Lingering Lineup Questions for Each Eastern Conference NHL Team

In the NHL, pre-seasons are a prolonged dress rehearsal.

Most of the time, virtually all roster spots are accounted for, with the exception of one or two. For NHL team personnel, the pre-season is a chance to try out different combinations, put players in different roles, and get a read on some of the biggest questions concerning their team before it all begins.

In some cases, teams might be better off upgrading their roster via trades or signing any free agents that are left. In this exercise, we set that aside and focus on how each team can get the most out of the players they already have.

We already checked out some lingering lineup questions for each Western Conference team ahead of training camp. Part 2 is here with the East:

Boston Bruins: Who Steps Up Down The Middle?

The departures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci at center have taken the Bruins from a top-tier team to a giant question mark. Boston is going to decline – it’s hard to repeat last year's miraculous regular season, anyway – but by how much? 

That depends on how much they get from Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha. Coyle is a safe bet to score 40-plus points, but the 6-foot-3 center has only ever eclipsed 20 goals once – and that was in 2015-16. He hasn’t demonstrated much power-play utility to date, either. Zacha, on the other hand, is coming off a career-high 57-point campaign that would take a miracle to repeat. He’s best suited as a high-end third-line center, as opposed to being a mid- to low-tier center.

Buffalo Sabres: Is Devon Levi the Bona Fide Starter?

A quick scan of the Buffalo Sabres' depth chart makes you wonder if Devon Levi is really going to be the starter on Day 1. Levi, one of the top goalie prospects in the NHL, is coming off a decorated 2022-23 season with Northeastern University, where the 21-year-old posted a .933 save percentage and was named the NCAA goaltender of the year. The cherry on top was how well he fared in seven NHL games at the tail end of the season, posting a 5-2 record and a .905 save percentage. 

It's rare and very difficult to become an NHL starter at 21 and excel, but who's Levi's competition for next season? Eric Comrie is coming off an underwhelming 19-game stint with a .886 save percentage, and Ukko-Pekka Luukonen posted a .892 save percentage in 33 games. It’s Levi’s net to lose.

Carolina Hurricanes: Where Does Michael Bunting Fit Into the Equation?

Seeing Michael Bunting land with the Carolina Hurricanes made too much sense. The Hurricanes are lauded for their execution of a hard-forechecking, cycle-driven offensive attack tailored precisely to a player of Bunting’s ilk. Yes, he’s an agitator, but Bunting’s real gift is his relentlessness on the forecheck, his physical style of play and his ability to complement elite players. 

Up front, Carolina runs a four-line attack – Bunting will get his minutes wherever he’s put, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where he’ll slot in. Does he play alongside someone like Sebastian Aho on the top line? Does he get paired with Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast and form an elite third line?

Columbus Blue Jackets: Who Are the Top Two Centers?

It’s really wide open down the middle in Columbus. Ideally, two of Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson or Cole Sillinger – all recent high-end draft picks – lock down spots in the top six, but that depends on several factors. 

Boone Jenner can play in the top six if need be, but he’s probably best used as an elite third-line center, especially if Columbus is aiming for a playoff berth. Fantilli, the 2023 third overall pick, is probably a safe bet to lock down a spot after a monstrous NCAA season (65 points in 36 games). But it’s also conceivable the team starts him on the wing in his first season. Kent Johnson, the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is a natural center who played predominantly on the wing during his rookie NHL season, and he recorded 40 points. Cole Sillinger, the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, is coming off a sophomore slump that saw him get demoted to the AHL at the tail end of the regular season.

Detroit Red Wings: Who Does Alex DeBrincat Play With?

For Alex DeBrincat to be a 35- to 40-goal scorer, he needs linemates who can tee him up for one-timers. That’s his bread and butter. While it seems like a foregone conclusion that DeBrincat starts the season on Dylan Larkin’s wing, the real question is who will accompany those two. The knee-jerk reaction would be to assume it’d be Lucas Raymond or David Perron, although Wings coach Derek Lalonde may opt to have them on the second line to spread things out. Keep an eye out on sophomore forward Jonatan Berggren – he could complement DeBrincat quite well if he takes a step forward this upcoming year. The 23-year-old Swede is an elite passer who possesses the type of top-notch vision required to feed a talent like DeBrincat in prime scoring areas.

Florida Panthers: Who Absorbs Minutes on the Back End to Start the Year?

With the recovery timelines for Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour still up in the air, the Florida Panthers are going to need to fill those minutes by committee. 

Gustav Forsling is coming off an excellent breakout campaign, and he’ll naturally pick up some of the slack, but who will replace Ekblad on the right side of the top pair? Naturally, veteran blueliners Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Dmitry Kulikov, who both signed with Florida this off-season, are the next men up. However, those two are best suited as third-pairing players, and it’s hard to envision them handling 20-plus minutes a night at this stage of their careers. Josh Mahura could take on a bigger role after thriving in bottom pairing usage last year. Maybe, just maybe, Lucas Carlsson or Mike Reilly, strong defensemen in the AHL last season, can grab hold of a bigger role and capitalize on the opportunity.

Montreal Canadiens: Where Does Juraj Slafkovsky Slot In?

This is a massive year for Juraj Slafkovsky. After a rookie season to forget, the 2022 first overall selection enters camp with lots to prove. The Montreal Canadiens have a lot to prove as well. It’s fair to say their decision to have Slafkovsky in the NHL last year didn’t pan out great, but how they handle his development from here on out could define his development trajectory. 

Will the Habs spoonfeed him a top-six role in the hopes of him figuring it out on the fly? Or will they send him to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, to dominate and be a top-tier player for a little while?

New Jersey Devils: Where Does Alexander Holtz Fit Into the Equation?

From the onset, acquiring Tyler Toffoli rounds out the New Jersey Devils’ top two lines. It makes you wonder where Alexander Holtz will factor in. 

Holtz, 21, is coming off an unfortunate sophomore season that saw him be a frequent healthy scratch and record just four points in 19 NHL games. The seventh overall pick at the 2020 draft is a lights-out shooter, but his inexperience was evident during NHL action last season. His skating stride needs some work – and perhaps it has over the summer – if he’s ever going to be an impact NHL player. While the Devils still believe in Holtz, they’re legitimate contenders – which leaves even less time for hand-holding a prospect than there already is in the NHL.

New York Islanders: Who Rides Shotgun to Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal?

While Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal only played together for a short period of time before the latter's regular season was cut short due to injury, the two were electric together. The addition of Horvat appeared to unleash Barzal, who was shifted over to the wing as a result. In seven regular-season games together, Horvat and Barzal posted a 67.65-percent expected goal rate when they were on the ice together, and Barzal recorded eight points in that span. 

While they weren’t able to generate magic together in the playoffs – combining for just four points in six playoff games – their games feed off each other too well not to give it another go. But who plays with them? Vaulting up Anders Lee could make sense, but the Isles don’t have the depth to load up their first line. That leaves Oliver Wahlstrom, Pierre Engvall or Hudson Fasching as the main candidates. Granted, each of those three has struggled with producing on a consistent basis.

New York Rangers: How Do You Elevate Alexis Lafreniere and Kappo Kakko?

With Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko out the door, the New York Rangers have two glaring holes in their top six, and the two prime candidates to replace them are Alexis Lafreniere and Kappo Kakko. Sure, the Blueshirts just signed Blake Wheeler, but at 37 years old, it’s probably best to have him on the third line at even strength while saving most of his minutes for the power play. 

Lafreniere, the first overall pick at the 2020 draft, just signed a two-year contract that carries a $2.325-million cap hit after recording a career-high 39 points last season. Lafreniere’s first three NHL seasons haven’t been up to par with a first overall selection, but in fairness to him, he hasn’t spent much time playing alongside the Rangers’ big dogs. 

Kakko, the second overall pick at the 2019 draft, is in a similar spot. Fresh off a career-high 40-point campaign, Kakko has been mainly relegated to third-line duties alongside Lafreniere and Filip Chytil on the ‘Kid Line.’ Kakko started to look more comfortable in transition last year, and it led to him creating more plays as a result. New York needs to get the most out of these two, and that’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if they’re each skating alongside the likes of Mika Zibanejad or Vincent Trocheck.

Ottawa Senators: Should Ridly Greig transition to a Full-Time Winger?

There’s really no doubt that Ridly Greig is ready for full-time duties with the Ottawa Senators. During 20 NHL games last season, Greig tallied nine points and played mostly alongside Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat. That trio recorded a 59 expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5, and there’s evidence to suggest Greig was a driver in that figure, considering Giroux and DeBrincat posted a lower output during their minutes away from Greig. 

Here’s the conundrum: Greig has all the makings of an ideal shutdown center, but where do you slot him? The Senators already have Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris and Shane Pinto as their top three centers, not to mention Mark Kastelic in the ‘4C’ role – a role he’s perfectly suited for. Sending Greig down to Belleville to play 20-plus minutes a night at center is arguably redundant.

Philadelphia Flyers: Who Will Cam York Play With?

Having Cam York take a step forward this season would be great for a Philadelphia Flyers team that’s skinny on blue-chip defense prospects. The 14th overall pick in 2019 is in need of a new defense partner after spending the majority of last season alongside Ivan Provorov – who was shipped off to Columbus this off-season. 

The 22-year-old is an offense-first defenseman who can drive play up the ice and run the point on a first power-play unit. His defensive game at 5-on-5 is quite average, though. The plausible assumption would be that York is paired alongside stay-at-home defenseman Travis Sanhiem on the first pair. However, Flyers coach John Tortorella may opt to have someone like Rasmus Ristolainen or Sean Walker alongside Sanheim in an effort to create a ‘shutdown’ pairing. That’d leave either Marc Staal or Nick Seeler as the guys York could play with.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Which D-Man Plays with Erik Karlsson?

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t bring in Erik Karlsson to eclipse triple-digit point totals – they brought him to help them contend for a Stanley Cup. We all know he’ll be featured prominently on the power play, and he’ll probably finish atop defensemen in scoring, but how will he be deployed during 5-on-5 play? 

There are two prime candidates: Ryan Graves and Marcus Pettersson. Pettersson has played with Kris Letang before – and the two fared well together – so perhaps those two start the season together. Graves is capable of playing 20-plus minutes a night, and he’s a good enough skater and puck-mover to work in tandem with Karlsson. Graves is the definition of sturdy. Really, the battle comes down to Pettersson versus Graves. That is, assuming Karlsson is ahead of Letang on the depth chart.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Which Version of Tanner Jeannot Will They Get?

It goes without saying that Tanner Jeannot’s game taking a nosedive after arriving in Tampa Bay was less than ideal for a Lightning team that traded five draft picks and Cal Foote for him. Jeannot was a non-factor in 20 regular-season games, with four points. That carried over to the playoffs, where he had no points in three games. 

But with Tampa Bay’s depth taking a hit after Alex Killorn departed to Anaheim, the Bolts desperately need Jeannot to rebound back to the player he was prior to last season. During the 2021-22 campaign, Jeannot recorded 24 goals and 41 points while recording the third-most hits per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play (18.17) among skaters that played 500 minutes that season, according to naturalstattrick.com. That’s the type of impact Tampa Bay needs from Jeannot next season. If he can provide that type of impact, the acquisition price gets much more digestible.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Where will John Klingberg Fit In?

Make no mistake, John Klingberg is an extremely talented offensive defenseman and shouldn’t let one down year – by his standards – diminish that. But when sizing up the Leafs' depth chart, the move is a bit of a head-scratcher. 

Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie are a safe bet to occupy the first pair. Jake McCabe is a lock on that second-pairing defense spot, and you’d think someone like Timothy Liljegren would be playing on the right side. 

Liljegren, 24, crushed it in a third-pairing role last year, and the 2017 first-round pick appears poised to take on a bigger role. That's unless the Leafs play Klingberg with McCabe. It doesn’t seem like a ton of sense, especially how Liljegren progressed, but do we really think the Leafs were going to sign Klingberg to a $4.15-million cap hit to play on the third pair? Mind you that could very well happen, and the Leafs could deploy Klingberg as a power-play specialist to offset his minutes.

Washington Capitals: Will Rasmus Sandin Pick Up Where He Left Off?

Small sample sizes be damned – Rasmus Sandin was excellent in 19 games with the Washington Capitals after the trade deadline. The 23-year-old defenseman recorded 15 points – 11 of which came during 5-on-5 play – and averaged 22:59 of ice time per night, second to only John Carlson on the team. 

Sandin fit like a glove alongside Nick Jensen on the second pairing and is a safe be to quarterback the second power-play unit next year. But was his stretch run an instance of catching lightning in a bottle? Or is the 23-year-old really on the verge of being the top-four blueliner that many believe he can be?