As is the case every year, the Boston Bruins are committed to making a legitimate push for the Stanley Cup in the 2024-25 season.

However, as the NHL playoff structure (ridiculously) insists, the Bruins must first fight through the Atlantic Division before earning the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final. That, of course, hasn’t worked out lately as Boston has repeatedly seen its championship dreams slashed early in the playoffs, having not reached the conference final since 2019.

But after the Bruins spent big this summer and made major reinforcements to their lineup, their rivals are not only viewing them as a threat but also envision them controlling the division this season.

As writes Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards writes:

“Boston spent most of last season in first place in the Atlantic before allowing Florida to take the division in the final days to avoid Tampa Bay in the first round. With all the changes going on in the division, it would not be much of a surprise to see the Bruins take control of the division early and never look back.”

The Florida Panthers have been a thorn in the Bruins’ side, sending them packing in each of the last two seasons. But after reaching the pinnacle and hoisting the Stanley Cup, salary cap constraints forced the Panthers to let go of core members of their roster this summer.

While they retained top contributor Sam Reinhart, Florida had no choice but to watch the likes of Brandon Montour, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ryan Lomberg find jobs elsewhere.

Conversely, the Bruins were one of the most active teams this offseason, spending a franchise-record $92 million in free agency. That fact has only fed into the expectations that the Bruins will once again finish near the top of the division. At the same time, it means no one is overlooking them.

“By now, Boston Bruins opponents should have learned not to underestimate their survival skills,” writes longtime Detroit Red Wings writer Kevin Allen. “They were supposed to take a step backward in 2023-24 and ended up ranked seventh in the NHL in total points. The view of the Bruins from their Atlantic rivals’ perspective: they remain a threat to win the Atlantic Division and contend for the Cup. Their tradition is staying competitive, regardless of their circumstance.”

The moves the Bruins made helped them fill glaring needs, both in their roster and general makeup. Not only did Boston improve in terms of skill, but the amount of size they will only make them that much more difficult to play against.

What Boston’s division rivals are hoping is that the few holes the Bruins have left are enough to sink them.

“The Bruins have probably done enough by adding Lindholm and Zadorov,” writes Jason Moser of Buffalo Hockey Now. “The Sabres hope that the Bruins regret breaking up their goalie tandem and find themselves in a bigger pinch at the position throughout the season as their depth is tested.”

While the Buffalo Sabres may not have reached the postseason in more than a decade, they, and teams in similar situations, such as the Montreal Canadiens, hold as much of a priority to the Bruins as other top teams in the division.

“Montreal is in the midst of a rebuild, while Boston is attempting to win another championship, putting them at the opposite spectrum of the expectations chart,” writes Monreal Hockey Now’s Marc Dumont. “You may think the Canadiens and the Bruins can’t be considered rivals due to the discrepancy in talent between both teams, but as we’ve seen in recent years, that doesn’t stop either team from going all out every time they meet. The effort level is not dictated by their position in the standings, and that’s what makes it a true rivalry.”

Overall, Boston’s rivalries within the Atlantic have intensified over the last few years. From the annual playoff matchup against the Maple Leafs to other classic Original Six bouts with the Canadiens and Red Wings, not to mention being in constant contention with the Panthers and Lightning, the Bruins have no shortage of enemies within the division.

Ahead of the season, many of them believe that the Atlantic is Bruins’ division to take, which also makes it their’s to lose.