NHL Division Rankings: Predicting how the Metro will shake out

Rewind through the past three years of the Metropolitan, and it should become clear just how much can change each season for a division of offensive powerhouses, aging greats, and young dynamos.

If there’s one constant, it’s the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes ending up somewhere among the pack’s top three. But who joins them is anyone’s guess. This past season, it was the New York Islanders rounding out the trio, with the Rangers leading the pack and the Canes finishing second. A year earlier, it was New Jersey, their resurgent campaign becoming the story of the season, as the Devils finished second behind Carolina and ahead of New York. And one year before that, it was Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins joining the group, with Carolina and New York going 1-2.

After an off-season of dealing for plenty of the Metro’s best, how exactly might it shake out in 2024-25? Here’s how we see it:

Note: In the wake of the tragic loss of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, the focus in Columbus at this moment is not on hockey. Out of respect for their time of healing, the Blue Jackets have not been included in this series.

1. New York Rangers: The Rangers have been among the class of the East for the past three seasons, and remain on the cusp of clear-cut contender status. Even after some roster turnover around the fringes, they still boast one of the best goaltenders in the league, one of the best defenders in the league, a top-six stocked with elite offensive talent, and enough depth around all those pieces to continue making noise. All signs point to the Blueshirts remaining among the Metro’s best in 2024-25.

2. New Jersey Devils: Two years ago, the Devils seemed on an undeniable upward trajectory, and then it all went off the rails. After taking a step back and missing the post-season, the Devils opted to hand the reins to a new coach for 2024-25: Enter, Sheldon Keefe. For all of the ex-Leafs bench boss’s potential flaws, one thing he managed to do consistently in Toronto was guide his teams to great regular-season finishes. With a young, hungry group in Jersey, a healthy Jack Hughes, and a more seasoned Luke Hughes, Keefe should have all he needs to help the Devils regain their 2023 form.

3. Carolina Hurricanes: The Canes very well might still be the best in the Metro. Seeing them sitting first or second in the division by the year’s end would be no surprise to anyone who’s followed their ascent over the past six seasons. Still, there’s no denying the club has subtracted a fair amount of talent from the roster. Out are 40-goal threat Jake Guentzel and dynamic depth piece Teuvo Teravainen up front, and 21-minute man Brady Skjei on the back end. The club did add some new pieces to the mix, and does still have a plethora of talent spread around the roster, but it does seem the Canes could suffer a small step backwards with Guentzel choosing to move on from Raleigh.

4. New York Islanders: It’s been the same story for the Islanders for years. Look at their group on paper, and it’s tough to see them beating out some of the more star-studded rosters in the division. But look at where they manage to wind up by the year’s end, and they’re always in the mix, if not in the regular season then in the stretches of games that matter most. If there’s reason for belief on that front again, it’s what we saw after the arrival of Patrick Roy on the bench last season. The Isles sat sixth in the division when the former netminding great took the reins. They went 20-12-5 from that point on, and finished the season in third. How far can Roy take them with a full season to work?

5. Pittsburgh Penguins: For the Penguins faithful, belief comes from the same place — a late-season push that nearly pulled Sidney Crosby’s club back into the dance down the stretch. The majority of 2023-24 amounted to another lost season — a campaign that became so dire, new president and GM Kyle Dubas was forced to turn seller, trading star sniper Guentzel to a division rival. But by late March, the Penguins seemed to find something, stockpiling points over the final weeks of the season. With some more tweaks around their veteran core, and a potential Calder candidate for the first time in ages, do the Pens return as the team that fell short from October to February, or the one that surged in March and April?

6. Washington Capitals: The Caps refuse to go quietly into the night — that much is clear from an off-season trade market spree that saw them bring in Pierre-Luc Dubois up front and Jakob Chychrun on the back end. There’s no doubt the club is looking to remain a part of the Eastern playoff picture after clawing their way to the final wild-card spot at the tail end of last season. Still, even with the additions, and even with Alex Ovechkin remaining a viable 30-goal threat at 38 years old, the climb seems steep for these Caps. Each club above them on this list appears to have a deeper squad, and after finding their way to the dance with the worst goal differential of any 2024 post-season participant, getting back there again seems far from a given.

7. Philadelphia Flyers: If there’s one wild card that could spring the Flyers up a few spots on this list, it’s the arrival of Matvei Michkov. The 19-year-old, who was tabbed seventh-overall by the Flyers in 2023, has touched down in Philly and appears ready to make the jump after three seasons in the KHL. But even a phenomenal rookie campaign from the teenager might not be enough to paper over the roster issues that held the Flyers back in each of the past four seasons. There’s a chance he sparks something, and it all comes together. More likely, it’s another learning year for the rebuilding club.