NHL Power Rankings: Metropolitan Division – October Edition

Apr 1, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center

(87) checks Philadelphia Flyers center

(28) during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve finally made it to real, meaningful hockey. With all of the changes that have occurred throughout the offseason home stretch, it’s time to refresh our NHL power rankings, focusing on the Metropolitan Division.

Last season, this division came down to the wire, so much so that the Pittsburgh Penguins had to beat the tanking Buffalo Sabres and barely pulled it off, despite the Sabres trying to lose. It was as if no one wanted to cement themselves in the final spots for post-season contention.

This season will be much of the same. And, it may even be tighter with more teams in the mix than last season. There’s a good chance the Metro will send five teams to the playoffs in the spring of 2016 and despite more than half the division claiming a spot, it will still be a battle into the last few weeks of the regular season.

So, now that all is said and done, the rosters are finalized (mostly) and we’re approaching the start of the 2015-16 season, how does this division shake out? For anyone working on early season NHL power rankings, the Metro will be the group that gives them the most fits.

Here’s how I view this division right now…

Next: New Jersey Devils

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Hanifin poses with team executives after being selected as the number five overall pick to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

7. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are a team with potential to move up a spot in the Metro but I’m not ready to put them there just yet. Jordan Staal is healthy, Noah Hanifin looks like the real deal and the addition of Eddie Lack could prove to be huge considering Cam Ward‘s recent struggles.

The Hurricanes allowed the third fewest shots-against per game last season, a stat that’s surprising to most. However, they finished in the middle of the pack for goals-against per game due to poor goaltending and couldn’t score goals of their own. Did they do enough to correct those issues for 2015-16?

There is data that tells us Carolina could very well be a much improved team in the upcoming season. Consider that they ranked tenth overall in shots-for per sixty minutes of play but were a dismal twenty-seventh in the league for goals-for per sixty. So, they were generating a lot of offense but not capitalizing. If they continue to that shot pace, they’re bound to start burying some pucks, right?

Well, historically, they rank in the bottom-five for shot percentage. When a team recognizes a drastic drop for one season it’s normally an anomaly that you can count on improving the following year. That isn’t the case for the Hurricanes. The formula for success in Carolina sounds simple. Start finishing. The issue is that finishing isn’t exactly easy to do in the NHL and the Canes have proved that they’re quite incapable of doing so.

Next: Philadelphia Flyers

Sep 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol (C) stands behind the bench during the third period against the New York Rangers at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

6. Philadelphia Flyers

There are teams in the NHL that have their share of bad contracts and then there’s the Philadelphia Flyers. Just how much money is being wasted in Philly these days?

Aside from Andrew MacDonald, who was sent to the AHL after clearing waivers, the Flyers are expected to scratch Vinny Lecavalier, Sam Gagner and Brayden Schenn for their opener. If my math is right, that’s roughly $10.2 million in healthy scratches. Add Andrew MacDonald to that total, though he’s playing in the AHL rather than being scratched, and you get a grand total of approximately $14.3 million.

The Flyers will stay afloat with names like Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds if he can find his scoring touch again. However, it isn’t out of the question to debate whether or not they’ll fall below the Carolina Hurricanes this season. I get the feeling my November version of these power rankings will have the two of them flip-flopped.

Next: New York Islanders

Sep 23, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders center

(91) talks to right wing

(21) during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

5. New York Islanders

The Islanders are another team that can easily move up, however they’re too inconsistent for me to have faith in them at this point. They’re a young team with a ton of talent and offensive potency but they can’t seem to keep it together from year-to-year.

The most important factor with the Isles is goaltending. There’s no reason to believe they’ll see improvement between the pipes and if they finish twenty-eighth in even-strength save percentage again, they’re going to struggle to make the playoffs. This is a team that ranked in the top-ten for most offensive categories but when you’re allowing as many goals as New York did last season, it doesn’t matter. Will Thomas Greiss help right the ship? He played fairly well as a backup to Marc-Andre Fleury last season but whether or not he can improve a team that has struggled this bad in the crease remains to be seen.

The Metropolitan Division will be a run-and-gun group next season with a ton of offensive firepower. The Islanders can score at rates very similar to the teams I have ranked higher than them but to be successful in this division going forward, you need consistent goaltending. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them prove me wrong and battle for the top spot but at the same time, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them miss the post-season.

Next: New York Rangers

May 29, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goalie

(30) reacts on the bench with teammates

(15) ,

(8) and

(5) as the Rangers play with an empty net against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in game seven of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

4. New York Rangers

The Rangers are yet another perplexing team that is hard to rank this early. They’ve advanced to the conference finals in three of the last four years and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14. How long can they keep that up?

The answer to that question is, they can indeed keep it up for the foreseeable future but a lot of it hinges on how they overcome a few key losses this summer. The Rangers were a team that killed opponents with speed last season but they no longer have Carl Hagelin, who was a major part of that attack.

There’s little concern about goaltending in the Big Apple, as Henrik Lundqvist should continue his reign as a top-three goaltender in this league. Can Antti Raanta hold down the fort if Lundqvist were to get injured like Cam Talbot did last season? The Rangers are hoping they don’t have to find out.

With being ranked fourth in these NHL power rankings, the Rangers are the first team in the top-four of the Metro that I can see falling out in a number of different ways. My main reason for ranking them this low right now is the improvements that those above them have made this offseason. Don’t be surprised if they’re sitting atop the Metropolitan once again though.

Next: Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 22, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing

(81) shoots the puck as Carolina Hurricanes left wing

(14) and goalie Cam Ward (30) defend during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

Ranking the Pittsburgh Penguins as third in the Metro is a change from where I stood a few months ago. After the acquisition of Phil Kessel from Toronto, followed by Nick Bonino and Adam Clendening from Vancouver and the free agent signing of Eric Fehr, I jumped the Pens to second behind only the Columbus Blue Jackets. But, while I don’t put too much stock into preseason, the poor play of Derrick Pouliot has Pittsburgh scrambling to figure out their defensive pairs and it’s a bit concerning right now.

Pouliot was viewed as a top-four defenseman and expected to play alongside Ian Cole in that role. However, he has since been assigned to the AHL and the Penguins are searching for answers. One of the answers in their minds is to once again deploy Rob Scuderi in their top-six, which is another reason for concern on this blue line. Scuderi was repeatedly torched throughout preseason play and when you consider that he was facing less-than-optimal competition, you understand where I’m coming from.

Pittsburgh’s offense can very well carry them and place them among the league’s best. Therefore, I still consider them a team with a shot at winning the division but they have to prove some things before I can rank them above Washington and Columbus. There’s also the fact that Pittsburgh has been horrendous against the rest of the Metro. If they continue that same trend in 2015-16 they could very well be fighting for a bottom seed once again.

Next: Washington Capitals

Sep 30, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Washington Capitals forward

(8) looks on during the 3rd period against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

2. Washington Capitals

If you base your predictions on preseason play, Alex Ovechkin is once again poised to score goals at alarming rates. Nicklas Backstrom should return in the near future and the additions of T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams should do wonders for the Caps. But, are they truly ready to take that next step?

Washington will  yet again be a powerhouse throughout the regular season, which is why I’ve ranked them so high in the division. There’s no question that they’ll be right in the thick of things when the home stretch hits and playoff seeding is shaking out. They’re another team that can easily win the Metro and maybe even the Eastern Conference.

The question with the Caps, as always, is what will they do once they reach the post-season? Of course, that’s the main reason they brought in Mr. Game Seven in Williams. The Caps are an overall 3-9 in game sevens since 2008, which is obviously an alarming record for a team that is considered a Cup contender year-in and year-out.

If Braden Holtby can continue providing consistent goaltending, the Caps will be a force to reckon with. Like most of the Metro, there are plenty of questions on defense but in this division, goals are at a premium and the Caps can score them in bundles.

Next: Columbus Blue Jackets

Mar 31, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman

(7) is mobbed by Columbus Blue Jacket players after scoring the winning goal against the New Jersey Devils during overtime at Nationwide Arena. Columbus defeated New Jersey in overtime 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

1. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are my team to beat in the Metro until they prove otherwise. I’ve said a hundred times that my thoughts on them aren’t specifically due to Brandon Saad, as I don’t see him as a complete difference maker. But, I do see him working really well with Nick Foligno and the two of them have already started torturing opponents in exhibition play.

Considering their late-season run in 2014-15 that nearly put them back in post-season contention, a healthy Blue Jackets team is capable of big things in the upcoming season. A lot of folks like to talk about physical play and toughness being a necessity in the NHL. Columbus has that but the difference is simple, they’re also very skilled.

Of course, the question mark with Columbus, similar to the Pens and Caps, is their defense. The Blue Jackets defense could actually be the worst in the Eastern Conference. I foresee them looking to address some needs on the blue line in the near future.

The bright note in that regard is Sergei Bobrovsky. He’s fully capable of putting this team on his back and keeping them within striking distance. So, while many will disagree with my placement of Columbus at the top of this division, they’re staying here in my rankings until they give me a reason to drop them.

Next: Hindsight is 20/20 - Pouliot vs. Kapanen

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