Atlantic Division coaching changes and new development rules
Jim Montgomery integrates Steve Spott into the Bruins coaching staff to fix a 29th-ranked power play, while Lindy Ruff extends his tenure in Buffalo. New NHL rules also allow teams to loan one 19-year-old first-round draft pick per year directly to the AHL.
Bruins coaching and offensive shift
The Boston Bruins record of 8-12 this season follows a sudden offensive decline. The Bruins offense ranked 31st in the league and scored only ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks during their recent campaign. Jim Montgomery, who won the Jack Adams Award after leading the team to 112 wins in his first season, manages a roster that lacks precision in chance generation. The Bruins organization hired Steve Spott to address a power play that finished 29th in the league at 15.2 percent, because his experience with the Dallas Stars will solve the team’s recent struggles with zone entries and puck movement. Spott joins the staff under head coach Marco Sturm to replace Jay Leach. Spott previously coached the Dallas Stars power play. He also served as the head coach for the Toronto Marlies. The Bruins coaching staff must integrate Spott to improve a man-advantage that struggled with zone entries. This change follows a season where the Bruins exceeded expectations with a 100-point campaign and a 2026 postseason appearance. You should note that Montgomery’s arrival previously replaced Bruce Cassidy, who coached the team for 399 games and allowed 650 five-on-five goals. While the defense remained stingy under Cassidy, the offense scored only 796 five-on-five goals during his tenure. Will the coaching staff adjustments fix the scoring drought?
Lindy Ruff and the Sabres
Lindy Ruff signed a two-year extension in Buffalo to continue leading the Sabres after they finished second in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres recorded 50 wins and 109 points to end their 14-season playoff drought. Following a 39-9-5 run over the final 53 games of the season, the team achieved its most successful campaign since 2006-07. This success included a first-round playoff victory over the Boston Bruins in six games. The Sabres’ roster relies heavily on captain Rasmus Dahlin, who missed the first two months of the previous season due to his fiancee’s recovery from heart transplant surgery in Europe. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen expects the team to maintain its trajectory with its current core. He also prioritizes signing restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram to a long-term contract to bolster the depth. The Sabres suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal in Game 7 of the second-round series after a season that included a 0-10-3 skid between November and December. This loss followed a season where the team stayed competitive despite injuries.
New AHL eligibility rules
A new agreement between the NHL, AHL, and CHL changes how teams handle 19-year-old prospects. NHL clubs can now loan one 19-year-old player per year to the AHL without the requirement to first offer that player to his junior club. This eligibility applies only to players drafted in the first round. Players born in 2007, including Ben Kindel and Braeden Cootes, can move to the AHL if their NHL teams deem them physically and mentally ready. This rule provides flexibility for organizations that want to develop high-end talent in the American Hockey League. Previously, teams could not assign 19-year-olds from the CHL to the AHL without honoring the return rule. This change allows teams more options with players who have high point totals in junior leagues. For example, Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland noted that players like Calum Ritchie could have benefited from AHL development instead of playing a fourth season in the OHL. The rule change aims to provide better development tools for skilled players. Only 32 players will be eligible for this rule, and the list of impacted players includes thirteen total individuals. One such individual is Radim Mrtka, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The agreement requires approval from the NHLPA before it becomes official for the 2026-27 season.
