Spending the summer celebrating a Stanley Cup championship wasn’t enough to distract Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov from paying attention to what Florida’s Atlantic Division rivals were up to this offseason.

Three teams — Buffalo (Lindy Ruff), Ottawa (Travis Green) and Toronto (Craig Berube) — changed coaches.

And while free agency led to Steven Stamkos’ departure in Tampa Bay, the Lightning landed Jake Guentzel. Others made moves leading to the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko (Detroit), Nikita Zadorov (Boston), Elias Lindholm (Boston), Patrick Laine (Montreal), David Perron (Ottawa) and Ryan McLeod (Buffalo) joining the division.

“I feel like every team in our division got a little better if not a lot better,” Barkov said. “I guess it’s a really good challenge for us. We like playing those hard games where you can test yourself.”

The Cup is back in the Atlantic, only a little further south in Florida, after the Lightning won it in 2020 and ’21.

The familiar question entering this season remains whether Buffalo, Detroit, Montreal and Ottawa can crack the stranglehold Boston, Florida, Tampa Bay and Toronto have held atop the division since 2019-20. The Bruins, Lightning and Maple Leafs have each qualified for the playoffs since 2017-18.

The disparity has made measuring the Red Wings’ progress a difficult one for general manager Steve Yzerman. Though Detroit has taken gradual steps in improvement, jumping from 32 wins and 74 points three seasons ago to 41 wins and 91 points last year, the Red Wings haven’t made a dent in what, at eight years, now stands as the franchise’s longest playoff drought.

“As long as we’re moving in the right direction, I think it’s a positive,” Yzerman said. “Obviously, making the playoffs would be another positive step. So I’ll worry about that as the season goes along.”

Though Montreal qualified for playoffs in both the COVID-19 pandemic-altered formats in 2020 and ’21, they and the Senators’ last appearance in a traditional format was in 2017. The Red Wings haven’t made it since 2016, and Buffalo is in the midst of an NHL-record 13-season playoff drought, dating to when they were members of the Northeast Division.

“I don’t spend a ton of time in terms of thinking about other teams,” Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said. “I look at where we are and the opportunity and some of the talent and now identity that we’re starting to have ... and I believe we can be right there with that group.”

On the rise

There’s optimism in Montreal, where GM Kent Hughes expects his team to be competitive enough to be in the playoff race.

“I can’t predict whether that means until the last game. I can’t predict whether we’ll make the playoffs,” Hughes said. “At the end of the day, for us to progress, the players need to gain experience as a team in games that matter.”

The Canadiens’ trajectory is pointed up with a young core emerging around Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, but it’s too early to expect the Habs to contend.

In Toronto, where advancing in the playoffs — rather than qualifying — has been the issue, the Maple Leafs changed coaches by firing Sheldon Keefe and hiring Berube, who led the St. Louis Blues to win the Cup in 2019.

“That stuff’s in the past,” Berube said of a team that won one of six playoff series under Keefe. “There’s great opportunity to build a team that can move forward and become something, not better, but get over the hump.”

On the decline

Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak placed faith in GM Julien BriesBois as Tampa Bay continues to transition from the core of its Cup-winning teams. Aside from Stamkos’ departure, the Lightning traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah in a move that landed defenseman J.J. Moser and prospect Conor Geekie.

“He’s never done anything bad, so obviously everybody’s just one person and everybody can make a mistake,” Cernak said. “But so far if something went wrong he kind of covers it with a different thing. He’s amazing at his job.”

On the hot seat

Adams in Buffalo is running out of time in a lengthy rebuilding plan, and after he declared the window of being competitive open a year ago. There’s pressure on Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis to continue developing the team’s youngsters.

Predicted order of finish

Toronto, Florida, Boston, Detroit, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, Montreal.

A second loss in the Eastern Conference Final in three years still stings for the New York Rangers, months after getting eliminated by eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida.

“It hurts,” center Vincent Trocheck said, “so, the itch to get back is heightened a little bit more.”

The Carolina Hurricanes know the feeling, having suffered the same fate in 2023 and have it even worse after falling to the Rangers last spring. But now the Metropolitan Division’s top two teams get another chance to slug it out for the chance to get through the East with plenty of unknowns behind them in the standings.

“The Rangers played just a little bit better,” said Hurricanes forward Martin Necas, who re-signed for two more years. “I guess we’ve got to figure out a way to change it up a little bit and be better because we’ve done it for five years and we haven’t won. But I’m sure that this team can still do it.”

Carolina lost a handful of important players from their run of six consecutive playoff appearances under coach Rod Brind’Amour but still has title aspirations.

Rangers captain Jacob Trouba expects this to be the last crack at doing so for his team’s core, especially given questions moving forward about goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who is unsigned beyond this season. New Jersey is a chic pick to finish first after acquiring goaltender Jacob Markstrom from Calgary, but nothing is guaranteed.

“The Rangers are coming off a really good year,” Devils center Jack Hughes said. “Carolina is Carolina. I know Washington had a really good offseason. Philadelphia made moves. And then Pittsburgh’s Pittsburgh. Definitely a lot more excitement going into this year, and I think probably a hungry group wanting to get back to where we were.”

On the rise

The Devils missed the playoffs after what captain Nico Hischier said was a season full of turbulence, as well as injuries. The biggest difference should be in net with Markstrom after their 3.43 goals-against average and .896 save percentage were sixth-worst in the league.

“Goaltending is definitely an important, big thing,” Hischier said. “You can see throughout other teams what great goaltending can bring. For us, having Markstrom we’re obviously excited for that.”

The Flyers fell just short of the postseason ahead of their rebuilding schedule and got top prospect Matvei Michkov to come over to North America from Russia ahead of what they expected. Being in the race should only help Philadelphia take another step.

“We did a lot of good things last year, but it’s a new year now and we’ve got to get back to what we did well but also we have to get better,” goalie Samuel Ersson said. “That was a great experience to kind of get to see that and knowing that, even if you have a good start or whatever, you know that the level is going to get even better, so you’ve got to keep on building throughout the year, as well, and not get satisfied.”

On the decline

Back-to-back playoff misses did not change the Penguins’ organizational goal to double down on their aging core. Sidney Crobsy got a team-friendly, two-year extension, and Pittsburgh is banking on its captain, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson to stave off father time.

Washington made significantly more changes, bringing in a handful of players younger than 30 to help return to the playoffs and put Alex Ovechkin on track to break Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record.

The Islanders have made it in consecutive seasons and five times in the past six years and yet still keep getting overlooked.

“We’re on the right track, and I think we have something good coming,” forward Pierre Engvall said. “I think if keep doing what we did last year, I think we might be more dangerous than people or teams expect.”

On the hot seat

Pittsburgh’s Mike Sullivan is considered one of the best coaches in hockey and he would almost certainly get hired by someone if he is fired. But the fact remains that new ownership and a different general manager in Kyle Dubas now run the show, and the 2016 and ‘17 Cup runs are fading further into the rearview mirror.

Sullivan’s seat is definitely warming, unless he and the Penguins get off to a strong start and finish in the top eight in the East for the first time since 2022.

Predicted order of finish

Carolina, New Jersey, N.Y. Rangers, N.Y. Islanders, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus.

Playoff MVP Connor McDavid can’t shake the memory of what now-former Edmonton GM Ken Holland told the team after falling one win short of winning the Stanley Cup.

The Game 7 loss to Florida in June caused Holland to reflect on the disappointment he still felt from his time in Detroit in 2009, when the Red Wings failed to defend their title in losing Game 7 to Pittsburgh.

“I’m not sure it’s something that you ever get over, really, and time just kind of moves on,” McDavid recalled.

However much the Oilers’ playoff run was regarded as a breakthrough for McDavid in finally leading them to their first Cup final in his nine seasons in Edmonton, it’s back to square one as the season arrives. The Pacific Division features a mix of contenders and teams in various stages of rebuilding.

Joining the Oilers at the top are the Vancouver Canucks, who surged during coach Rick Tocchet’s first full season in making a 26-point jump to win their first division title since 2013.

“The challenge will be greater, certainly,” Canucks president Jim Rutherford said. “But I believe the team that we started with last year, we have just as good a team to start the season this year, and probably better.”

Then there are the Vegas Golden Knights, who have missed the playoffs just once — in 2022 — in their seven-year history, and are two years removed from winning the Cup. The Golden Knights lost Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and goalie Logan Thompson, but they return a strong core, and got better with last season’s late addition of forward Tomas Hertl.

The question marks are where the division’s other five teams fit in the equation.

The Los Angeles Kings have finished third in the division in each of the past three seasons, and feature a mix of veterans — captain Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault and Drew Doughty — and youth, led by Quinton Byfield. The Kings have already been dealt a blow with Doughty out indefinitely after breaking his ankle.

The Seattle Kraken underwent a shakeup with Dan Bylsma replacing Dave Hakstol as coach after the team regressed in winning just 34 games a year after making the playoffs. Seattle also upgraded its lineup with the additions of Stephenson and defenseman Brandon Montour.

Calgary, Anaheim and San Jose round out the bottom.

In Edmonton, the Oilers have their star duo of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in place, while retooling on the fly under new GM Stan Bowman. Though Edmonton added Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in free agency, the team traded Ryan McLeod to Buffalo and Cody Ceci to San Jose, while choosing not to match St. Louis’ offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

On the rise

Tocchet has the Canucks finally playing up to their potential, and GM Patrik Allvin has a talented prospect pool to draw from, and added power forward Jake DeBrusk, defenseman Vincent Desharnais and two way forward Kiefer Sherwood this offseason.

The big question is net, with Vancouver counting on goalie Arturs Silovs to carry over his playoff performance in filling in for Thatcher Demko, who’s out with knee injury.

On the decline

In Calgary, the Flames appear to be starting over in shedding established talent after trading goalie Jacob Markström to New Jersey and Andrew Mangiapane to Washington.

The Flames have been shedding talent since losing the late Johnny Gaudreau in free agency and trading Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in the summer of 2022. They also parted ways with Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm.

“From the outside, media and even friends and family, the expectations are probably a little bit lower,” defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. “But there’s no reason to think that we can’t make the playoffs and can’t be a good team (with) that underdog mentality. You never know.”

The Sharks are starting from scratch with a youth movement headed by Will Smith, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, and this year’s No. 1 draft selection, Macklin Celebrini.

On the hot seat

The Kings have been treading water under GM Rob Blake, and haven’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Cup in 2014.

Predicted order of finish

Edmonton, Vegas, Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Calgary.

Nino Niederreiter has taken a bit of a tour around the NHL’s Central Division, from Minnesota to Nashville to Winnipeg, so few know better just how deep it is.

Dallas is coming off a trip to the Western Conference Final, Colorado could get captain Gabriel Landeskog back after a two-year absence, Nashville loaded up by signing Steven Stamkos and others, St. Louis is back in the mix and Utah should be much-improved after relocating from Arizona. Only a maximum of five can make the playoffs.

“I feel like it’s back to a powerhouse,” Niederreiter said of the Central. “You have four or five teams that are going to play for the playoff spots, and I think it’s going to be very difficult.”

The Stars go in as the slight favorite after reaching the third round and pushing eventual West champion Edmonton to six games. Outside of the Oilers in the Pacific, Dallas is among the likeliest teams to get out of the conference and reach the final next spring, especially after making a long run.

“We learned just how hard it is to win,” young forward Wyatt Johnston said. “You always hear and everyone always talks about it. But you really learn once you get there how hard it is to win. It’s not easy to win even one playoff game, and you’ve got to win 16 of them to win the Stanley Cup.”

The Avalanche won the Cup three years ago, and hoisting it was the last thing Landeskog did on the ice in the NHL. Add him back to a group led by reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon and elite defenseman Cale Makar, and Colorado looks poised to be among the league’s best once again.

Then there are the Predators, who added Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei in free agency and signed goaltender Juuse Saros to a long-term extension. Saros and his teammates know it is time to make it count.

“You’ve got to work and be humble to get all the pieces working together because it is a hard league to win,” Saros said. “But obviously the expectations are there, for sure.”

On the rise

The Blues pulled off the biggest surprise of the summer, signing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg of the Oilers to offer sheets that Edmonton opted not to match. Five years since winning the first title in franchise history and after going through a bit of a reset on the fly, St. Louis is back as a clear contender.

“(General manager Doug Armstrong has) been pretty open and honest with everyone about our team the last couple years and being in a retool,” forward Robert Thomas said. “We’re in a time to push right now. The retool’s over, we’re ready to go and I’m excited to kind of show everyone what we’ve built in St. Louis.”

The Utah Hockey Club also made some splashes, acquiring two-time Cup-winning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay at the draft among a series of moves by GM Bill Armstrong. There is also the excitement of the team formerly known as the Coyotes getting a fresh start in Salt Lake City, much like an expansion team but with tons of young talent already in place.

“It’s a great experience to be part of something brand new, a new team, because that doesn’t happen often,” goaltender Karel Vejmelka said. “It’s kind of unique, and I’m pretty excited about it.”

On the decline

Someone has to miss the playoffs other than Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, who are likely at least a couple of years away from making that leap.

Minnesota might be on the wrong end of that in the final year of salary cap calamity. Buyouts of the albatross contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2021 will help the Wild immensely down the road, but they combine to count almost $15 million this season, which will hamstring GM Bill Guerin in what’s expected to be the final season for well-respected veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

On the hot seat

If Utah does not make a marked improvement, Andre Tourigny could be among the first coaches fired. Tourigny was brought in a few years ago to teach a young team good habits, and he has done that well, but an experienced hand at the wheel might be needed to take the next step for a franchise eager for a good start for their new fans.

Predicted order of finish

Dallas, Colorado, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg, Utah, Minnesota, Chicago.

— Capsules by Associated Press