LOS ANGELES – The Metropolitan Division hockey groups in some ways mirror the cities the groups play in. The Metro is stuffed with historic monuments and nationwide treasures. Okay, not America’s however Canada’s and Russia’s. It’s stuffed with franchises attempting to carry on to the previous or return to their glory days. Outdated groups attempting to rebuild and younger groups attempting to make their very own historical past. The Metropolitan, like a lot of its cities, is in transition.1. New York Rangers – The New York Rangers 2024-25 season was a catastrophe. 2025-26 won’t be for a lot of causes. The Rangers fired head coach Peter Laviolette and employed 2 time Stanley Cup champion and US Olympic coach Mike Sullivan. Sullivan will inspire this underachieving workforce. Sullivan hasn’t labored with good goaltending in years. Now he has top-of-the-line within the recreation (Igor Shesterkin) and a future Corridor of Famer (Jonathan Fast). Sullivan has not coached defensemen who truly play protection in half a decade. New Yorks’s prime pair contains newly acquired Vladislav Gavrikov Gavrikov is underrated. He’s a stalwart on the backend and can assist overrated Adam Fox. New York’s 2nd pair Carson Soucy and Will Borgen are protection first blue liners. The Rangers prime 2 facilities are the duo of Vincent Trocheck and JT Miller. Trocheck and Miller are Pittsburgh bred youngsters who play and e implement Sullivan model hockey. Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad will flourish within the Blueshirts new uptempo model.
2. New Jersey Devils – The New Jersey Devils are poised to have an enormous season. They limped into the playoffs final season. Jack Hughes is wholesome. Hughes’s scoring flash and Nico Hischier’s full recreation give the Devils a deadly 1-2 combo down the center. Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are elite scoring wingers. Ondrej Palat and Dawson Mercer give the Devils ample secondary scoring. Dougie Hamilton is wholesome. Hamilton is an enormous enhance to the blueline. Brett Pesce , Jonas Siegenthaler and the remainder of the defensive core is regular. Hamilton offers them an offensive dynamic. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen are one of many higher goaltender batteries within the league. Markstrom being a prime 10 goalie. Allen being a prime notch backup.
3. Carolina Hurricanes – The Carolina Hurricanes will make the playoffs once more this season. They may win a spherical however then in the end lose to a extra proficient workforce. Rod Brind’ Amour’s groups play exhausting however are at all times a minimize under. Number one middle Sebastian Aho is a star however not a celebrity. Most Carolina forwards are slotted 1 rung on the ladder greater than they need to be. The Carolina blueline is anchored by All- World Jaccob Slavin. lavin’s companion Jalen Chatfield is a star within the making. The Canes hope a change in surroundings can revive Ok’Andre Miller’s as soon as promising profession. Carolina’s goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov by no means win an enormous recreation.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets – The Columbus Blue Jackets had a remarkably profitable season final yr. Johnny Gaudreau’s tragic demise introduced the workforce collectively and yielded optimistic results. Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov and Kent Johnson lead an
spectacular younger core of forwards. Sean Monahan, Boone Jenner and Charlie Coyle will present management upfront. Mathieu Olivier and Miles Wooden present the toughness. Norris Trophy finalist Zach Werenski leads an unheralded group of defensemen. Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves make a pleasant goaltending tandem. Head coach Dean Eavson did a masterful job final season. Let’s see how he does with a workforce with expectations.
5. Washington Capitals – The Washington Capitals shocked the hockey world final by successful the Metropolitan Division. Spencer Carbery received the Jack Adams award because the NHL’s greatest coach. Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s all time objectives document. The Capitals ran out of steam on the finish of final season. The Capitals appear destined to take a dip this yr. Final season Ovi performed like Ovi of 5 years in the past. Will age and nothing to chase have an effect on him this season. Tom Wilson didn’t play like Horrible Tommy of 5 years in the past. Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael are coming into their very own. They’re each huge and expert. Can Dylan Strome play nice 2 years in a row ? Pierre- Luc Dubois received’t . Jacob Chychrun is the chief of the blueline. He lastly discovered a house and is taking part in as much as the extent that has at all times been anticipated of him. John Carlson is getting old however nonetheless efficient in much less minutes. The remainder of the protection is enough. Goaltenders Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren had been stellar final season. Can they each be on prime of their video games 2 seasons in a row.
6. New York Islanders – The New York Islanders are fading. Mathew Barzal has not turn into the celebrity he was imagined to be. Bo Horvat has not been Vancouver Horvat. JG Pageau has not been Ottawa Pageau. Anders Lee, Jonathan Drouin and Kyle Palmieri will not be exhibiting their age however are previous. The Fishermen traded their greatest defenseman Noah Dobson. They nonetheless have the nicely worn veteran pair of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. Good netminder Ilya Sororkin will maintain Patrick Roy’s workforce in additional video games than they need to be.
7. Pittsburgh Penguins – The Pittsburgh Penguins are slowly rebuilding. Dan Muse is the brand new head coach changing Mike Sullivan. 3 time Stanley Cup champion and 1st poll Corridor of Famers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin stay. 2 time Cup winner Bryan Rust does too. If Rust and veteran winger Rickard Rackell don’t get traded the Penguins could have a potent offense. Younger forwards Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen , Phillip Tomasino , and Tommy Novak will probably be vying for enjoying time with a bunch of different younger promising prospects Avery Hayes Tristan Broz. Offense has traditionally by no means been the Penguins drawback. Protection has been. Veterans Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang stay however their greatest defenseman is 20 yr previous Harrison Brunicke. He could not play this yr in Pittsburgh. The franchise’s greatest goalie is 21 yr previous Sergei Murashov. He additionally won’t play in Pittsburgh this season. The Penguins and their followers must endure one other season of Tristen Jarry in internet. The Penguins won’t end final within the Metro as a result of Sidney Crosby won’t let the Flyers end forward of the Penguins.
8. Philadelphia Flyers – The Philadelphia Flyers employed former Flyer legend Rick Tocchet to be their head coach within the hopes of returning the Flyers to the glory years. Tocchet is a superb coach however he wants extra to work with. Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny are glorious forwards. Sean Couturier is now not a number one middle. Is Trevor Zegras a middle ? Nicolas Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway guarantee Philly will probably be Bullies simply not winners. Travis Sandheim is an Olympian on the blueline. The remainder of the D is mid. Dan Vladar was acquired in the summertime to compete with Samuel Ersson for the goaltending job. The Flyers want him to win the job
