NHL: Predicting the Outcome of the Metropolitan Division
The metro has been commonly dubbed the best division in hockey, with a handful of powerful teams. But how will they look in this upcoming season, after the free agent frenzy has come to a close?
The mighty Metropolitan Division is widely lauded as the National Hockey League’s most loaded division. Studded with stars like Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Alex Ovechkin, Igor Shesterkin, and Jack Hughes, there is no team that boasts a talent shortage.
Though the divisions realigned in 2013 and the league cut down the number of them from six to four, the Metropolitan Division has remained the beast of the east as it was ten years ago. The biggest markets on the East Coast have seemingly all made big pushes in the playoffs since the realignment; let’s predict what that will look like in 2023-2024.
New Jersey Devils
As much as it puts a knot in my stomach saying this, I think the Devils will be a top performer in the league next year. This year only set the standard for what that might look like, and I think they are probably the best team currently in the Metro.
Akira Schmid and their defense made quick work of the Rangers in round one of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, even after the Rangers put 10 goals past Vitek Vanecek in just two games. Their offense is incredibly deep and it feels to me like there’s not a weak link on this roster going forward.
During free agency, they dropped wads of cash on their main guys, and are clearly building a deep foundation around all of them. Whether it’s battle hardened vets like Timo Meier and Erik Haula, or young stars like Jesper Bratt, the Devils are not shying away from locking up their go-to guys for a long time.
This will be a really fun team to watch. I think the rebuild is complete and this is a Stanley-Cup caliber team right now.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have also shopped around in Free Agency this summer, and will look to bring the storm to everyone else in the league come September. They solidified their one-two punch between the pipes in Frederik Anderson and Antti Raanta and gave them some needed protection with Tony DeAngelo on defense. Amidst all of that, they inked star Sebastian Aho to an eight year deal, making him their franchise player for nearly a decade.
The Hurricanes carry with them into 2024 a reputation of success and a winning attitude. Though I don’t think they’ll be able to soar as high as the Devils, I think the Hurricanes are in a great position to make a deep playoff push and maybe meet someone in the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York Rangers
Okay, okay, I couldn’t help myself. Do I think the Rangers are going to be as good as they were last year? ABSOLUTELY not. I don’t think they’ll be bad though. Now that I look at it, who is really gonna give them a run for their money?
Losing Vladamir Tarasenko was a huge blow. The now-Senator was my favorite player to watch and even though his tenure in the Big Apple was short lived, I will always have respect for the effort he put up here. Being in the Garden for his first goal as a Ranger one minute into the game against the Kraken was one of the most chillingly special moments of my time as a Rangers fan (besides the 2018 Winter Classic OT winner).
Additions like Blake Wheeler and Jonathan Quick will add a lot of older experience to the team, which is now being bossed by Peter Laviolette who traditionally favors the vets anyways. If they can retain Kane and some of their stars can actually wake up (Ahem…Panarin, looking at you) the Rangers are in a comfortable spot going into the new year. Regardless, we should brace for some growing pains in the city that never sleeps.
New York Islanders
You read this correctly. The new-look Islanders will perform in the middle of the pack next year, but I am fully expecting them to rise in these ranks. Being back on the island has to be great for team morale and would actually draw free agents in. Their ride-or-die home crowd at UBS Arena is a special thing that cannot be found in many other places around the NHL.
I know they’re young, but they have talent. This team is going to center around goaltender Illya Sorokin, without any doubt in my mind. When looking at the Islanders depth chart, I see four undeniably reliable centers that each play their role on their line. Bo Hovart on line 1, Brock Nelson on line 2, JG Pageau on line 3, and Islanders legend Casey Cizikas on line 4; it really is a thing of beauty.
Anders Lee, Kyle Palmeri, and Matt Barzal are obviously cornerstones to the offense, while Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson will be important figures on the other side of the ice. The only bad thing I have to say is that playing the trap is boring to watch, and I will defend myself however I need. The Islanders and Rangers are interchangeable for third to me at this point.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals definitely have pieces, but there’s plenty of ills I am able to point to as well. An aging Ovechkin, a newly-signed Tom Wilson, and other questionable moves leave me scratching my head.
I have always and will likely always see the Capitals as a team I hate seeing win. I hate Tom Wilson for nearly taking out Artemi Panarin on ice, and I just find myself disgusted that they even won a cup in the last 5 years. Though they are on the cusp of being a playoff team, my personal bias makes me root against them.
Pittsburgh Penguins
If I read over the Penguins 2023 roster in 2015, I would’ve said they’re a cup-caliber team. Now, I think they’re a ragtag bunch of aging players that are well past their primes (cough cough, Malkin and Karlsson).
Kyle Dubas, former Leafs GM and new Penguins President of Hockey Ops, has orchestrated a wide variety of moves that clearly favor veterans out of their prime. Crosby is still kicking, but like Ovechkin, I don’t feel like he has many more seasons in the tank.
Columbus Blue Jackets
I actually really like the long-term outlook for the Blue Jackets. I think the Ducks passing on Fantilli and grabbing Leo Carlsson was a huge blessing, because they are getting themselves an absolute stud.
Johnny Gaudreau is another super reliable player that is sure to help them out this year. Obviously, I know I have said nothing but good things about them so far…all that being said, I really don’t think it is their year to shine. I think all of these hopes will hold true for the future 3-4 years down the line, but not this 2023-2024 season. Sorry, Jackets faithful.
Philadelphia Flyers
An uglier version of their existing uniforms won’t get them very far, and having a fire sale on your top goal scorer Kevin Hayes is not necessarily the roster move I would’ve made in NHL 23’s Franchise Mode.
There is no hope for this Flyers organization, and I don’t think there will be for a while. I’d love to see them return to glory, but that seems very far-fetched in 2023. Maybe by 2028-29 they’ll figure it out, but for now, Carter Hart is really the only bright spot I can think of.
All I’m saying is, I wouldn’t want to have to rely on an aging Cam Atkinson for success. But, they’ll do them and I’ll do me. Philadelphia fans can sleep comfortably knowing, at the very least, that they have the Eagles.