Atlantic Division - "Dark Horses"

@CaLL Me Jakoo and I are going to be going through each division and naming a "dark horse" for each respective team. I will be starting with the Atlantic Division and going on from there. Comment below on how you feel about each pick and without further ado, let's get into this.

Boston Bruins
Player: @y05hiii
Contract: 500,000
Position: LW

@y05hiii is my "dark horse" pick for the Bruins, for a few reasons. One of the reasons I think he's so critical to the Bruins success is his ability to shift around. He's got 50+ games at each RW, LW, and C, which is crucial to the Bruins' ability to navigate throughout a season with the inevitable roster moves that take place on a week to week basis. Although he's a career 105-82-17, he's only had one sub-.500 point% season, which is frankly pretty solid considering he's had stints with some very mediocre teams in the past. Yoshi's importance cannot be understated and I'd expect a big season out of him on a very, very good Boston team.

Ottawa Senators
Player: @Dip City Don
Contract: 3,000,000
Position: C

@Dip City Don is coming off a huge season as an ECU for the Rangers and got a big $3M contract to play with some of the better players in the league. Don is a very talented player who can fit in on a 2nd or 3rd line of a contending team and play to the strengths of his wingers. At his contract, I expect him to come in guns blazing for the Senators as their second highest paid non-management forward, even though I'd say the majority of LG NHL'ers aren't very familiar with him and probably don't know much about his ability. While nobody really knows exactly what to expect, I think Don's performance with Ottawa could be extremely exciting and he could likely be a cornerstone to the Senators success this season.

Florida Panthers
Player: @POOPIE SNOOPY
Contract: $0
Position: LW

After an abysmal 0-3 pre-season, Snoopie turned it up big time for the Panthers in week one. Poopie put up 4 points against a good Rangers third line and came out of the week 2-1, which is extremely surprising considering he's now only 5 wins off of matching his last season's total. The Panthers are a group of rag tag players who for the most part have lacked success in the NHL, but if Poopie can put up wins like he did in week one, we could see the Panthers make some noise and maybe end up competitive come playoff time.

Detroit Red Wings
Player: @Best in Ottawa
Contract: 2,000,000
Position: C

Best In Ottawa dropped a bit in the Season 32 LGHL Draft and I think many expected him to spend time in the AHL, but it looks as if he's getting his shot right out of the gate with the big boy club. I could definitely see him having a ridiculous season depending upon matchups, as he's shown the ability to keep up with NHL'ers with a great 2-0-1 starting week. He had a terrific first season in the CHL with a 19-5-4 record and was a CHL All Star, playing with the cream of the crop down there before making it to the biggies. He's my pick to be the Red Wings' dark horse and he really should have a lot of success this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Player: @johnwaynee90
Contract: $3,000,000
Position: RW

@johnwaynee90 had a very, very tough season 31, bouncing around between a few bad teams, coming into season 32 with a sub-.500 record but it looks like John's going to be ay okay with the Leafs. With a big 3-0 week in week one, including two big victories against likely playoff teams in Carolina and New York, John could be a dark horse to crush his previous wins record (17) and maybe put up 20+ wins this season if he gets to keep playing with some of the stud forwards Toronto has. I think a lot of people have underestimated John and at a $3M contract, his contract looks like it's gonna be worth every penny.

Montreal Canadiens
Player: @Wild Edits
Contract: 500,000
Position: G

It looks as if the Canadiens have gone the same route as last year, stacking two lines and hoping for the best with the third line. While I don't think this third line is as bad as last season's, there's going to be extreme emphasis on @Wild Edits' ability to bail out the third line against good teams if they want to be successful. I do, however, believe in his ability as a 500K goalie to steal some games. Wild's been a known commodity in the AHL with Bridgeport, putting up an 83.4 SV% there last season, and I could definitely see him being above an 80% this season while trying to salvage some wins for the Canadiens' third line. Definite dark horse to run over expectations.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Player: @ySnowy
Contract: 500,000
Position: LD

Snowy signed up to be an AHL/CHL defenseman, but Tampa decided to throw a 500K bid on him because of the shiny Stanley Cup next to his name in the shoutbox and honestly, it might be the best bid they'll make. While Snowy is extremely AIDS in parties, he is a FEEN for NHL and honestly, he's pretty solid at the game. He's got good thumbs, listens when he wants to, and will likely be an excellent outlet passer as he's been a forward in LG for a while. I could see Snowy being a bright spot on these Lightning and potentially coming out with a big 15+ win season, surprising everyone.

Buffalo Sabres
Player: @Schenn
Contract: 2,000,000
Position: RD

Schenn is a very known commodity in the CHL, but honestly, I didn't expect to see him on a $2M contract in the NHL right off the bat. Schenn is a very good NHL 19 player with very solid thumbs and while he may have some issues meshing with some of the players on the Buffalo roster, I think individually, Schenn's going to be great and have a nice season. The Sabres don't have the fire power to keep up with some of the bigger teams and might end up struggling with first line matchups, which will hurt Schenn, but I do think he's got the thumb ability and defensive skill to put up a really, really successful season altogether. Watch out for big things.

Week 1 - East Atlantic Standings:
1.) Boston Bruins (8-0-1)
2.) Ottawa Senators (8-0-1)
3.) Florida Panthers (6-3-0)
4.) Detroit Red Wings (4-1-4)
5.) Toronto Maple Leafs (5-3-1)
6.) Montreal Canadiens (5-4-0)
7.) Tampa Bay Lightning (4-4-1)
8.) Buffalo Sabres (3-6-0)

I hope you enjoyed the article, more coming soon from @CaLL Me Jakoo and I!

 

Appreciate the mention!

 

I like the idea, great read.