1 Bold Prediction for Each Metropolitan Team in 2026-27

The 2026-27 NHL season gets underway tonight. The Metropolitan Division looks improved heading into the new season, and the 84-game marathon should be compelling. Here’s a bold prediction for each Metro team heading into 2026-27.

Carolina Hurricanes: Acquire Hellebuyck

The Connor Hellebuyck situation will come to a head. The Winnipeg Jets don’t have a choice but to trade him, but where he ends up remains to be seen. The Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth reportedly have some interest, but nothing has come of it yet.

Perhaps he ends up with one of those teams, but what about the Hurricanes? They did just sign Pyotr Kochetkov to a two-year extension, but that doesn’t preclude them from acquiring someone like Hellebuyck.

Hellebuyck did not have the best 2025-26 season. He finished with an .895 save percentage, the worst SV% of his NHL career. His underlying metrics were solid. He saved 5.5 goals above expected, but it wasn’t what we were used to seeing from him.

Still, Hellebuyck is a good bounce-back candidate. And even if he’s beginning to decline, he’s probably still better than your average goaltender. The Hurricanes have the assets and cap flexibility to add Hellebuyck, and they may want to take a big swing after winning the Stanley Cup last season.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Knies Leads the Team in Scoring

The Blue Jackets made the first major trade of the 2026-27 season, sending Kirill Marchenko to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Matthew Knies. Other pieces were involved, but Knies and Marchenko were the main parts.

Losing Marchenko stings. He’s a dynamic player with a diverse toolkit, but Knies should fill the void. He’s a different player than Marchenko. He’s not as dynamic, but he plays a rugged game and should fit how the Blue Jackets want to play under Rick Bowness.

Knies finished with 66 points in 79 games last season. It’s not unrealistic to think he can end the season as the Blue Jackets’ leading scorer, especially if Adam Fantilli levels up and shows more play-driving ability. That could make Knies the perfect complement to Fantilli.

New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes Plays 80+ Games & Finishes With 100+ Points

Jack Hughes’ health has been the biggest concern over the last few years. He’s appeared in just 60-65 games in each of the last three seasons, but the production has been there. He’s averaged over 100 points per 84 games, and he went on a tear after returning from the Olympics with a gold medal.

The Devils have the talent to be a playoff team, especially up front. They’ve acquired forwards like Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista to bolster their top six and power play, and that should help Hughes’ production.

Hughes has come close to eclipsing the century mark once, totaling 99 points in 78 games in 2022-23. The Devils won 52 games and advanced a round in the playoffs that season. If his counting stats look similar, the Devils should be a playoff contender.

New York Islanders: Finish With a Top-5 Pick in the 2027 Draft

The worst teams in the NHL are in the Western Conference, specifically in the Pacific Division. But somebody has to lose out in the Eastern Conference, too. On paper, I don’t think the Islanders are among the worst teams in the NHL, but it doesn’t take much for things to go wrong and snowball.

What if Ilya Sorokin doesn’t repeat the Vezina-caliber season he had in 2025-26? What if Matthew Schaefer suffers from the sophomore slump? The Islanders don’t have much offensive firepower as is, so any kind of dip from Sorokin and Schaefer could sink them to the bottom of the East standings.

The good news for the Islanders is that a top-five pick probably isn’t the worst outcome for the big picture. They could add another blue-chip prospect to build around Schaefer, and that’s in addition to promising prospects such as Victor Eklund, Kashawn Aitcheson, and Cole Eiserman. It’s about becoming a sustainable contender, and another top pick puts the Islanders on that path.

New York Rangers: Lafreniere Leads the Team in Goals

Alexis Lafreniere had a solid 2025-26 season, especially down the stretch after the New York Rangers traded Artemi Panarin. He finished with 24 goals and 57 points in 82 games, with 12 goals and 25 points coming in the 25 games after the Olympics.

Twelve goals in 25 games translates to a 40-goal pace over 84 games. Do I think Lafreniere will be a 40-goal scorer this season? That seems unlikely, but 30 isn’t unreasonable. Even with the acquisition of Pavel Dorofeyev, Lafreniere should still get time on the Rangers’ first power-play unit.

Plus, there shouldn’t be many questions about Lafreniere’s five-on-five role. He will be in the Rangers’ top six and should get minutes alongside Mika Zibanejad and/or J.T. Miller. He might not lead the team in points, but he could lead the team in goals.

Philadelphia Flyers: Michkov Leads the Team in Scoring

Maybe I’m not thinking bold enough for the Flyers, but Matvei Michkov is one of my Metro breakout candidates for 2026-27. He wasn’t awful last season, but he did take a step back from his rookie year.  

Michkov finished 2025-26 with 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games, and his conditioning was a constant source of frustration with head coach Rick Tocchet. That may be changing heading into the new season, however.

Michkov came into camp in much better shape, and the signs of a breakout are there. His five-on-five numbers were still excellent last season, and the Flyers don’t have much play-driving ability at center. They could lean on Michkov as their go-to offensive option, and that could help him break out and become the team’s leading scorer.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Dubas Begins Tearing It Down

The Hurricanes are the clear favorites to win the Metro, but it’s pretty much a crapshoot after them. At least four teams will miss out on the playoffs eventually, though. One of those teams could be the Penguins, who have a few big-name players entering the final years of their contracts.

I don’t see Sidney Crosby going anywhere. He probably will retire a Penguin, but Evgeni Malkin and especially Erik Karlsson could be on the move if the Penguins become sellers by the trade deadline.

Karlsson was fantastic last season, finishing with 66 points in 75 games and earning Norris Trophy votes. He has a $10 million cap hit for 2026-27, but his base salary is just $1.5 million. He will be a valuable trade target for many teams looking to add offensive punch to their blue line.

As for Malkin, it’ll be his choice if the Penguins trade him. He has a no-move clause, but perhaps the chance to win one last Stanley Cup will appeal to him if a contender comes calling. The Penguins do need to get younger and start looking toward the future, and this could be the year GM Kyle Dubas begins tearing it down if the Penguins aren’t in the playoff race.

Washington Capitals: Logan Thompson Wins the Vezina

This shouldn’t be a bold prediction, given Logan Thompson’s numbers over the last two seasons. But he has yet to earn a Vezina Trophy nomination; he finished fourth in each of the last two seasons.

Thompson was fantastic in 2025-26, totaling a .912 save percentage and saving 29.3 goals above expected. That latter number ranked first among qualified goaltenders. For whatever reason, GMs do not seem to believe Thompson deserves a Vezina nomination over his counterparts, even though he’s outplayed many of them.

The Capitals should be one of the best teams in the Metro this season, and Thompson’s goaltending will be a significant factor. If the Capitals qualify for the playoffs, he could be a Vezina finalist and win the award if his numbers are similar to last season.

Will any of these bold predictions come true? Time will tell, but the Metropolitan Division should be compelling in 2026-27.

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