Atlantic Division Christmas Wish List

No NHL team is perfect, and even if they were, they certainly wouldn’t stay perfect all season. Every team could use help. This could be in the form of a trade, a lineup change, or just an improvement from one given player. With Christmas just over a month away, some teams are in need of a gift to brighten their season. Here’s what every Atlantic Division team wants for Christmas.

Boston Bruins

Nothing. The Bruins keep winning. Tuukka Rask has been excellent. The top line has performed at an elite pace. They’re at the top of the Atlantic Division. This team is so annoyingly perfect. Next!

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres need the bottom half of their lineup to step it up. They rank 22nd in the NHL in goals scored. Jack Eichel is the only player with more than 10 goals so far, and only four players have scored more than five. Buffalo has cooled after a hot start, so some secondary scoring could get them back into the thick of a playoff race.

Detroit Red Wings

Maybe another trade? That could lift the broken spirits of Detroit fans. The team is tanking, and over-ripening their top young players in the AHL. All they can ask is that the group they do choose to ice every night at least makes the fun games to watch. Right now, that’s not the case. At least the Robby Fabbri trade looks good, right?

Although things look bleak, it’s not gonna be this bad forever. Filip Zadina, Joe Veleno and Moritz Seider all look to be great picks, so maybe the Red Wings can just ask that those players keep getting better.

Florida Panthers

74 goals are good for second place in the NHL, however, 74 goals against are the third-most. If the Panthers need anything, it’s consistency in goal. This wouldn’t be such a touchy subject for Panthers fans if their goalie wasn’t Sergei Bobrovsky, who is in the first year of a seven (!) year deal paying him $10 million (!) per season. A more steady performance from Bob would be the perfect Christmas gift for Florida.

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal has been one of the most surprisingly consistent teams so far this season. This start has been a gift in itself. However, both Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron are expected to miss significant time with injuries. Speedy recoveries for these two are at the top of Montreal’s list, along with the hope that whoever comes into the lineup is able to perform well enough to keep the team competitive.

Ottawa Senators

Sorry guys. You’re bad, your arena is in the middle of nowhere, and you have no money. At this point, you may as well just hope some super-rich guy who hates talking wants to buy the team right from the hands of Eugene Melnyk. I’m sure waking up on Christmas morning to a new owner would be the perfect gift for an ailing fanbase. Also, it’s fun to dream, so maybe pray for San Jose to miss the playoffs. The potential for two lottery picks, especially given the loaded 2020 draft class, is a lot of fun to think about.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa has an incredible roster and a ridiculously well-managed cap. They should be walking through the regular season. However, the only two teams below them in the Atlantic Division standings are Ottawa and Detroit. Tampa doesn’t get a Christmas wish. Their start to the season is absolutely shocking. They’re on the naughty list this year.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Could a Christmas wish help separate a defence pair? Because Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci should have restraining orders against each other. This pair is SHOCKING. Rielly is visibly not having any semblance of fun on the ice. These two need to ask for different partners for Christmas because they both know it’s not going well.