To get you ready for your fantasy hockey drafts this season, we're going team by team with a look at what's changed on each, along with a sleeper and a bust. Our first group up is the eight teams of the Atlantic Division:
Boston Bruins
What's new
The Bruins couldn't make the numbers work to keep Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton, which leaves voids on a team that took a collective step back last season. The reinforcements to replace Lucic and Hamilton will leave fantasy players wanting.
The leadership down the middle on the top lines will be a strength, with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci offering two different, yet effective styles of center. Brad Marchand offers steady, if unspectacular value, while newcomer Matt Beleskey and third-liner Loui Eriksson have upside as they try to secure a role on a scoring line.
The continued development of sophomores Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak, who both exploded onto the scene in February and March last season, would go a long way to providing fantasy owners with replacement value from this club. The hitch, however, is that Spooner and Pastrnak had their success on a line with the departed Lucic.
On the blue line, Torey Krug comes into his second season as the established leader on the blue line, but Zdeno Chara will be looking to bounce back in a big way.
Tuukka Rask is a workhorse in net, but he'll need support from a backup goaltender to bring his ratios back to the elite level.
Sleeper
Zdeno Chara, D: He's not dead yet. Chara is being considered far below his former lofty status as a top-five fantasy defender this season, but he is only one year removed from being elite. While he may be 38 years old, Chara is a physical specimen. He was 36 years old when he scored 17 goals two seasons ago. Prior to 2014-15, it was 1999-2000 that Chara last played fewer than 70 games in a season, so perhaps it was dealing with a midseason injury that kept him down. Hamilton's departure leaves plenty of room on the blue line for Chara to remain a contributor, even if he plays second fiddle to Krug.
Bust
Tuukka Rask, G: Sleepers and busts are relative terms, and the majority of the Bruins are ranked about where they should be. That said, Rask had ugly numbers when he played in back-to-back games last season -- and he was forced to do so frequently because of unreliable backup goaltending. If Jeremy Smith (or possibly Malcolm Subban) can't give Rask the occasional rest he needs, his ratios may not live up to that of a top-50 overall fantasy selection.
Buffalo Sabres
What's new
It might be easier to consider what isn't new with the Sabres. Half of the top six and the goaltender will be new, thanks to the influx of talent such as Evander Kane, Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner and second overall draft pick Jack Eichel. Top pick from 2014, Sam Reinhart, will also be in the mix for a scoring role.
There will be a dangerous top line assembled here by offensively inclined coach Dan Bylsma and, if things work out, key players such as Kane and Eichel could vastly outperform their draft value. But with remaining supplementary talent including Matt Moulson and shifty Tyler Ennis, we'll have to monitor line deployment as the season approaches to know details.
The defense remains underwhelming from a fantasy standpoint in that it's a group that will be more responsible for trying to prevent goals than create them. But with the skill up front, there is bound to be someone to emerge from the blue-line group as valuable -- if for no other reason than power-play time. Zach Bogosian and Rasmus Ristolainen are the most likely candidates for such a job.
Lehner will get a fresh start after dropping the mantle as Ottawa's longtime "goalie of the future" when Andrew Hammond exploded on the scene. The Sabres are all-in on Lehner's potential, as they brought in career backup Chad Johnson as their No. 2.
Sleeper
Evander Kane, F: Despite his talent, Kane hasn't been really given a shake as a top performer for his club in his career. The Winnipeg Jets didn't bury him on the depth chart, by any means. But nor did they often feature him as the top winger. This fresh start in Buffalo is his chance to become a fantasy ace. He plays a style not dissimilar to a poor man's Alex Ovechkin, in that he fights hard for the puck, plays physical and takes a lot of shots. His upside isn't that of Ovechkin's, but a breakout could make him a top-50 fantasy play.
Bust
Ryan O'Reilly, F: We think O'Reilly will have a very good season. But he is ranked as the Sabres' top fantasy asset and we don't think he'll finish there. Having talent on his line and possibly making plays with Kane and Eichel will go a long way, but O'Reilly's points will largely come from assists and his current draft status is closer to a ceiling than a floor for his production.
Detroit Red Wings
What's new
It's the same old, same old for the Red Wings. An aging superstar core gets a little bit older, while the up-and-coming talent from the system gets a little better. We are approaching the tipping of the scales, when the youth finally takes over full-time for Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk as the leaders of the Red Wings -- but we aren't quite there yet.
Zetterberg and Datsyuk are still the top fantasy plays from this group, but don't overlook additional steps forward from both Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar. The four aforementioned players will make up two-thirds of the scoring lines, with Justin Abdelkader cemented in a fantasy-friendly role, too. The last spot is up for grabs due to the ongoing inability of Johan Franzen to stay healthy, so look for Teemu Pulkkinen to begin to make a name for himself in fantasy circles.
Perhaps the biggest offseason addition for the Red Wings is Mike Green, who comes in and immediately becomes the most talented of the blue-line group from an offensive perspective. But Niklas Kronwall will play the most minutes and still collect his due from sheer volume.
In goal, there is a definite battle and potential time share. Jimmy Howard has the tenure, but Petr Mrazek was better last season -- and in the playoffs. It's a difficult situation to approach at the draft table unless you can manage to handcuff them. If you are betting on just one, Mrazek has the upside.
Sleeper
Mike Green, D: This all hinges on deployment, but Green has the potential to vastly outperform his draft status if new Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill decides it's worth the risk to let Green play his game with a focus on offense. Green is one of the best rushing defensemen in the NHL and, while his days of ridiculous goal totals are in the past, he could edge past 15 goals and 50 points if given the chance. His injury history is another major negative, but Green will still be 29 years old when the season starts, so relative youth remains on his side.
Bust
Gustav Nyquist, F: Nyquist's sophomore campaign was a letdown relative to his rookie explosion and his even-strength scoring fell right off the table. He scored more even-strength points in his 57-game rookie campaign than he did in 82 games last season. There is nothing wrong with a power-play specialist in your fantasy lineup, but not when you have to draft him at the same time as forwards that get it done on and off the man advantage.
Florida Panthers
What's new
A little bit older and a little bit wiser, the Panthers are getting ever so close to breaking through as a group. All the right pieces are there: Jonathan Huberdeau as the stalwart offensive catalyst; Aleksander Barkov as the hotshot sniper; Jaromir Jagr as the care-to-the-wind veteran; Nick Bjugstad as the unsung workhorse in the background; Aaron Ekblad the fearless leader from the blue line; and Roberto Luongo as the cool-as-a-cucumber keystone to the whole pyramid.
But the team has sounded better on paper than in practice for a couple of seasons now, and the youngsters still haven't taken that big next step forward as a collective. There are any number of fantasy bargains for sale here, but they come at a discount because they come with no guarantees.
Luongo is really the only product that offers stability in the top rounds of drafts, as we know he'll be a solid fantasy No. 2 goaltender here. After that, it's all about the upside, upside, upside. Draft your starters elsewhere, sprinkle some Panthers on your bench and you could be duly rewarded in your league this season.
Sleeper
Aleksander Barkov, F: We got a flash of what Barkov can do when he closed last season with 15 points in 20 games. He'll almost surely open this campaign on the same line with Jagr and Huberdeau. The is a high-upside, 20-year-old player on a featured line and almost guaranteed consistent power-play work. Frankly, we're surprised he isn't going 50 spots higher in drafts.
Bust
Reilly Smith, F: While he may be viewed as a potential top-six forward based on his usage with the Bruins, we don't know he is a lock for a scoring line with the Panthers. Smith scored only 40 points last season and was highly dependent on his linemates for production. There is some potential here if he breaks into a scoring-line role, but betting on him ahead of other potential breakout forwards or solid defensemen in the late rounds of your draft seems unwise.
Montreal Canadiens
What's new
Nothing much, what's new with you?
The Habs have a superstar in net, superstar on the blue line and a superstar on offense. They have built a team around those three pieces and the recipe seems to work just fine. Carey Price, P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty are among the elite of the elite at their respective positions, and fantasy owners would be well served to build around them in the same way the Canadiens do.
But there's more. Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher continue to get better from a fantasy perspective. Tomas Plekanec had arguably the best fantasy season of his career in 2014-15. Andrei Markov has rebounded from a few down years to become a steady asset on the blue line. Alexander Semin is in the perfect, nothing-to-lose situation for redemption.
The Canadiens run deep with both fantasy foundations, building blocks and potential upstarts.
Sleeper
Alex Galchenyuk, F: He is on a path to be the Habs' No. 1 center sometime in the near future, and you don't want to be the guy that misses out on him when he starts anchoring the lineup. At 22 years old and with stats that beg for more prime ice time in his fourth NHL season, this could be the season he breaks through. Playing with Pacioretty on a regular basis would be enough to push Galchenyuk well past the 60-point barrier.
Bust
Tomas Plekanec, F: Coming close to a career-best campaign 11 seasons into his NHL tenure is a tough act to follow for a soon-to-be 33-year-old center. But to earn his keep as a borderline top-100 fantasy pick, Plekanec will have to follow it up with something similar. His 60 points last season look pretty darn appealing when you are crunching your numbers, but don't forget he scored only 43 points the season prior in a very similar situation.
Ottawa Senators
What's new
How about respect? That's what's new in the Canadian capital. What looked like a rag-tag bunch of role players and rookies on paper went on one of the most impressive sustained runs to the postseason in NHL history. With an unheard-of goaltender and led by scoring from every line, the Sens return with largely the same roster from their unexpected successful campaign.
The breakouts on offense included Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman, who are both poised to continue their success in the top six. But don't overlook steps forward by post-hype center Mika Zibanejad and a pretty-good-when-healthy campaign by veteran scorer Milan Michalek.
Erik Karlsson remains the bread and butter of the Senators attack, posting stats that are the envy of most wingers. But the defense gets pretty thin for fantasy purposes from there.
Andrew Hammond made all the headlines with his Cinderella story last season, but Craig Anderson will get a chance to run with the job again in net this season. He's put up steady numbers with the Senators, and had his job back in time for the postseason despite Hammond's run.
Sleeper
Mika Zibanejad, F: With the confidence of a successful campaign behind him and a solidified role as the Sens' second-line center, Zibanejad is on the verge of establishing himself as a regular 30-30 fantasy contributor. In fact, Kyle Turris is being ranked 100 spots ahead of Zibanejad, though the separation between the two could be less than a half-dozen points.
Bust
Andrew Hammond, G: The fact that Hammond is being taken ahead of logical Senators starter Anderson in some drafts shows that the world can fall in love with a great story. But Hammond's ridiculous stretch of brilliance last season is firmly in the past. A healthy Anderson should reclaim his role and run with it.
Tampa Bay Lightning
What's new
The targets on the Lightning's back are new this season. While the "triplets" line was able to sweep the NHL by surprise last season, everybody knows what's coming now. The Lightning will have to find a way to build more than one consistent scoring line in order to continue their success.
While Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat are a great story as a group, we can't guarantee you they will stay together this season. At the end of the day, this is Steven Stamkos' team and he needs to be the focal point of the offense. Don't be shocked if there are some changes to the lines -- and, yes, that includes the potential for the breakup of the triplets. With that in mind, don't shy too much away from Johnson, Kucherov or Palat, as all three have established themselves as fantasy money in the bank.
Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman and Jason Garrison all have the talent to be fantasy relevant from the blue line. But there is only enough to go around for two of them to truly make waves.
Ben Bishop was going to get more pressure to perform from future starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, but surgery for a blood clot will sideline the youngster until midseason -- leaving Bishop with a comfortable grip on his job and role as top-five fantasy goalie.
Sleeper
Victor Hedman, D: There aren't a lot of defensemen outside the top 10 with a real shot of finishing within the top-five for fantasy value. Hedman has that distinction. While he doesn't shoot as much as his counterparts, he scores just as often. A healthy campaign could result in 60 points for Hedman thanks to the dynamic offense in front of him, no shortage of ice time and dominance on the power play.
Bust
Tyler Johnson, F: When looking at other first- and second-line centers from the same team -- who don't regularly play together -- that go at the top of fantasy hockey drafts, there aren't really any other examples aside from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Are you comfortable with considering Stamkos in the same class of player as Crosby? OK, yes, that sounds reasonable. Is Johnson in the same class as Malkin? Hold on a minute. That doesn't quite sound right. Johnson is a fantasy asset, to be sure, but we aren't sure he can live up to his lofty draft status as the second-best No. 2 center in the NHL after Malkin.
Toronto Maple Leafs
What's new
Oh, about 50 percent of the team is new. And these are not necessarily improvements over the personnel that finished near the basement of the Eastern Conference last season. Coach Mike Babcock is what's new that matters. But even that importance is relevant more to keeper leagues. The Maple Leafs are not going to be very good this season and will not produce a lot of fantasy assets you will want to draft early.
James van Riemsdyk is the only player that should get any consideration whatsoever in the top 100 picks of a re-draft league. And we still aren't sure we'd take him with any of those picks. But the team will win some games and score some goals. And the offense will be very top-heavy. That situation does lend itself to sleepers emerging from this group of misfits. Nazem Kadri is a natural first choice, having flashed point-per-game potential earlier in his young career, and Michael Grabner is a former 30-goal scorer with nothing but opportunity in front of him in Toronto.
The defense looks pretty great for the future; but for now, not so much. There is a chance Morgan Rielly can do enough to become fantasy-relevant, and we never want to completely write off Dion Phaneuf in the right situation, but you can probably do without either of them.
Jonathan Bernier will play a lot in the crease, but hopefully not on your fantasy team.
Sleeper
Michael Grabner, F: Of all the wingers not named James van Riemsdyk, Grabner has the most raw talent. He's fast, with slick hands around the net. He is arguably the only Maple Leafs player outside of van Riemsdyk with a legitimate shot at 25 goals. He will need to be on the top line for that to happen, which means winning training camp battles and showing a much healthier version of himself than we saw last season.
Bust
Joffrey Lupul, F: Even if you can get past the fact that he can't stay on the ice, Lupul is strictly a linemate-dependent fantasy asset. But with no linemates to cling to for value outside of van Riemsdyk, the picking is getting thin for Lupul to have any chance to contribute. There are plenty of other lottery tickets at the back end of your draft with much better odds.