One of the more unique aspects of the 2021 NHL season is the concept of the North Division. In this division, the seven Canadian teams will face off against each other nine or ten times a year due to the closure of the border between the United States and Canada.

With this change, several rivalries will be renewed, new feuds will emerge, and seven teams will be in a push for Canadian supremacy. As the teams prepare for the 2021 NHL season, how do our writers think the North Division will finish?

#7: Ottawa Senators

The last-place team in the 2021 NHL North Division are the Ottawa Senators. Last year was the start of a true rebuild for them after losing their first-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche. The team did indeed make strides with Brady Tkachuk emerging as a potential face for the future. The team still struggled a bit, but Ottawa had a watershed year from the muck of 2018-19. Much of their efforts came from the deadline, as they got very solid returns for Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Dylan DeMelo, and Vladislav Namestnikov. Also, they finished with two top-five picks in the draft, their own and the Sharks’ pick from the Erik Karlsson trade. With the returns they got for those names and draft capital to boot, they are looking to continue to build this season.

The offseason did see some key names leave, including Anthony Duclair after a breakout season; however, the team used a crippled economy to pounce on several quality names. At forward come solid options in the form of Evegenii Dadonov, Derek Stepan, Austin Watson, Cedric Paquette, and Alex Galchenyuk. On defense, the Senators acquired Erik Gudbranson and Braydon Coburn, and the team was able to get a legitimate goalie in the form of Matt Murray, acquiring him via trade and signing him long term. In the draft, they added two top prospects in Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson to add young skill to the pipeline.

As a result, Ottawa made several fine moves to bolster for the upcoming year, but the question now is does the roster, defense in particular, have enough talent to contend for a playoff spot? For now though, the answer is no as they fall at the bottom of our predictions.

#6: Winnipeg Jets

At number six on our list is the Winnipeg Jets. Last year was a weird one for the True North, as the team boasted a strong offense. Mark Scheifele continued his play as a top center, and Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, and Nikolaj Ehlers complimented him on the wings. Connor Hellebuyck also continued his sensational play in net, earning the 2020 Vezina Trophy. However, the defense was highly very spotty with no true defensive defenseman on the roster. Acquiring DeMelo helps matters, but Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey aren’t the best in that regard. The team still made the Qualifier and took on the Calgary Flames, but the team was rattled early by losing Scheifele and Laine. As a result, a Jets squad that was not at 100% lost to Calgary in four games.

A lot of the struggles on defense may have been due to a cap crunch the year earlier, and those issues persisted. The team couldn’t get a true game-changer for the blue line, so the offseason was one stuck in neutral. DeMelo returns on an extension and Paul Stastny was acquired from Vegas, but there are no major changes to report heading into the season. Nate Thompson also comes in as a free agent to bolster the center depth. As a result, the offense and goaltending have Winnipeg looking good on paper. However, the defense is the thing holding them back from being a true threat, and thus the Jets miss the playoffs.

#5: Calgary Flames

The last non-playoff team in the North Division is the Calgary Flames. Last year wasn’t a bad year for Calgary, but it was odd nonetheless. The team was very much a playoff contender, but several issues kept the team from pulling forward. Johnny Gaudreau had a down year, Bill Peters was fired for inappropriate conduct, and the goaltending was iffy. However, Calgary was still in a playoff spot at the pause and managed to beat the Jets in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. However, the Dallas Stars came up in the big spots, including a decisive game four, and Calgary did not. As a result, Calgary once again underwhelms in the playoffs following a six-game knockout.

The offseason was filled with turnover at several positions. Center Mark Jankowski, defensemen Travis Hamonic and T.J. Brodie, and goalie Cam Talbot all left via free agency. With the money they had, they went shopping for former Vancouver Canucks, including forward Josh Leivo, goaltender Louis Domingue, and defenseman Chris Tanev and goalie Jacob Markstrom on long-term deals. Nikita Nesterov and Alex Petrovic also join the blueline to bolster the depth as well. As a result, the team was indeed able to bolster a position of need in net. However, Calgary may have quite enough to make the playoffs in this division, and so they just miss the postseason.

#4: Montreal Canadiens

The first of the 2021 NHL North Division playoff teams are the oldest franchise in hockey: the Montreal Canadiens. The 2019-20 season of the Montreal Canadiens was a tale of two teams. The regular season was very average for them with several names underperforming, including Carey Price and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. However, Nick Suzuki did enjoy a decent breakout year and Tomas Tatar continued to provide strong offense to the lineup.

After the pause, the Habs snuck in as the 12 seed to face the number five seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite all of the odds going against them, the team kept pace with a heavily superior team and knocked them out in four, largely due to Price returning to form. They also kept it close with the Philadelphia Flyers, but the Flyers still kept enough distance to knock them out in six games. After what was a strong postseason for Montreal, the goal for them was to boost their claim for next year, and they did just that and more.

After shedding Karl Alzner’s contract via buyout, the team went on a shopping spree. Helping out Price in net is Jake Allen, acquired and extended from the Blues. Bolstering the blue line from Carolina is Joel Edmundson, also locked up to a long term deal. The team did choose to be bold and trade Max Domi for Josh Anderson and sign Anderson to a risky contract, but it could be a gamble worth taking on that front. However, the big prize for them is Tyler Toffoli, signed to a very reasonable four-year deal. As a result, Montreal made the right moves to build on a surprising 2019-20 campaign. With the jolts given to the depth at all positions, they will be fun to watch as a legit playoff contender.

#3: Vancouver Canucks

At the number three spot in the North Division is a high riser in the Vancouver Canucks. The team was expected to make the leap into playoff contention last year, that’s what they did. Elias Petterson continued to play as a face of the franchise, complemented by Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, and a resurgent J.T. Miller. The blue line also saw Quinn Hughes enjoy a fantastic breakout season, setting several Canucks rookie records. Thatcher Demko also began to develop a goaltender with a few solid performances as well. Even with the stoppage, the Canucks barely skipped a beat when play resumed, knocking out the Minnesota Wild in four games of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and the reigning champs in St. Louis in six of round one. While the team was down 3-1 in a series to Vegas, Demko played like an absolute monster to steal two games for Vancouver to force a seventh game. In fact, he nearly won that game for the Canucks, but Vegas did just enough to squeak past them in the do-or-die game.

While the team attempted to bolster in the offseason, they were held back from several bad contracts. A few names, particularly Loui Eriksson, were signed to hefty contracts years ago by GM Jim Benning. However, now the contracts are starting to rear their ugly heads in the Coronavirus economy. Due to these contracts, Vancouver couldn’t find a trade partner for some of these deals, and that may have cost them some of their UFA’s. Toffoli, Jacob Markstrom, and Chris Tanev all left the organization, leaving the team needing to fill holes. However, Nate Schmidt from Vegas does help fill the hole Tanev left, and Braden Holtby can help mentor Demko into a starter’s role. While the contracts of the past may not be ideal for them now, Vancouver has enough talent for now and the future where they may not hurt them that much. Miller and Jordie Benn, however, will be out to begin the season as a result of COVID-19 protocols. As a result, expect Vancouver to be one of the top teams in the 2021 NHL North Division.

#2: Edmonton Oilers

Canada’s runner up in the North Division is the Edmonton Oilers. Last season was a good one for them with their return to prominence, but the team was flawed. Primarily, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl carried the team on their backs for long stretches of time. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and James Neal also produced on offense, but the depth from that point wasn’t that great. The goaltending was fairly sturdy with Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith rotating, but the offense was the key for the team to go far. Even as the number five seed in the Qualifier facing the Chicago Blackhawks, the depth went silent as McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins couldn’t do it all by themselves. As a result, Edmonton suffered an early defeat in four games against Chicago.

Not much changed in the offseason for Edmonton. Their big deadline adds in Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green are out, but the team made several moves to bolster the lacking depth. Tyler Ennis returns on a one year deal, Kyle Turris signs on a low-risk deal, and Dominik Kahun joins as an under the radar pickup. Tyson Barrie also joins the defense on a low-risk deal as well. After last year’s playoffs, Edmonton will have a lot to prove this year if they want to be a long term contender. However, the moves made in the offseason can help with their long term plans.

#1: Toronto Maple Leafs

Coming away at number one in the 2021 NHL North Division are the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last year was a disappointment for the Leafs. After making some tweaks to the roster, including adding Barrie and Alex Kerfoot, the team had high expectations once again. However, the team was highly suspect in November, and head coach Mike Babcock was shown the door. Sheldon Keefe came in and got better results out of an underachieving squad, but the team wasn’t quite among the elite teams of the NHL. When play resumed, Toronto was the favorite against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. However, the team faltered in several clutch situations, including a three-goal collapse in game three and game five shutouts, and Toronto’s season ended in an upset to Columbus.

While the team was in hot water in the postseason, Toronto may have gotten a bit of a culture shock for the locker room. Although the team did trade Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson and lose Barrie in free agency, the team got tougher at forward. Joining the team are Wayne Simmonds and Joe Thornton join the team as veteran forwards, along with Jimmy Vesey and Joey Anderson. Coming in to help bolster the blue line are Brodie and Zach Bogosian, and Aaron Dell joins the Leafs to be the backup goaltender. Another young prospect in 19-year-old Nick Robertson who got experience in the postseason will look to be a young piece for them to add to the offense as well.

As a result, Toronto may not have as much skill as years past, but the leadership is noticeably better than before. With these changes, the Leafs may have a new identity, and it can be for the best as they take the top spot in the 2021 NHL North Division.

Conference Finalist:

The two top teams in this voting are Toronto and Vancouver, and the voting finished in a tie. However, in a tiebreaker vote, the Maple Leafs came away as our Conference Final team. Even with the cap troubles, the team’s offense headlined by John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander is too much to pass up. With help coming to the bottom six as well, Toronto made efforts to become more well balanced down the lineup. The defense is still a slight concern, but the offense and Frederik Andersen in net can make up for it. Add the hunger to avenge the Stanley Cup Qualifiers loss, and Toronto is our pick to make the Conference Final out of the 2021 NHL North Division.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.