With a new season just underway, we'll use this week's Eastern Edge to predict an aspect of each team's 23-24 campaign.

Boston Bruins – Pavel Zacha finishes second in team scoring

This is a slightly outrageous statement considering Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy all posted more points per game than Zacha last season. However, with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retiring, Zacha is now Boston's top center, primed to see significantly more ice time than the 16 minutes he averaged last year. Seeing more opportunity and spending the year beside superstar David Pastrnak should help Zacha achieve a career-high output. I'm concerned that last year's injuries might hinder Marchand, and the absence of Bergeron will have a negative impact on both him and DeBrusk, increasing the likelihood of Zacha outscoring them.

Buffalo Sabres – Rasmus Dahlin wins the Norris

Last season, the 23-year-old defenseman broke out with a 77-point pace, finishing sixth in scoring among the league's blueliners. Dahlin was projected to become a top-tier blueliner when he was drafted first overall in 2018. Given how young he is, there's still room to grow. Alongside an elite offensive corps in Buffalo, Dahlin certainly has the potential to earn the title of best defenseman this season.

Carolina Hurricanes – Tony DeAngelo outscores Brent Burns

Since DeAngelo is more one-dimensional than Burns, it's logical to use him in a way that optimizes that one dimension, deploying him in mostly scoring-focused situations. I think a higher volume of offensive deployment will allow DeAngelo to produce more than Burns this season. It's interesting that both defensemen will be starting the year on Carolina's top power-play. DeAngelo's offensive skillset should make him a better option with the man advantage, so I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being the only defender on the top unit as the season progresses.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Elvis Merzlikins ends up being a top-15 fantasy netminder

Through his first two years in the NHL, Merzlikins posted a .920 save percentage and 2.54 GAA. Over his next two seasons, he's registered a shocking .897 save percentage and 3.54 GAA, including an especially poor performance last year. I don't think it's fair to place too much stock into last year's struggles, because not only was he injured, but the team in front of him was rarely at full strength. With the Blue Jackets bolstering their blue line and adding a young star to their forward group, I think Merzlikins is in a better position to succeed this season.

Detroit Red Wings – David Perron flirts with a 70-point pace

A lot of the focus in Detroit seems to be on Alex Debrincat, the team's high profile offseason acquisition. When people consider who benefits from DeBrincat's arrival, Dylan Larkin, the team's captain and top forward is the first name that comes to mind. However, David Perron, who's set to start the campaign beside Larkin and DeBrincat, is flying under the radar despite being in a great situation. Although Perron posted an underwhelming 56-point pace last year, he'd paced for 65+ points in five straight campaigns before that.

Florida Panthers – The Panthers miss the playoffs

I don't know if you've had a chance to review Florida's opening night lineup, but it's certainly not as impressive as it's been in years past. With Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad unavailable as they recover from offseason shoulder surgeries, the Panthers could fall behind early on. I'm staying away from Sergei Bobrovsky in fantasy leagues this year. He's posted underwhelming numbers behind better versions of this Florida roster.

Montreal Canadiens – Cole Caufield scores 40 goals

Probably one of the more tame predictions on this list. Caufield's goal-scoring success under coach Martin St. Louis is well-documented. Since MSL became head coach of the Canadiens in February 2022, Caufield has racked up 48 goals over 83 appearances, so it's reasonable to expect 40 over 82 this year. I think it's interesting that betting markets consider this to be such an unlikely event. In my mind, the only thing that prevents Caufield from hitting this total is an injury, so let's hope he can stay healthy this season.

New Jersey Devils – Luke Hughes breaks the 40-point mark

Drafted fourth overall in 2021, Hughes is one of the league's most promising defensive prospects right now. He's set to take on a prominent role as a rookie this season, filling in holes left by the summer departures of Damon Severson and Ryan Graves. Although Hughes will probably be limited to the team's second power play, given New Jersey's elite forward depth, that second unit will probably be as good as some other team's top groups.

New York Islanders – Mathew Barzal scores 20+ goals

Given the level of offensive talent he possesses, it's insane that the 26-year-old forward has achieved this feat just once in six NHL seasons. In fairness, he's been on track to do it a few times, but injuries have prevented him from actually achieving the total more often. It seems he's shown an increased willingness to shoot the puck in training camp this year, so while oddsmakers suggest a 20-goal campaign is unlikely, I'm happy to bet on Barzal.

New York Rangers – Kaapo Kakko flirts with a 60-point pace

Drafted second overall in 2019, the Finnish forward seems to be on the verge of a breakout campaign as he enters his fifth season in the NHL. Kakko had a strong showing in training camp, solidifying a first-line role beside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. He took a few reps on New York's first power-play unit, suggesting he could step into a role with the top group if someone were to get injured.

Ottawa Senators – The Sens make the playoffs

Ottawa's roster looks really good this year. With Tampa missing their elite goalie for the first two months of the campaign, Florida's blueline battered, and Boston's center depth looking questionable, a once juggernaut-filled Atlantic Division suddenly seems more open. To me, a byproduct of this prediction is that Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo end up as one of the most valuable goalie tandems in fantasy leagues.

Philadelphia Flyers – SeanCouturier flirts with a 60-point pace

The 30-year-old center has been out of action for almost two years now, recovering from a couple of back surgeries. Although it may take him some time to settle in and find his game during the first half, I think he'll be back to his usual self down the stretch. This is a player who scored at a 70-point pace in four-straight seasons prior to the 21-22 campaign in which he got injured.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Tristan Jarry is a top-five fantasy netminder

Jarry’s disappointing numbers last season are likely explained by injury. As I've mentioned before, his first 27 outings saw him post a strong 16-5-5 record, with a .921 save percentage and 2.65 GAA. That was followed by a one-month stint on the injured reserve. Following that time on the shelf, he went 8-8-2, with an .890 SV% and 3.26 GAA. A full offseason to recover and a rejuvenated Penguins roster should help fuel a bounce-back campaign this year.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Jonas Johansson holds down the fort until Vasilevskiy returns

With Andrei Vasilevskiy set to miss the first two months of the campaign as he recovers from back surgery, Jonas Johansson steps into a starting role for Tampa Bay. The 28-year-old netminder only has 35 NHL games under his belt, and his numbers aren't great, but I think a consistent role behind a strong Lightning team can help him be a decent fantasy asset until Vasilevskiy returns.

Toronto Maple Leafs – JohnKlingberg outscores Rielly on the power-play

I think the argument I made for DeAngelo outscoring Burns also applies here. Rielly is more versatile than the offensively-minded Klingberg. Given those skillsets, it makes more sense to give Klingberg a greater dose of offensive deployment. Although Klingberg posted an underwhelming 40-point pace in Anaheim and Minnesota last year, he'd paced for 50 or more points in seven of eight seasons with Dallas prior to that. He's starting the year on Toronto's top power-play, with exposure to four insanely talented forwards. I think he has what it takes to succeed in this role and maintain it for the majority of the season.

Washington Capitals – Nicklas Backstrom returns to 70-point form

Prior to the 21-22 campaign, Backstrom had paced for 69+ points in all 14 of his NHL seasons. Over the last two years, he's been hindered by injuries, and his offensive output has suffered as a result. Reports indicate that the 35-year-old center has turned back the clock in training camp and looks primed for a bounce-back season.