With the month of July almost wrapped up and most of the big offseason moves completed, it looks like the Metropolitan Division will remain as competitive as ever. Kyle Dubas, president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been working hard to get the team back on track, but has he done enough? Here is a look at the top five teams in the Metro Division.
1. Carolina Hurricanes
There is no question that the Carolina Hurricanes currently sit at the top of the Metro. Last season they not only won the division title but also eliminated the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils in the playoffs. The Hurricanes have been busy during the offseason, signing two top players in defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Michael Bunting.
Orlov is not only a top defenseman, but he can also contribute on offense. He split time last season between the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins and earned 36 points in 66 games. Bunting played for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season scoring 23 goals and 49 points. This marks the second year in a row he has finished with 20 or more goals.
2. New Jersey Devils
The Devils had a huge run last year, and their offseason has been all about building on that success. They signed star forward Timo Meier to an eight-year deal that is worth $70.4 million. He was an acquisition from the San Jose Sharks right before the 2023 Trade Deadline. He scored a total of 40 goals last season which is a career-high, and in his 21 regular season games with the Devils, he scored nine goals.
The Devils also signed forward Jesper Bratt to an eight-year contract worth $63 million. This past year, Bratt scored 32 goals and had 41 assists in a total of 82 games. With New Jersey’s core being made up of primarily young players, it looks like they will be the team to beat heading into the 2023-24 season.
3. New York Rangers
With the additions of Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko at the trade deadline last season, the New York Rangers believed they had set themselves up for success. However, in a surprising twist, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season. Perhaps their biggest offseason move was the firing of former head coach Gerard Gallant and the hiring of new coach Peter Laviolette. There is no question that the Rangers still pose a threat with top scorers like Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. However, the team is a bit more aged so it will be interesting to see if they can keep producing at a high level.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
It is no secret that the Penguins crashed and burned last season. They missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season and have gone through some major changes since their season ended. Dubas has added forwards Reilly Smith, Lars Eller and Noel Acciari to help with depth scoring which was a huge problem for Pittsburgh last year.
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The only potential issue the team may have is goaltending. The decision to extend Tristan Jarry’s contract was a bit surprising considering his constant struggle to stay healthy. However, he is capable of good production, and as long as Pittsburgh gets that from him they will have a successful season.
5. New York Islanders
It is safe to say the New York Islanders were the surprise of the division last season. They barely snuck into the playoffs and lost 4-2 to the Hurricanes in the first round. Their biggest move of the offseason was bringing back goaltender Ilya Sorokin on an eight-year, $66 million contract. The star netminder finished the regular season in 2022-23 with a .924 save percentage and was the difference maker for the Islanders. They are entering the 2023-24 season with basically the same team from last year and they are hoping that will be enough to get them back in the playoffs.
Penguins Have an Uphill Battle
After the disaster that was last season, the Penguins have their work cut out for them. They will have to have their foot on the gas all year if they want to make it back to the playoffs. With a little over two months to go until the regular season begins, the Metro will be the division to watch.
