Columbus Blue Jackets sniper Patrik Laine should have no problem exceeding his own expectations for the upcoming season.

"I've never been a numbers guy, like I don't set certain goals before the year, like 'I wanna score this many' or whatever," Laine told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "I just want to be a better player than I was last year, and that's gonna be easy this year, because I was pretty (much) shit last year."

Laine, who averaged 35 goals per season during his first four NHL campaigns, found twine just 12 times in 46 games last year - two of which came in his one tilt with the Winnipeg Jets before he was traded to the Blue Jackets.

The 23-year-old's underlying numbers were also dreadful: he posted a 40.4 expected goals share, and the Blue Jackets were outscored 45-22 when Laine was on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.

A new season means a fresh start, and Laine should benefit from the offseason addition of established playmaker Jakub Voracek getting him the puck.

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Divisions: Metropolitan | Central | Pacific | Atlantic

With the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out comprehensive grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series concludes with an in-depth look at each Atlantic Division club.

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.

Boston Bruins

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The end of an era in Boston? Franchise pillars Krejci and Rask aren't with the team anymore, although it wouldn't be shocking if the latter re-signed in due time.

Krejci is clearly the bigger loss, though. Ullmark, who posted stellar numbers on some awful Sabres teams, should do just fine behind a perennially strong defensive club. However, Charlie Coyle, who tallied only 16 points over 51 games last year, has big shoes to fill to replace Krejci as the No. 2 center. Secondary scoring has always been a question mark for the Bruins, but perhaps never more so than now.

Veterans such as Foligno, Haula, Nosek, and Forbort should prove to be fine additions in supporting roles.

Replacing two cornerstones is never easy, but general manager Don Sweeney did some decent work this offseason - most notably re-signing Hall and Reilly for well below market value.

Grade: B-

Buffalo Sabres

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

If the Sabres' goal is to tank this year and put themselves into the Fight for (Shane) Wright - the consensus top prospect in the upcoming draft - then, bravo. However, the Arizona Coyotes have a case for icing a worse roster.

Of course, this offseason can be viewed as nothing but incomplete until the Jack Eichel saga is settled. Keeping him is a major distraction, but GM Kevyn Adams is smart to wait until his asking price is met instead of accepting the best offer.

Adams did well in getting a surprisingly strong return for Ristolainen, but the package for Reinhart was underwhelming. Losing Ullmark and McCabe for nothing also stings.

It's slightly disappointing that Power, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick, will play another season at Michigan instead of turning pro, but that might be best for his development. He could still join the Sabres after his NCAA campaign finishes.

Grade: D

Detroit Red Wings

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Steve Yzerman made a few savvy moves and didn't lose anyone of significance as his slow rebuild of the Red Wings continued.

Suter and Nedeljkovic, specifically, were excellent additions. Both players are only 25, so they could potentially stick in Detroit once the club is ready to contend. The price for acquiring them was minimal, too. Suter was a free agent, and "Ned" only cost the team a third-round pick.

The Red Wings still have a ways to go, but Yzerman has his franchise on the right track.

Grade: B+

Florida Panthers

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

*extension beginning in 2022-23

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Panthers had a clear offseason priority: keep the gang together. GM Bill Zito managed to do that by clearing cap space in the form of the Yandle buyout, Stralman trade, and allowing Wennberg and Driedger to walk.

The departures also created enough flexibility to add a much-needed top-six winger in Reinhart. Zito only gave up a first-round pick and a middling prospect to pluck the former Sabres winger and then signed him to a very reasonable contract.

This team still has question marks regarding the defense core and goaltending duo of veteran Sergei Bobrovsky and rookie Spencer Knight, but the Cats should still be an improved squad. The only thing preventing Zito from earning a higher grade is failing to get an Aleksander Barkov extension done.

Grade: B

Montreal Canadiens

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

GM Marc Bergevin did a lot of good this offseason. Despite captain Shea Weber's long-term injuries leaving an enormous hole on the back end, the Habs brought in Savard - who will be a seamless fit - on a fair deal, considering what defensemen went for in free agency.

Bergevin also made the tough but smart decision not to match the Kotkaniemi offer sheet. Instead, he used those picks to acquire Dvorak, who, although older with less upside, is currently a better player on a better contract.

It wasn't all sunshine and roses for the Canadiens, though. Hoffman possesses a lethal shot and will help the power play, but he's very one-dimensional. It wouldn't be shocking if he ends up spending most of his time on the fourth line.

Of course, you can't discuss Montreal's offseason without mentioning the inexplicable decision to draft Logan Mailloux in the first round. That alone results in a full grade drop.

Grade: D+

Ottawa Senators

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Ottawa had a pretty underwhelming offseason for a team nearing the end of its rebuild and hoping to take the next step this year. The Senators have $24.5 million in cap space - and yes, Brady Tkachuk still needs a new contract - but their big offseason additions were Del Zotto and Holden?

The Sens are a small-market team and can have difficulty luring high-profile players, but it feels like GM Pierre Dorion could've done more to improve his club. Instead, he'll bank on the internal development of his young squad. Yes, the young core is very promising, but it surely could've benefited from adding an established veteran who can still play at a high level - ideally a center or defenseman.

Remember this quote from owner Eugene Melnyk in February 2019?

"The Senators will be all-in again for a five-year run of unparalleled success - where the team will plan to spend close to the NHL's salary cap every year from 2021 to 2025," he said.

It's safe to say Melnyk has failed to deliver on his promise thus far.

Grade: C-

Tampa Bay Lightning

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

*extension beginning in 2022-23

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The defending champs were inevitably going to lose some key pieces this offseason. Coleman and Goodrow were due for big pay raises, and they weren't going to get them in Tampa Bay. Plus, Nikita Kucherov's contract coming back on the books meant a couple of others would have to go. Gourde being taken in expansion and Johnson getting shipped to Chicago helped solve those cap issues.

Few NHL teams could lose four quality forwards and replace them with next to no cap space like the Lightning did. Bellemare is a solid fourth-line center, and Perry has shown that he still has some game left. Plus, the organization's incredible farm system continues to bear fruit: Barre-Boulet, Raddysh, and Katchouk appear ready for regular jobs, and Ross Colton and Mathieu Joseph should excel in 2021-22 with more responsibility.

GM Julien BriseBois was dealt a difficult hand this offseason, but he's put the Bolts in the best position possible to take a run at a third straight Stanley Cup.

Grade: A-

Toronto Maple Leafs

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Many thought a fifth straight opening-round exit would cause a massive shakeup in Leafland, but GM Kyle Dubas is sticking to his plan and keeping the Core Four together.

The strategy of paying four forwards half of the salary cap hasn't yielded playoff success yet, and it remains to be seen whether it can work at all. The Maple Leafs' forward depth could once again be an issue this coming season.

However, letting Zach Hyman walk was definitely the right call considering the massive contract he signed with the Oilers. Instead, Dubas opted to take a handful of low-risk, high-reward fliers on wingers like Ritchie, Kase, and Bunting. If two of them pan out, that's a win.

For the first time in nearly two decades, Toronto's defense was a strength of the team last season. The Leafs will miss Bogosian's physical presence, but this unit should remain effective - especially if 21-year-old Rasmus Sandin makes strides.

Failing to get an extension done with Morgan Rielly is concerning, though. It's too late to trade the 2022 pending UFA, and Dubas can't allow him to walk for free. One way or another, it would've been ideal to have Rielly's future resolved early in the offseason.

Grade: C

(Salary source: Cap Friendly)

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The Winnipeg Jets have placed defenseman Sami Niku on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, according to CapFriendly.

The decision was mutual between the two sides, reports the Toronto Star's Chris Johnston.

Niku was entering the final campaign of a two-year deal worth $725,000 annually.

The 24-year-old once showed great promise. He was named the AHL's defenseman of the year in 2017-18 - his first season in North America - after racking up 54 points over 76 games with the Manitoba Moose.

However, he was never able to carve out a consistent NHL role for himself while recording only two goals and eight assists in 54 contests across four seasons. He made just six appearances in 2020-21.

Niku is hoping to start fresh with a different organization and is not aiming to play in Europe right now, Johnston adds.

The Jets selected Niku in the seventh round in 2015.

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The Montreal Canadiens are bringing in Cody Goloubef on a professional tryout, the team announced Monday.

Goloubef, a right-handed defenseman standing at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, has skated in 160 career NHL games across eight seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings. He's recorded 25 points.

The 31-year-old spent the 2021 campaign with the AHL's Belleville Senators, where he tallied four goals and two assists in 31 contests.

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Travis Zajac is hanging up his skates as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

The 15-year NHL veteran signed a one-day contract with the Devils and announced his retirement Monday. He spent the first 1,024 games of his career in New Jersey. Ahead of the 2021 trade deadline, he was dealt to the New York Islanders, with whom he played 13 regular-season contests.

Zajac will remain with the organization in a player development and consulting role.

"Everyone in the NHL appreciates that Travis Zajac's work ethic and style of play were reflective of the New Jersey Devils," said Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said. "His training, discipline, and focus rubbed off on every player who walked into that locker room over his 15-year career."

Zajac was regarded as one of the more reliable two-way centers of his era. A first-round pick of the Devils in 2004, he received downballot Selke Trophy votes seven times in his career, finishing as high as sixth in 2009-10 when he posted a career-best 67 points. He completes his career with a 53.8 faceoff win percentage.

The 36-year-old ranks fourth in Devils history in games played, third in goals (202), fifth in assists (348), and third in points (550).

Although Zajac never won a Stanley Cup, he did help the Devils reach the final in 2012, when he put up 14 points in 24 playoff games after missing nearly the entire regular season due to injury.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native represented Canada twice on the international stage, winning a silver medal at the 2009 World Championship.

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The Edmonton Oilers re-signed restricted free-agent forward Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year contract worth $1.175 million, the team announced Saturday.

Yamamoto showed great promise in 2019-20, racking up 26 points in 27 games. However, he took a step backward this past season, tallying just eight goals and 13 assists in 52 contests.

The 5-foot-8 winger projects to skate in Edmonton's top-six forward group, likely alongside Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The Oilers selected Yamamoto 22nd overall in the 2017 draft.

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Zdeno Chara may be looking to finish his storied career where it all started: on Long Island.

The New York Islanders and the 44-year-old defenseman agreed to a one-year contract, the team announced Saturday.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

More to come.

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The St. Louis Blues are bringing veteran wingers James Neal and Michael Frolik to training camp on professional tryouts, the team announced Friday.

Neal, who began his career with 10 straight seasons of 20-plus goals, has seen his production dip in recent years. The 34-year-old tallied just five goals and five assists in 29 games with Edmonton in 2020-21 and was a frequent healthy scratch. The Oilers bought out the final two years of his contract in July.

Frolik, 33, failed to record a point in just eight games with the Montreal Canadiens last season. He was regarded as a reliable two-way winger in his prime, but he's failed to carve out a consistent role for himself over the last two campaigns.

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Twelve-year NHL veteran Zack Smith is hanging up his skates at the age of 33, he confirmed to The Athletic's Ian Mendes on Friday.

"There were definitely a bunch of different factors that went into it," Smith said. "And I don't want to sound like I was taking it for granted or that I didn't appreciate the life that hockey has given to me, but my heart wasn't into it the last couple of years. I guess I was a little jaded in some ways. You're playing well and then you learn the business side of it."

Smith played 11 of his NHL seasons with the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him in the third round of the 2008 draft. He was primarily known as a bottom-six grinder, but he scored double-digit goals four times in his career, including a career-high 25 in 2015-16. He also helped Ottawa reach the conference finals in 2017.

The Sens placed Smith on waivers in 2018, which the forward says affected him mentally.

"That was definitely the low point in my career, being told that I was placed on waivers," Smith said. "And I don't think I ever fully recovered from that or got my confidence back. Not even a full year before that, I thought I was doing well and doing what I was supposed to contribution-wise. And then that happened."

Ottawa traded Smith to the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2019 offseason for Artem Anisimov. He spent the 2019-20 campaign in the Windy City before sitting out the entire following season.

The Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, native finishes his career with 204 points in 662 games.

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Turner Sports revealed its full talent roster Tuesday for its coverage of the 2021-22 NHL season.

Paul Bissonnette, a former NHL enforcer who rose to fame with his humor on Twitter, is joining the network as a studio analyst. Bissonnette has served as a color analyst for the Arizona Coyotes' radio broadcasts and co-hosts the popular "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast.

Joining Bissonnette as studio analysts are former NHL 30-goal scorer Anson Carter, Stanley Cup champion forward and ex-Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet, and, as previously announced, Wayne Gretzky.

Liam McHugh will work as a studio host, Brendan Burke will do play-by-play, and former NHLers Darren Pang and Keith Jones will serve as color analysts. Jackie Redmond, Tarik El-Bashir, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Botterill were hired as reporters.

Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk, as previously announced, will serve as TNT's lead broadcast team as they did this past season with NBC.

Turner Sports signed a seven-year contract reportedly worth $225 million per season for the "B package" of the NHL's media rights. ESPN, whose talent roster can be seen here, secured the "A package."

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