Pittsburgh Penguins: Eight Players to Watch in the Metropolitan Division

The Pittsburgh Penguins are arguably in the most competitive division in hockey.

With the beginning of the 2017-2018 NHL season among us, let’s take a look at the eight players in the Metropolitan Division who could make or break their team’s chances this upcoming year. Who will be the best in the Metropolitan Division this year? Will Sidney Crosby be the Pittsburgh Penguins player to watch? Find out below.

8) Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers:

Entering his 13^th season backstopping the New York Rangers, the 35 year old goalie is coming off another 30+ win season, but major questions remain about whether “The King” still has it. Seeing a decrease in save percentage ( .920 to .910) and an increase in goals against average (2.48 to 2.74), Lundqvist didn’t have his best year between the pipes for the Rangers.

Pittsburgh Penguins

In order to have any chance at replicating the successful season that saw them make the Stanley Cup Finals, the Rangers will likely need Lundqvist to perform better than he has in the past five years. Additionally, it will be interesting to see how many games the Rangers plan on leaning on Lundqvist this year, especially as they won’t have to worry about him suiting up for Sweden during the Olympics in 2018.

7) Justin Williams, Carolina Hurricanes

Another veteran on the list this year, but Justin Williams is a much different case than of the other names on this list. Williams, who has been known as “Mr. Game 7” (well, maybe not any more after the last two years, being on the losing side in two game 7s), re-joins the Carolina Hurricanes after two years in Washington.

Williams, who brings with him three Stanley Cup rings, will join an up-and-coming roster in Carolina.  While players like Jeff Skinner and Sebastian Aho would make obvious choices of players to watch this year, Justin Williams may have the most impact on the young team, as they look to compete in the NHL’s best division.

6) Brian Elliot, Philadelphia Flyers

When it comes to the Flyers success or lack thereof, it always seems to come down to one factor; goaltending. By bringing abroad Brian Elliot this offseason, the Flyers are hoping to stem the tide and find some stability in the net, to allow offensive guns like Voracek and the rising stars of the Flyers’ defense corps to shine.

In Calgary last year, Brian Elliot posted a save percentage of .910 in 49 games with a goals against average of 2.55. Unfortunately for Elliot and the Flyers, he was playing behind what was considered one of the top defensive units in the entire league.  If Elliot begins to struggle out of the gate, the Flyers will be looking around the league for other options before it’s too late.

4) Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

In his first year with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the rookie defenseman scored 47 points in 78 games and was a major factor in the Blue Jackets surprising 100+ point season. Prior to taking a (now infamous) puck to the face from a Phil Kessel shot in Game 3 of the first round series with the Penguins, Werenski was one of the most noticeable players on the ice for either team.

With a very young, but talented defense group in Columbus that includes Seth Jones, Werenski has the opportunity to continue to develop as one of the most impactful young defenseman in the game. After earning a Calder nomination in his first year, Werenski will be one of the more interesting players to watch, as the Blue Jackets have added some speed and skill upfront, without much else changing. If the Blue Jackets excel this season as one of the more offensive clubs in the league, you can expect Werenski to be a driving factor behind it.

3) Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils

After a surprising jump to the 1^st overall pick in the 2017 draft, the Devils selected Hischier with the hopes that the one-two punch of Taylor Hall and him could rival other strong duos in the division like Crosby-Malkin and Backstrom-Kuznetsov.

Although Hischier has played both wing and center in his career, it looks like the Devils will be staring the season with Hischier on the second line centering newly acquired wingers Drew Stafford and Marcus Johansson, while Pavel Zacha takes the top line center role. It’s not a stretch in any year to say the number one overall draft pick is a player worth watching, but Nico Hischier had a strong preseason and the Devils look ready to break out at any moment.

2) Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins

While scoring on your first shot of your first shift in your first game is quite the accomplishment, Jake Guentzel went ahead and also won a Stanley Cup in his first year, finishing the playoffs as the leading goal scorer with 13 goals in 25 games. Guentzel enters his second year in the league cemented alongside Sidney Crosby, hoping to capitalize on the chemistry the two developed last season.

Even though the departure of Marc-Andre Fleury puts the spotlight on Matt Murray this year, if Jake Guentzel can continue his 40 game point per game pace of .82 Points/Game from last regular season into this season, the Penguins juggernaut of an offense will likely continue to steamroll teams up and down the ice. If Guentzel hits the dreaded sophomore slump, the Penguins could find themselves in a pickle without many options waiting in the wings.

1) Evegny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals

The 25 year old from Chelyabink, Russia enters his fourth full season with the Washington Capitals after an offseason that started after the Capitals once again lost to the Penguins in the second round.  Following rumors that Kuznetsov was seriously considering signing in the KHL in order to play for Team Russian in the upcoming 2018 Olympics, he signed an eight-year, $62.4 million dollar contract with the Capitals.

On a team with some of the best players in the league, from Alex Ovechkin to Nicklas Backstrom to Braden Holtby, the Capitals fate rests with Kuznetsov more than anyone else on the team. While Backstrom will be centering the Capitals first line, with wingers T.J. Oshie and Andre Burakovsky, Evgeny Kuznetsov will be starting the season on what might be the most skilled line in the division, centering Alex Ovechkin and Jakub Vrana.

Next: Penguins Daily: Opening Night

In last season’s campaign, which saw Kuznetsov take on an increased role with the Capitals, he put up 59 points, parlaying chemistry with fellow countryman Ovechkin into points. With a less than pleasing offseason for the team and their fans, the expectations for the Capitals have never been lower, allowing players like Kuznetsov to fly under the radar. Additionally, with Backstrom drawing opponents top pairings in most games, the Kuznetsov line will have a chance to rack up opportunities to win games and that’s why Evgeny Kuznetsov is the player to watch this year in the Metropolitan Division.