Biggest Question for Every NHL Eastern Conference Team

NHL prospect tournaments are almost here, and training camp starts soon.

As teams prepare for the regular season beginning on Oct. 8, each team in the Eastern Conference has big questions to answer. Here’s a look at what each team is facing:

The Bruins traded from their strong goalie position to fix issues at center. Adding Elias Lindholm could make them stronger in playoffs, but his past two seasons were iffy.

Buffalo Sabres (39-37-6, 84 points) | How good are their best players?
Buffalo spent a lot of money this offseason to improve their forwards. They finished low in creating high-danger chances last season. They hope their top players didn’t decline offensively and just need better defensive support.

Carolina Hurricanes (52-23-7, 111 points) | What’s the plan at center?
Despite being great in regular seasons, Carolina struggles in deep playoff runs. They need elite scoring and better goaltending. The second-line center role remains unfilled since Vincent Trocheck left.

Columbus Blue Jackets (27-43-12, 66 points) | Will they be able to focus after a tragedy?
Johnny Gaudreau’s death shocked everyone . Columbus already had challenges before this loss. Dealing with grief while trying to improve after a tough season will be hard.

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Detroit Red Wings (41-32-9, 91 points) | Are we there yet?
Detroit has been rebuilding for years but flipping the switch to contention is tough. They have several promising prospects like Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper who might soon play in NHL.

Florida Panthers (52-24-6, 110 points) | How strong is the process?
Florida excels at revamping castoff players like Brandon Montour and Sam Bennett. With Montour gone and new additions like Adam Boqvist coming in, fans wonder if Florida can find another market inefficiency for success.

Montreal Canadiens (30-36-16, 76 points) | Does Montreal have enough depth to win?
Their top six forwards can score well but bottom six and defense remain weak spots. Goaltending has been good despite chaos; relying on it long-term could be risky.

New Jersey Devils (38-39-5, 81 points) | Can Jack Hughes remain on the ice?
Ready to rise among NHL elites with GM Tom Fitzgerald fixing holes while keeping young core intact. Center Hughes missed many games due to injuries but shines when healthy.

New York Islanders (39-27-16, 94 points) | Were the Patrick Roy Islanders real?
Defensive structure collapsed last season but improved under coach Patrick Roy later on. Fans hope he can continue this trend into next season.

New York Rangers (55-23-4, 114 points) | Is Mika Zibanejad declining?
Rangers need more five-on-five performance starting with Zibanejad who had one of his worst seasons recently despite a hot playoff start that fizzled out later on.

Ottawa Senators (37-41-4, 78 points) | Can centers live up to potential?
Ottawa’s three young centers Tim Stutzle Shane Pinto & Josh Norris vary widely in potential & come with baggage; team’s success hinges on them performing well this season

Philadelphia Flyers(38–33–11),87points)| What’s Sean Couturier’s role?|
Couturier was scratched twice late last year due concerns about his game direction according Coach John Tortorella . At nearly age32 ,he remains solid defensively though offense declined after battling back injuries .

Pittsburgh Penguins(38–32–12),88points)|Can Pittsburgh revive its power play ?|
Penguins fired power-play coach Todd Reirden replacing him former head coach David Quinn . Despite adding Erik Karlsson maybe greatest power-play quarterback history ,team dropped from above average21 .7%to near-worst15 .2%.

Tampa Bay Lightning(45–29–8),98points)|Are they ready life without Steven Stamkos ?|
Stamkos signed free agent Nashville marking new era Tampa Bay even moving out defenseman Mikhail Sergachev probably improved adding J.J.Moser Ryan McDonagh fully healthy Andrei Vasilevskiy arrival Jake Guentzel should help keep competitive

Toronto Maple Leafs(46–26–10),102points)|Is Craig Berube Toronto savior ?|
With Stanley Cup drought dating1967 only one playoff series win19seasons Maple Leafs continue disappoint fans Auston Matthews now captain John Tavares poised continue big role firing HC Sheldon Keefe hiring Berube replacing signing two defensemen looks latest answer playoff conundrum

Washington Capitals(40 –31 –11 ),91points )| Is offseason enough keep relevant outside Alex Ovechkin chase Wayne Gretzky record ?|

After sneaking playoffs goal differential -37 Capitals got aggressive summer adding winger Andrew Mangiapane center Pierre-Luc Dubois winger Brandon Duhaime defensemen Jakob Chychrun Matt Roy backup goaltender Logan Thompson backdrop41goals stand between Alex Ovechkin Wayne Gretzky all-time goal-scoring record

What do you think about these changes?