Metropolitan Division
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Washington Capitals
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Carolina Hurricanes
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- New York Islanders
- New Jersey Devils
Until some team shows me otherwise, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the King (or Emperor, if you’ll pardon my penguin humor) of the Metropolitan Division. The Washington Capitals would actually probably be relieved to not finish 1st in the division or win the President’s Trophy. That means when they make their annual unceremonious exit from the playoffs, it won’t sting as much.
The surprise team in the division will be the Carolina Hurricanes. They have slowly but surely collected one of the best young defensemen corps in the entire NHL. Plus, Sebastian Aho is a player to watch out for come April when the points are being totaled up.
I think the window on the New York Rangers as a championship contender has officially closed. King Henrik Lundqvist’s game has deteriorated over the past few seasons. His ability to steal games for his team just isn’t there anymore. The addition of Kevin Shattenkirk doesn’t improve the team as much as you’d like to think.
Pittsburgh, Washington, Columbus, and Carolina will represent the Metro in the playoffs.