The Metropolitan Division was one of the most competitive divisions in the NHL last season. Three teams (Washington, Pittsburgh, and Columbus) finished the 2016-17 regular season among the top four in the standings.
The 2017-18 season is shaping up to be another dandy, and the Metropolitan Division will likely be very competitive again. Each club has made a handful of changes during the summer, and things will look a bit different.
With all the changes made, which teams are legitimate playoff contenders? Which teams will be on the playoff bubble? Which teams will be near the bottom of the standings?
Let’s go through the Metropolitan Division and give each team the “Contender” or “Pretender” label.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
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Analysis: Even though they are labeled as a “contender,” I feel they will be on the playoff bubble. Why buy in to the Hurricanes? The Canes have established a quality young cast that will only improve and get better. Up front, the 20-year old Sebastian Aho is fun to watch and still improving his game. On the blueline, the Canes have promising young defenders with Brett Pesce, Jaccob Slavin, and Justin Faulk. Over the summer, the Canes added Scott Darling to help bolster their goaltending. There is a lot to like in Carolina, and this team will be in contention if they can improve their road record and get better goaltending.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
PRETENDER
Analysis: While Columbus finished near the top of the standings in 2016-17, the Jackets crashed and burned late in the regular season, and their low level of momentum carried into the playoffs. Will John Tortorella be able to keep his squad motivated throughout another regular season? The Jackets have never made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
PRETENDER
Analysis: The Devils were the easiest Metropolitan Division team to label. The Devils are in a rebuild now and for the foreseeable future. The Devils lack depth in key areas, particularly on defense. #1 overall pick Nico Hischier is talented, and could be up for the Calder Trophy by the end of the year, but his presence in the lineup will not be enough to get the Devils even near the playoff bubble.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
PRETENDER
Analysis: The John Tavares contract situation will loom over the Islanders for the time being, unless they get him locked up before the start of the regular season. If the contract situation goes deep into the season, it will become a huge distraction for the organization. The Travis Hamonic trade was skeptical at best, considering the Islanders did not replace him with anyone during the summer. Replacing Ryan Strome with Jordan Eberle is an upgrade, but questions remain for the Islanders in between the pipes and on the blueline.
NEW YORK RANGERS
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Analysis: With the signing of Kevin Shattenkirk, the Rangers landed the biggest defensive prize over the summer. Henrik Lundqvist should be healthy heading in to the regular season, and the Rangers have one of the deeper bluelines in the Metropolitan Division. If the Rangers do not win the Metropolitan Division, they will still make noise this season.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
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Analysis: Like the Hurricanes, the Flyers are labeled as a “contender,” but they will likely be a playoff bubble team. The Flyers have a handful of young players to be excited about. #2 overall pick Nolan Patrick is expected to contribute right away. If Brian Elliott can come into the goaltending mix and give the Flyers above average goaltending, the Flyers could sneak their way into the playoff hunt. Like the Hurricanes, the Flyers will also need to improve on their 14-22-5 road record from last season. If things go right for the Flyers, they will have a successful season.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
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Analysis: The Penguins will be shooting for a 3-peat, and will have a very good chance of accomplishing it. The Penguins did not make any significant changes over the summer, and they essentially have the same squad that won the Stanley Cup. The Penguins should be in line to win the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference in 2017-18.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
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Analysis: The Capitals probably had the worst offseason of any of the Metropolitan Division teams. The salary cap forced the Capitals to let players walk, and forced the Capitals to make some tough choices for their lineup. While the Capitals lost a handful of players at forward and on defense, the Capitals are still loaded up the middle of the ice and on the blueline. Did I even mention Braden Holtby’s name yet?
By: George Foussekis
I agree that the Caps made lots of changes and I disagree with a few. But it isnt as bad as many say. They will compete with the Pens who lost their 3rd and 4th C… The Caps dont need to chase the Prez Trophy but make a prudent trade mid season involving Grubbie. Seorge says the D is loaded but no they arent. And we dont need Beagle at 4thC as Boyd can do that. The 4th line rarely decides a game and is the proving grounds for the top 9.
I agree with most of your points, with the exception of your comment on D. The defense in the organization is indeed deep, and in the next 12 months, this will become more and more evident. Bowey, Hobbs, Lewington, Djoos, Johansen all could be on the team in the next 3 years.
The Rangers are not going to contend for the division title. They lack the scoring up front to overcome the fact that their elite goaltender isn’t as elite as he used to be (he’s fallen from where he was to “Above Average”. He still good, but he’s not even in the top three in the division (behind Bobrovsky, Holtby and Schneider).
The Flyers are a huge question mark. If everything goes right for them, then yes, they’re contenders. When was the last time that happened for the Flyers, though? They’re run with somewhat more stability with Ron Hextall (never thought I’d say that Hextall would be a cause for more stability….) but we’ll see.
Carolina is better, but are they better enough to be contenders? Yeah, they took JW from the Caps, but he’s an older forward with some gas in the tank. Scott Darling’s never been a starter before…
The teams that should be at the top of the division are Washington and Pittsburgh, and if Bobrovsky has another Vezina worthy season, Columbus. Both the Caps and Pens lost some key players, but no one that’s going to make or break a team. If losing a Karl Alzner or Justin Williams or Nick Bonino causes you to go from contender to also-ran, you probably weren’t a contender in the first place.
I agree with all of these points that you made George. And despite the bad offseason, I still think the Caps can finish at least third in the Metro Division at best
Another thing I never understood was the claim that the Caps choked against the defending champs who finished 2nd overall and a few points back. They dominated 4 games and the difference was goaltending…Fleury won 2 games hands down… I think it is a toss up between the Caps, Pens and JAckets although Canes could make some trouble.
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