The Metropolitan Division boasts the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. As the division shaped up last season, several teams made surprise playoff appearances, some missed the playoffs disappointingly, and others made an exciting push for the final playoff spot.
In the offseason, this division saw major changes that will push bottom feeders to the top and push teams that won playoff rounds out of contention entirely. The Eastern Conference is a bloodbath every season, and the Metropolitan Division is nothing but exciting.
The four teams that follow will finish at the bottom of this division. As in last season, the last playoff spot won’t be locked up until mid-April, and most teams in this division will be fighting for it. For one reason or another, these four teams will fall short.
8. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the several teams competing for the final spot in the Metro at the end of last season. Columbus pleasantly surprised many fans because it looked like they could break their playoff drought.
With exceptional goaltending, a Norris-winning defenseman, and reliable offense that landed them in the top half of the league in goals-for, things looked up for the Jackets. Unfortunately, Columbus experienced a couple of disappointing losing streaks that cost them their playoff spot.
The Blue Jackets decided to keep Rick Bowness, their midseason coaching hire. At the end of last season, head coach Bowness gave a frustrated press conference about the attitude in the locker room. While Bowness might be able to motivate this team, they are simply not ready to fight for a spot in this division.
The Blue Jackets lost forward Mason Marchment to the San Jose Sharks in free agency. Columbus’ offseason has been marked by one key departure: their captain, Boone Jenner. Jenner had 38 points last season and spent 12 years with the organization before walking in free agency.
This makes Norris Trophy winner defenseman Zach Werenski the most senior member of this roster. Werenski was also linked to a trade out of Columbus this summer, before deciding he wanted to remain a Jacket.
Even more personnel changes may be facing the Jackets, who are looking at the possibility of losing young center Adam Fantilli. In addition to Fantilli, the Jackets are looking at trade destinations for Kirill Marchenko. Marchenko had 67 points last season, second on the team.
The Blue Jackets did have several positive signings this summer. Goaltender Jet Greaves signed a three-year, $15 million deal. The Jackets also locked up forward Cole Sillinger for the next three years. Sillinger had 33 points in 81 games.
The good news is that the Blue Jackets are making smart decisions with their cap space and have solid pieces signed for the next two seasons. Unfortunately, in this division and in the Eastern Conference, making the playoffs is an uphill climb. This season will be a rebuild for Columbus, and they will be last in the Metro.
7. New York Rangers
The Rangers finished at the bottom of the Metro Division last season, just two years after winning this division. The Rangers had a roster capable of more than they delivered. Fans certainly were not expecting to be selling at the trade deadline in March.
In Mike Sullivan‘s first year as head coach, the Rangers struggled to win at home and went on a 19-game stretch after Christmas in which they won only three. After a season demonstrating room for improvement, the Rangers front office had decisions to make.
The most important departure by far is the trade of Vincent Trochek to the Utah Mammoth. This trade brought Sean Durzi to the Big Apple in return. Durzi is a solid defenseman who put up 50 points last season. The Rangers also did some work to acquire two skaters, Joe Veleno and Oliver Bjorkstrand, to round out the depth of their forward group.
The Rangers added some offensive firepower in the form of Pavel Dorofeyev. Dorofeyev had 64 points and 27 goals in 82 games. This would have been just behind the Rangers’ leading scorer, Mika Zibanejad, who posted 78 points. Speaking of firepower, 21-year-old forward Gabe Perreault is expected to build on his 27 points in 49 games.
In addition to changes upfront, the Rangers acquired Joonas Korpisalo from the Bruins. Korpisalo posted a .894 save percentage last season. He will be Igor Shesterkin‘s backup in net. The Rangers have an experienced defense, but their success on the backend will depend on Adam Fox‘s health this season.
While the Rangers have made important additions, the issue that defined the Rangers last season was finding and maintaining momentum. This is hard to overcome in a single summer. Unless the Rangers get off to a surprisingly hot start and overachieve offensively, they will still be near the bottom of the Metro at the end of this season.
6. New York Islanders
There is a lot to look forward to on Long Island. The New York Islanders have the defending rookie of the year, Matthew Schaefer, who set records for how impressive his first season was. The Islanders were not eliminated until the last few games of the season, which bodes well for their future in this division.
The Islanders were in good shape largely because of Ilya Sorokin‘s performance. Sorokin ended the year with a .906 save percentage. Unfortunately, he dropped six of his last eight starts. In four of those games, he posted a save percentage below .820. Sorokin will be looking to bounce back this season.
The most notable offseason departure is former captain Anders Lee in free agency. Despite this, the Islanders have solid depth in their forward pool. All of the Islanders’ projected centers have faceoff win percentages above 53%. Matt Barzal also had a good season, leading the Islanders with 72 points, but he will not start this season due to injury.
With just four games left in the season, the Islanders replaced head coach Patrick Roy with Peter DeBoer. With extensive NHL experience, including two Stanley Cup Final appearances, coaching experience with five franchises, and 662 career wins, the Islanders hope DeBoer will be who they need to push their young group into the playoffs.
There is no doubt that DeBoer is the right hire, but this year will be an adjustment. In addition to a new head coach, the Islanders have just named Bo Horvat captain for this upcoming season. Horvat had 57 points in 68 games and has been with the Islanders for four years.
On the blue line, Schaefer is projected to have an impressive sophomore season to follow his rookie campaign. The Islanders’ defense is led in time on ice per game exclusively by the left side. DeBoer is considering playing Schaefer on the right to keep the blue line stable this season.
Fans can look forward to DeBoer coaching for the foreseeable future and watching Schaefer become one of the league’s best young players. The future bodes well for the Islanders, but this year they will simply not be competitive enough to snag a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a league favorite. Last season, the Penguins were reliable. The Pens depended on their veteran core to maintain a steady season. Finishing second in the Metro was an overachievement for this roster.
The Penguins can still rely on their 39-year-old captain, Sidney Crosby, to be a point-per-game player. The Penguins looked like a playoff-caliber team through most of the season. In the playoffs, they were almost swept by Philadelphia, but there is no doubt that they deserved to be there.
Even with last season’s success, they will not be back in the playoffs this season.
The Penguins, despite their aging core, have a lot to look forward to with their youngsters. First, Ben Kindel had an impressive rookie season with 35 points and 17 tucks in 77 games.
The Pens also signed Ville Koivunen to eight years at a $4 million AAV. Despite his limited NHL resume, Koivunen was locked up for a bargain and will be worthwhile if he has an average season. Speaking of youngsters, the Pens lost Stuart Skinner this offseason, making rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov the backup.
This offseason, the Pens organization did little to bolster their D-core. The acquisition of Trevor van Riemsdyk is solid, but he presents a question mark on the first pair, given that his average ice time has always been below 20 minutes a game in his career.
One of the Penguins’ consistent strengths is special teams. In both power play and penalty kill, the Penguins were seventh and sixth in the league. If this is the case next year, the Pens won’t be counted out early.
The Penguins never go down without a fight, but they just don’t have what it takes to make the playoffs this year.
The Playoff Line
The Eastern Conference is so competitive. No team in this division plans to take a step back this year, but some will have to. These four teams have a lot of positives, and the four best teams in the Metropolitan rank higher by slim margins.
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