For a division that houses two of the game’s all-time greats, a couple of the league’s most mercurial contenders, and more than few of the sport’s most dynamic offensive practitioners, there are bound to be questions.
How will the Metro’s best navigate roster turnover while trying to find the next level? Who among the middle-of-the-pack has played their off-season well enough to break through? When does rebuilding give way to resurgence?
Ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, we’re taking a closer look at the journey ahead for each of the NHL’s four divisions. Here’s a closer look at the most pressing questions for each team in the Metro with Game 1 around the corner.
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.
Carolina Hurricanes: How do the Canes navigate their significant roster shake-up?
After a string of division titles and an all-in approach at the deadline last season, the Canes head into 2024-25 with some new faces to integrate, and some marquee performers to replace. The blue line figures to have the most question marks heading into camp — gone is Brady Skjei, who ate up 21 minutes a night for the Canes last season, while joining the fray are Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere, both coming off quality campaigns. Up front, the biggest unknown is how the Canes’ top six deals with the loss of 40-goal sniper Jake Guentzel. The onus seems to be on the club’s long-time core to raise their level in 2024-25. How far will that take them, and how long will it take the blue line to gel together and aid in that journey?
New Jersey Devils: Can Sheldon Keefe get the promising Devils back on track?
It’s been a rollercoaster pair of seasons for the Devils. Two years ago, they seemed on track to become the class of the East, with Jack Hughes establishing himself among the very best in the game courtesy of a 43-goal, 99-point effort. Then came 2023-24, injuries to Hughes and other key pieces, and a tumble down the standings from second in the division to a familiar seventh. After taking down the Rangers in a seven-game Round 1 thriller a year prior, the Devils missed out on the dance altogether in 2024. Now, they have a new coach to guide their comeback. Fresh off leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to five straight top-three finishes in the Atlantic, how far can Keefe take a young, healthy Devils team that showed so much potential so recently? What approach does this new-look Devils squad take out of camp and into the start of the new campaign?
New York Islanders: Can Anthony Duclair breathe some life into the Isles’ top six? If the Islanders are to replicate the third-place finish they came up with in 2024, the club’s offensive leaders taking another step in 2025 is a must. The class of the Metro simply are too strong, and the rest of the middle-of-the-pack have improved this off-season. Still, the Isles found their game late last season once Patrick Roy took the reins and urged them on towards a faster brand of hockey.
The key question going into 2024-25 is how much Roy can get out this club over the span of a full season. Another is how much of an impact newly signed Anthony Duclair could have for the Isles, given the role and system he’ll be taking on. While the 29-year-old’s bounced around some over the course of his career, his skill has been clear from the jump — over his past two full, healthy seasons he’s put up a combined 55 goals and 100 points. Where does Roy slot in the quick-footed Duclair at camp? If it’s up top, alongside a couple talented scorers in Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, can Duclair add a new dimension to the Isles’ top six in 2025?
New York Rangers: How does Reilly Smith fit into the Blueshirts’ offence?
The Rangers find themselves in much the same place they have for the past few years. On paper, they have everything they need to contend with the best in the game. The question is simply what tweaks are needed to take them just that slight step further. Twice in the past three years, the Blueshirts have gotten to the Conference Final and found themselves ousted by a true contender. This season, they bring back largely the same squad, aside from one intriguing acquisition up front: Reilly Smith. It didn’t work out for the 33-year-old in Pittsburgh, but just a season ago Smith was flirting with 30 goals and 60 points for the high-flying Vegas Golden Knights, and helping them hang a championship banner. How does the former Knight slot in alongside the likes of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trochek and Artemi Panarin at camp — and what can his Cup-winning experience add to a Rangers squad that’s been knocking at the door?
Pittsburgh Penguins: Can Rutger McGroarty bring some energy to the ageing Pens?
For the second straight off-season, Pens president and GM Kyle Dubas has rolled the dice on a potential spark for his new squad. Year 1’s attempt came up short, with Erik Karlsson’s arrival not enough to pull Pittsburgh back into the playoff dance. In Year 2, Dubas has gone in the other direction, acquiring top prospect Rutger McGroarty to inject some youth and energy into the Pens’ ageing lineup. It’s worked before, of course, with young guns Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary once serving as the fresh legs to keep Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang running at full speed. The Pens still have an uphill battle, with limited depth and a Guentzel-sized hole in their top six to contend with. Can McGroarty find a place on Crosby’s wing at camp, and help Pittsburgh turn back the clock?
Philadelphia Flyers: How big of an impact can rookie Matvei Michkov have in Year 1?
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, it’s a different version of the same story. The Flyers find themselves mired in rebuild mode, four years removed from a taste of playoff hockey, with a lineup that doesn’t suggest much will change in 2024-25. There is one key difference though: the arrival of rookie Matvei Michkov. Tabbed seventh-overall by Philly in 2023, the 19-year-old is ready to begin his NHL career after a KHL campaign that saw him collect 19 goals and 41 points through 47 games for Sochi. All eyes will surely be on the young winger when camp gets underway, with questions of how exactly the Flyers will utilize him in his first go-round. But Calder hype aside, given the state of the roster around him, just how far can Michkov truly take the club in Year 1?
Washington Capitals: Can Pierre-Luc Dubois prove he’s an impact player?
After how the Caps finished 2024, it’s fair to wonder how exactly they view their chances in 2025. A wild, late scramble in the Metro threw the standings into a blender at the tail end of 2023-24 — when the dust settled, there were the Caps in the final wild-card spot. Of course, they reached the post-season with the lowest goal differential of any fellow playoff participant, before being promptly swept by the Rangers. But the Caps don’t seem content to hope it all falls their way once again. A few marquee acquisitions make that clear, with Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane and Jakob Chychrun standing out among the new faces in D.C. How will the new pieces mesh with the vets? The biggest question mark will surely be Dubois. After a humbling spell in L.A., can he prove he is the impact player he’s long been expected to be?