Hockey season is about to be back in full swing, and the playoff conversations will soon follow. The Metropolitan Division will not be very strong this season, but who will earn the top three spots?
3. New York Rangers / Washington Capitals
There are a handful of teams that could back into the number three spot, but the New York Rangers or the Washington Capitals are the most likely to do so. The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy in the 2023-24 season, but last season, the bottom fell out from beneath them. They fired coach Peter Laviolette and hired former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan.
In order for New York to find success this season, Sullivan has to find a way to get production from Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad struggled out of the gate last season, and he never quite found his footing. His inability to put the puck in the back of the net, combined with the team’s overall performance, made for a disappointing season. However, he somewhat redeemed himself at the IIHF World Championship in May where he scored five goals and three assists in nine games. There is no doubt the Rangers have the talent to be successful this season, but they have to find good chemistry early on.
The Capitals went on a run last season that no one saw coming. They made it to the second round of the playoffs, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a career-high 66 points, and goalie Logan Thompson also performed at a high level. Washington was also fueled by Alex Ovechkin’s chase for his 895th goal, which he scored in April against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin is now the NHL’s all-time goal leader. The team did not really make any big additions this offseason, and it’s unlikely they will have another 111-point season. However, they could still earn third place in the Metro.
2. New Jersey Devils
If there was one word to sum up the New Jersey Devils last season it would be injuries. With injuries to Jack Hughes and several other key players, New Jersey had no chance of being competitive. They added Connor Brown in the offseason, and with the return of Jack Hughes, they should be able to get back on track. For the past two seasons, Brown played for the Edmonton Oilers and scored 13 goals and had 17 assists in 82 games last season. As long as the Devils get a good season from goalie Jacob Markstrom, they should be a top contender in the Metro.
1. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the Eastern Conference Final last season where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in five games. They added defenseman K’Andre Miller and forward Nikolaj Ehlers this offseason which should give them even more of an edge. The only question mark surrounding Carolina is their goaltending. They need a good season out of Frederik Andersen, who started to show his age a bit last season. They play a very tough, well-rounded game for a full 60 minutes, and there is little question that they will easily take the first-place spot in the Metro this season.
Metro Division Will Not Be Very Competitive This Season
There probably won’t be any surprises in the Metro this season. The Pittsburgh Penguins are rebuilding, and the New York Islanders are in a similar position. The Columbus Blue Jackets made some offseason additions, but goaltending is still a huge issue for them.
Related: Penguins’ Best and Worst Trades Since 2010
The Philadelphia Flyers hired a new coach in Rick Tocchet, who they are very optimistic about. They also made some notable offseason additions, including Trevor Zegras. They will be better this season, but they are still not a playoff team.
