The top half of the Metropolitan Division will have some unfamiliar faces in the top four this season. The Eastern Conference is always cutthroat, and the Wild Card spots are hard to snag; these four teams will be battling for a playoff spot until the very end.
What makes these teams stand apart from the bottom of this division is making necessary personnel changes and addressing key needs this offseason. These teams were aggressive in the offseason. None of these expect to take a step back or take their foot off the gas.
These four teams make up the bottom of the division:
8. Columbus Blue Jackets
7. New York Rangers
6. New York Islanders
5. Pittsburgh Penguins
The teams at the top of the division will have to be impressive all season long.
4. Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers clinched the last playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. Towards the end of the season, the Flyers found real momentum. Late-season additions like rookies Porter Martone and Denver Barkey proved their NHL readiness in high-pressure situations.
Led by 2024 Jack Adams Award for Best Coach winner Rick Tocchet, the 2025-2026 Philadelphia Flyers are in good hands. With his wealth of experience, Tocchet is well equipped to develop the young players who are earning more and more trust within this organization.
With key returns from injury and young talent, the Flyers squeeze into the better half of this division. The Philadelphia Flyers missed Tyson Foerster for all but 29 games last season, but he will be back this season. In prior years, he has been a reliable 20-goal scorer. Foerster signed an eight-year deal on July 1. The Flyers had a busy offseason, extending six players from last year’s roster.
One of the Flyers’ best signings this offseason is Trevor Zegras. Zegras signed a four-year deal at a $9.1 million AAV this summer. Zegras had 26 goals and 67 points last season. Defenseman Jamie Drysdale also signed a four-year, 26 million deal this summer. Drysdale is 24 years old and put up 32 points in 78 games. With defensive talent like Travis Sanheim getting older, Drysdale is the future of the Flyers’ blue line.
Philadelphia did important work to improve their presence in net. Last season, Dan Vladar was exceptional, with 29 wins in 52 starts and a .906 save percentage. To back up Vladar, the Flyers traded goalie Samuel Ersson to Toronto for Joseph Woll. Woll had an .899 save percentage last season and will be a more reliable backup.
The Flyers made a lot of great moves this offseason. Competition for the last playoff spot in the Metro will come down to inches. The Flyers will have a good season, and the future is bright in Philadelphia, but they will not crack the top three in the Metro.
3. New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils disappointed their fans last year. After finishing third in the Metro in 2025, the Devils slid into second-to-last in the division last season. Several injuries and shaky goaltending made making the playoffs nearly impossible for this team.
The Devils didn’t make the playoffs this year because of serious gaps in their roster. For example, the Devils needed a goal-scoring winger to play with Jack Hughes, but they never addressed it during the season. The organization will operate under new general manager Sunny Mehta this season.
In Mehta’s very busy offseason, the Devils traded Jacob Markström, who had a disappointing season, to the Florida Panthers. The Devils’ starting goaltender will be Jake Allen, who posted a steady .904 save percentage last season. He will likely be backed up by Nico Daws, who is entering his fifth season with the club and who posted a .908 save percentage last season.
So far, Mehta has signed Captain Nico Hischier to a 5-year extension. The Devils also signed Arseny Gritsyuk to a three-year deal. Gritsyuk put up 31 points in 66 games in his first season in the
NHL. Mehta also added two skilled right wingers, Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista. Mantha and Evangelista both had over 50 points last season. These additions will bolster an already strong forward group that was led in scoring by Hughes last season.
Hughes was once again unable to play a full season, but he still put up 77 points. After the Olympic break, Hughes posted 36 points in 20 games. If Hughes stays healthy this season and carries the momentum he had at the end of last season, the Devils will make the playoffs.
These offseason changes will meaningfully improve where the Devils finish in the standings this season. New Jersey has all the tools they need to make a run.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have just won the Stanley Cup. The Canes had an impressive playoff run in which they only lost three games. The Canes went undefeated through two rounds. While they haven’t had the most active offseason, they still have a great roster heading into this season.
One of the biggest changes to the roster came when goaltender Frederik Andersen signed with the Edmonton Oilers. The Canes are still in good shape in net. Brandon Bussi was in net when the Canes won the championship. He had a historic start to his NHL career, winning 31 out of 39 starts and posting an .895 save percentage.
Moving to the front of this roster, the Canes forward group will be nearly identical to the group that won them the Cup. The Canes even extended fourth-liner Nicolas Deslauriers for two years. With Conn Smythe winner Jordan Staal and 71-point player Nikolaj Ehlers on the third line, this roster’s depth is undeniable. Throughout the regular season and playoffs, the Hurricanes distributed ice time fairly evenly among their forwards.
The Canes are starting the season without Seth Jarvis due to a shoulder injury. The Hurricanes also haven’t been able to sign 24-year-old defenseman Alexander Nikishin. Despite these changes, the Canes remain intact for next season. They also kept their best playoff line: Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake. Together, these three combined for 55 points in 19 games.
The Canes will be dangerous this year, but one Metro team will keep them from winning the division.
1. Washington Capitals
Last season, the Washington Capitals were one of the Metro teams in the hunt for the last playoff spot. They finished the season with a four-game winning streak. Last season’s Capitals roster was not ready to compete in the playoffs. The Capitals made some big offseason moves that put them in good shape for this season.
The most important move for Caps fans has to be Captain Alexander Ovechkin signing a one-year deal. In 21 years with the team, Ovechkin has set the NHL goal record and has won the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals nine times.
The Capitals have a strong forward group. Tom Wilson had 30 goals and 62 points last season. The Capitals also have Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Protas up front this season, both physical forwards. The Capitals are the league’s heaviest team. If this forward group can find a scoring groove alongside their physicality, the Capitals will be a big threat in the East.
To bolster the offense, the Capitals signed Boone Jenner from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jenner had 38 points last season and a 53.6% faceoff win percentage. The Capitals’ offense is further bolstered by trades made for Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, who had 18 and 33 goals, respectively. Tuch threw 82 hits in 79 games last season and plays the physical game the Capitals value.
Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun led the league in goals by defensemen. The Caps signed Vincent Desharnais, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound defenseman, to a four-year deal this summer. He fits into the sizeable defense core the Capitals have. Also on the back end, the Capitals should expect rookie Cole Hutson to build on his 10 points in 14 games this season.
In net, the Capitals have goaltender Logan Thompson. Last season, Thompson posted a .912 save percentage and finished fourth in Vezina voting for best goaltender. He is only 29 years old and is Washington’s go-to in net. Thompson will take the Capitals to the playoffs.
The Washington Capitals have all the makings of a team making a last-dance playoff run before The Great 8’s retirement. This roster improved dramatically this summer, and the Capitals will be the team to beat in the Metropolitan Division.
Conclusion
The top of the Metropolitan Division will look very different this season. Some teams are clearly ready for the playoffs, while others will keep missing. The Metro will be competitive, exciting, and undecided until the last few regular-season games.
Watching this division in the 2026-27 season will be a treat.
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