | Michael Rasmussen | Jonatan Berggren |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Ben Chiarot | Moritz Seider |
| Simon Edvinsson | Travis Hamonic |
| Erik Gustafsson | Albert Johansson |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| John Gibson |
| Cam Talbot |
Other notable names on the depth chart: Justin Holl, Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur, Ian Mitchell
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Moritz Seider – He recorded his 4th straight 82-game season, so you know you’re going to get a reliable blueliner with this pick. His +/- isn’t even all that bad on a team that missed the playoffs yet again. Year 5 could see a big jump forward for the 24-year-old as he should get the lion’s share on the back end of PP1 with Alex Debrincat or Lucas Raymond.
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
James van Riemsdyk – We could have picked Patrick Kane here instead, but I’m more comfortable betting that Kaner out-earns van Riemsdyk as far as points, playing time, and avoiding 6-8 back pain pills after each game are concerned.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. Add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Marco Kasper – A 2nd line center who is slotted in on PP2 is a good enough bet to roll the dice on in the later stages of your draft. The fact that he finished 10th in Calder voting last year (albeit with just 7 votes) should mean that dynasty leaguers already have him on their radar. The lack of a big-name center to challenge him for the 2C spot is another bonus.
Florida Panthers – 47-31-4. 98 PTS. 3rd in the division.
The plan of a cakewalk three-peat turned into a plummetting crash back to reality after Aleksander Barkov’s season-ending injury was announced this past weekend. Add in Matthew Tkachuk’s expected December return, and the Panthers look a bit less daunting than they did when they hoisted Lord Stanley’s hardware back in June.
IN: Brandon Bussi, Nolan Foote, Jack Studnicka, Jeff Petry
OUT: Kaapo Kahkonen, Jesse Puljujarvi, Vitek Vanecek, Rasmus Asplund, Nate Schmidt, Zac Dalpe, Nico Sturm
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| Carter Verhaege | Sam Bennett | Sam Reinhart |
| Eetu Luostarinen | Anton Lundell | Brad Marchand |
| Jesper Boqvist | Evan Rodrigues | Mackie Samoskevich |
| A.J. Greer | Luke Kunin | Jonah Gadjovich |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Gustav Forsling | Aaron Ekblad |
| Niko Mikkola | Seth Jones |
| Dmitry Kulikov | Jeff Petry |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Daniil Tarasov |
Other notable names on the depth chart: Aleksander Barkov (IR), Matthew Tkachuk (IR), Tomas Nosek (IR)
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Brad Marchand – The Bruin fan bias in me is showing here, but with Barkov and Tkachuk sidelined for at least the first 3 months of the year, someone is going to have to step it up and produce. I know Grandpa Marchy’s best days are behind him, and I’ve seen Mackie Samoskevich penciled in for PP1 time, but are you going to be the one who doubts that Marchand doesn’t have something left in the tank? Again?
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
Aleksander Barkov – The talent is sky high, but if you’re heading into an online draft with a longer time limit between each pick, make sure you double-check your queue so you don’t end up auto-drafting a guy who is on the shelf for the next 7-9 months. Tkachuk is in that same IR boat, but he’s “only” expected to be out until “December-ish” according to the Panthers’ GM.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. Add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Mackie Samoskevich – I said it above in the Marchand blurb, but Samoskevich has a big opportunity to run with if he can prove that his rookie season wasn’t a fluke. If your league tracks hits, too, it might help that he averaged almost two a game last year.
Montreal Canadiens – 40-31-11. 91 PTS. 5th in the division.
Mixing in some legitimate scoring threats with a rookie of the year blueliner and two blossoming ace forwards in Nic Suzuki and Cole Caufield means the Habs should continue their march towards making some noise in the playoffs.
IN: Noah Dobson, Joe Veleno, Samuel Blais, Kaapo Kahkonen
OUT: Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, Michael Pezzetta
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovsky |
| Patrik Laine | Kirby Dach | Ivan Demidov |
| Zack Bolduc | Alex Newhook | Brendan Gallagher |
| Josh Anderson | Jake Evans | Oliver Kapanen |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Mike Matheson | Noah Dobson |
| Kaiden Guhle | Lane Hutson |
| Arber Xhekaj | Alexandre Carrier |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| Sam Montembeault |
| Kaapo Kahkonen |
Other notable names on the depth chart: Joe Veleno, Jakub Dobes, Jayden Struble, Sammy Blais
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Patrik Laine – This one might come back to bite me, but let’s not forget that there were some ‘experts’ who were saying that Laine would end up being a better player than Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews way back in 2016. I said to one of the kids at school that he reminds me a lot of another former Hab, Alexei Kovalev, in that he seems to turn it on when he feels motivated to do something. Kovalev was the perfect example of a guy who could go 5 games without a point, then turn in a 4-goal effort on a whim.
If you’re thinking the same about Laine, you might be happy to know that the sniper is in the final year of a 4-year deal, so he should have plenty of incentive to put in a year of eye-popping stats to secure one last big-time contract at age 28.
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
Josh Anderson – I remember a few years ago when I held out hope that Columbus would trade this guy to my favorite team. Now I’m glad they didn’t. He’s still serviceable in deep leagues, but if he’s riding the 4th line and not registering any PP time, it’s a hard pass for me.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. Add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Ivan Demidov – This was an easy one, but I asked one of my former students (hi, Hudson) who he’d pick as a youngster pick-to-click anyway, and he said Demidov, too. Top 6 minutes and PP1 time for a 19-year-old kid who had 49 points in 65 games in the KHL last year before making the jump to La Belle Provence in April? Mais oui! C’est formidable!
If that beauty example of my dual language mastery doesn’t sell you on him, check this out.
Ottawa Senators – 45-30-7. 97 PTS – 4th place in the division.
If Linus Ullmark can stay healthy all season and the Sens can get production throughout the lineup, we should expect another 90+ point season from Canada’s capital city representatives. Can the Sens unlock Dylan Cozens’ potential as a 2nd line center? Will Thomas Chabot ever sniff 55 points again? It’ll be worth keeping tabs on the Sens this year to see if the mix of ancients and kids can gel again.
IN: Nick Cousins, Lars Eller,
OUT: Anton Forsberg, Travis Hamonic
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| Brady Tkachuk | Tim Stutzle | Drake Batherson |
| David Perron | Dylan Cozens | Claude Giroux |
| Ridly Greig | Shane Pinto | Fabian Zetterlund |
| Nick Cousins | Lars Eller | Michael Amadio |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Jake Sanderson | Artem Zub |
| Thomas Chabot | Nick Jensen |
| Tyler Kleven | Jordan Spence |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| Linus Ullmark |
| Leevi Merilainen |
Other notable names on the depth chart: Arthur Kaliyev, Olle Lycksell, Nikolas Matinpalo
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Tim Stutzle – It’s pretty amazing that Stutzle is headed into his 6th season with the Senators at the age of 23 (he doesn’t turn 24 until January). Stutzle is two seasons removed from a 90-point campaign in which he scored 39 goals and added 51 assists. He hasn’t cracked 80 points since then, but as the Sens’ 1C, with Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk flanking him, I expect his goal total to be closer to the 39 he had in 2022-2023 than the 24 he had last year. (EDIT: Batherson is expected to be questionable for opening night due to injury – Giroux should fill the spot).
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
David Perron – Maybe it’s because I always think of him in connection with David Backes, but I thought this guy was done three years ago. Yikes. The good news is he’s slated to get Top 6 minutes. The bad? The last time he had 60 points was in 2019. If you want to use a pick on a 37-year-old coming off a 9-goal season (in 43 games), I would advise against it.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. Add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Shane Pinto – We could have gone with Stutzle here, who is a year younger than Pinto, but things are lining up nicely for the 3C this season. He missed half of the season two years ago due to a suspension, but scored 21 goals in 72 games last year and registered a 16.5% shooting percentage. The only thing I wouldn’t bet on here is him being in the next BetMGM commercial with Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid. Because we all know how much the NHL hates gambling. (insert the shake my head emoji here).
Tampa Bay Lightning – 47-27-8. 102 PTS – 2nd in the division.
The first line is lethal, and a couple of old stalwarts proved they still had some gas left in the tank. If Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy can hold off Father Time for another year, Tampa should be a shoo-in for a playoff spot in the Springtime.
IN: Pontus Holmberg, Simon Lundmark, Jakob Pelletier
OUT: Derrick Pouliot, Cam Atkinson, Logan Brown, Luke Glendening
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| Jake Guentzel | Brayden Point | Nikita Kucherov |
| Brandon Hagel | Anthony Cirelli | Oliver Bjorkstrand |
| Yanni Gourde | Nick Paul | Gage Goncalves |
| Pontus Holmberg | Zemgus Girgensons | Jakob Pelletier |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Victor Hedman | J.J. Moser |
| Ryan McDonagh | Erik Cernak |
| Emil Lilleberg | Darren Raddysh |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy |
| Jonas Johansson |
Other notable names on the depth chart: Conor Geekie, Jack Finley, Mitchell Chaffee
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Jake Guentzel – He scored a career high 41 goals in his first year in Tampa last year, the third 40-goal season of his career. He’s back to riding shotgun with Brayden Point on the first line and has a Top 5 overall talent in Nikita Kucherov on the right side. Not to mention, he’s got a full year of chemistry with these guys under his “orange” belt now, too. If he stays healthy, he should juice it up and take a serious run at 50 goals.
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
Brandon Hagel – It feels weird to fade a guy who scored 90 points last year, but here we are. His previous high was 75 points, and he suffered a concussion in the playoffs last year. Reports say that the bell-ringer didn’t affect his offseason workouts, and I don’t think he’s necessarily due to tank this year, but I wouldn’t bet on a repeat of 90+ points. Like I say with my Leaf fade below, I don’t think this guy is going to fall apart, but a bit of regression wouldn’t be a surprise.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. Add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Conor Geekie – The 21-year-old left-hand shot RW/C got his feet wet and then some with a 52-game rookie season in Tampa last year. The 6’4” forward still has time to put more muscle on his 207 lb frame and should be a target in dynasty leagues even if he ends up back in Syracuse to start the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs – 52-26-4. 108 PTS – 1st in the division.
I’m pretty sure Leaf fans aren’t overly excited about winning the division, then losing one of the “Core Four” in a trade with Vegas right before free agency opened on July 1st. Marner went from a hometown golden boy to a “go to hell” heel as soon as fans realized he probably wasn’t going to come back. No matter what kind of collectively delusional ranting we get from the Leaf fandom, those 102 Marner points aren’t going to be replaced by their trade return, Nicolas Roy.
IN: Michael Pezzetta, Travis Boyd, Vinni Litteiri, Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy, James Reimer (no, seriously).
OUT: Mitch Marner, Max Pacioretty, Matt Murray, Pontus Holmberg,
DEPTH CHART
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Knies | Auston Matthews | Max Domi |
| Bobby McMann | John Tavares | William Nylander |
| Dakota Joshua | Nicolas Roy | Matias Maccelli |
| Steven Lorentz | Scott Laughton | Easton Cowan |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Jake McCabe | Chris Tanev |
| Morgan Reilly | Brandon Carlo |
| Simon Benoit | Oliver-Ekman Larsson |
| GOALIES |
|---|
| Anthony Stolarz |
| Joseph Woll |
Other notable names on the depth chart: Nicholas Robertson, Michael Pezzetta, David Kampf, Vinni Lettieri, Calle Jarnkrok, Matt Benning, Phillipe Myers, Henry Thrun
Marmo Magic – One name to expect good things from this year
Matthew Knies – I mentioned the “Core Four” above, and losing Mitch Marner will sting for Leaf fans on the scoresheet and on the penalty kill. There are a lot of people in Leaf Nation who think Knies is ready to fill the open spot in that Core Four. Armed with an extension that pays him a lot less than his former teammate (7.75 AAV), building on his 2025 breakout season could make the new deal look like a bargain as early as this year.
Marmo Meh – A player I’d avoid drafting or adding to my roster (for now)
John Tavares – 38 goals and 74 points in 75 games last year qualify as a nice bounce-back from his disappointing season in 2023-2024. Signing a nice “hometown discount” deal for 4 years with an AAV of $4.38 million is even better. Betting on another 80-point season from a 35-year-old forward? That might be a tougher one to cash in on. J.T. won’t collapse by any means, but a bit of regression wouldn’t surprise me.
Marmo Marvel – A Rookie/Youngster who has the potential to impress. Add these guys to your Dynasty rosters right now
Easton Cowan – I nearly went with Dakota Joshua in this spot just because he’s virtually guaranteed a spot on the opening night roster. Instead, I went with Easton Cowan. Cowan could get sent back to London in the OHL by the time this is published, but I’d be adding this kid in my Dynasty league if I could. I went with my dad and my kids to watch the 2025 Memorial Cup MVP when he came to town last year, and this kid is the real deal. The speed is lethal, and the point production has been solid (69 pts in 46 games last year). If the Leafs can find space for him, I’d add him in redraft leagues too. He wouldn’t look out of place in a Top 6 role alongside some of the other burners the Leafs have as well.
There’s no shortage of highlight reels on YouTube for him, and this one from last May is just a peek at what kind of skill the kid has shown in London.
That’s all, folks! I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to drop any questions or comments below, and be sure to come back to visit me next Wednesday when I preview the Metropolitan Division.
Follow me @marmosdad on Twitter/X and Bluesky @marmosdad.bsky.social
