Pittsburgh Penguins Among Offseason Winners for the Metropolitan Division

The battle for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division was a tough sled last season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins nearly missed post-season contention. And, while I don’t expect the Pens to limp into the playoffs in 2015-16 like they did last spring, I do foresee this division being even closer down the stretch.

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It’s tough to argue that the Metro is the most improved division in the NHL. Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Columbus Blue Jackets acquired highly touted impact players via trade and free agency in order to address glaring needs from last season. Others stayed fairly quiet and remain confident in the group they had this past year.

Below, we’ll discuss the winners and losers from this summer, as teams are all but completed as far as their NHL rosters go. Keep in mind, this isn’t a power rankings article or a means to predict standings. Rather, it’s simply a look at who made the right moves this offseason to improve their given team.

Offseason Winners

Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets, for at least a moment, made the biggest splash this summer when they unexpectedly acquired Brandon Saad from the Chicago Blackhawks. The Pens likely surpassed them in the size of splash department shortly after, but in a move that shocked the hockey world, Columbus added a 22-year old playoff performer that is already far beyond his years on the ice. Despite the inability to agree on terms with Christian Ehrhoff recently, it at least sounds like they’re working to bolster their questionable blue line. Either way, they’re a team that has made smart moves this summer.

New Jersey Devils
There aren’t many lists right now that allow you to rank the Devils as a winner. However, Ray Shero is off to a very strong start in New Jersey and has focused mainly on adding youth and picks over the past couple months. He started things off by adding Kyle Palmieri in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks and seems to have concluded the offseason with a buyout of Dainius Zubrus‘ contract. Recognizing when it was time to let go of a veteran was a major downfall for him during his Pittsburgh Penguins tenure. He may have learned from his mistakes.

Pittsburgh Penguins
When the Pens were eliminated from post-season play we began hearing the same “trade one of the superstars” narratives that seem to surface every summer. Pittsburgh is a top-heavy team, and many believe that they can’t fill out proper depth with that model. Well, they acquired Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino via trade and signed Eric Fehr via free agency. They also signed Russian winger Sergei Plotnikov and veteran center Matt Cullen. They bolstered their forward depth to a level that most teams only dream about. Yes, there are question marks on defense. But, there’s also a lot of potential too.

New York Rangers
The Rangers had an interesting offseason, as they were somewhat active but under the radar. For the most part, they kept a team that recently made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals and made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals just two seasons ago in tact. So, despite the lack of high-profile moves, it’s tough to consider them an offseason loser just yet. However, in a division that has teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Columbus Blue Jackets, they may digress and find themselves further back in the Metro than anticipated.

Washington Capitals
The Caps are going to miss Mike Green more than most think, but the additions of Justin Williams and TJ Oshie should prove to be huge. Similar to the Pens, the Capitals attacked needs this summer and looked for ways to add more skill over size and grit. They’re clearly one of the reasons this division might be the most exciting to watch in the NHL.

Offseason Losers

New York Islanders
The Islanders are a team packed with talent, and there’s no denying that. But, for a team that has been very inconsistent and hasn’t proven the ability to be a perennial playoff contender, did they do enough to keep up with the other Metro teams? Their inactivity may come back to haunt them this season in a division that saw most teams around them get better by leaps and bounds.

Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina was fairly active this summer, but failed to address some very pressing needs. They still sit with roughly $7 million in cap space with multiple UFA’s available that could really help this team, but there’s no indication that they’re inquiring. OF course, that isn’t surprising considering they aren’t normally a team that spends to the cap. Their defense remains suspect, and there’s no indication of how they’ll improve their offensive production. They should be set at goaltender, but it’ll take much more than that.

Philadelphia Flyers
As I pointed out in my NHL power rankings, the Flyers were one of the worst offensive teams in the league last season but stayed mostly in tact up front. Yes, coaching had an impact in that regard. However, I’m not sure it was enough of an impact to consider this team a playoff contender by simply changing that staff. They seemed to focus a little too much on their goaltender situation this summer and not enough on the real issues they faced.

This offseason looked to be one of the more boring summers as we neared the end of 2014-15. But, it actually turned out to be one of the most exciting in recent memory for Metropolitan Division fans. The weak UFA market led to a lot of trades and surprises from around the league, and we’ll find out soon enough who made the right decisions and who will return to the drawing boards for next summer.

Next: 3 Question Marks Heading Into 2015-16

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