Congratulations, hockey fans! You made it through MLB All-Star Week, which is by far the slowest sports week on the calendar, and we are inching closer and closer to training camps opening up. We’re almost there.
Last year, the end of the season gave us a lot of drama in the Metro, as teams battled for the playoffs. Unfortunately, that drama was in the form of a bunch of bad teams beating up on each other, seeing which bad team could get smoked in the first round. This year, however, all of the bad teams worked hard to get better, which should give a whole new world of excitement.
Let’s dive into our 2024-25 ‘Way too early’ Metro Division power rankings. Be sure to check out our Atlantic power rankings as well as we slowly prepare for NHL hockey.
8. Columbus Blue Jackets
Last year: 27-43-12, 66 points (8th in Metro)
When the Blue Jackets hired Mike Babcock as their head coach last summer, hopes were high that 23-24 would be the season Columbus would finally turn things around. Well, Babcock didn’t even make it to October, injuries tortured the team all year, and they couldn’t buy a save for the life of them. All of that resulted in 66 points, a -63 goal differential, and a disgruntled fanbase.
All of that said, there’s a world where Columbus is much more competitive in the Metro than this power ranking would suggest. Boone Jenner and Sean Monahan are consistent producers at center, while Johnny Gaudreau is hoping to get back to the player he was in Calgary. Fantilli and Marchenko are excellent young talents that Columbus hopes to build around for years to come.
To move in the right direction even a little bit, they need goaltender Merzlikins to have a massive bounce-back year. He finished the season with a 3.45 GAA and a .897 SV%. Those stats aren’t atrocious, but they need to be better based on the defense in front of him and the lack of goal-scoring they had last year.
It’s hard to project what new head coach Dean Evason will exactly bring to a roster that has struggled to be relevant the last few seasons. However, Evason had a track record with the Wild of getting to the playoffs, or at least playing meaningful games in March. The organization, and the fans, hope he brings at least that to Columbus, and fast.
7. Pittsburgh Penguins
Last year: 38-32-12, 88 points (5th in Metro)
After months of rumors and speculation, it seems an extension for Sydney Crosby is coming down the pipe any day now. At 36 years of age, Crosby is still at the top of his game and doesn’t show any sign of slowing down. The legendary centerman led his team with 42 goals and 94 points, with the next leading point-getter being Malkin, with 67 points. On paper, the offense looks promising at this point of the summer. A full season with Bunting on the lineup, plus a healthy Rakell on the second line, should be a boost to the Pittsburgh offense. But when you dig a little deeper there are some potentially major flaws.
The Pens were an old and slow team last year, that’s just the truth. While Kevin Hayes and Anthony Beauviller are fine players, they don’t solve that problem. They combined for 16 goals last season, which doesn’t solve the goal-scoring problem either, which was 18th in the NHL. Despite scoring 27 goals and 67 points, there were points last year where Malkin looked like father time caught up with him as well. Dubas and company are praying for a playoff push, but it’s hard not to feel like this team is holding on to what was, foregoing the future.
6. Washington Capitals
Last year: 40-31-11, 91 points (4th in Metro)
When you look at last year’s Washington Capitals, it is still mind-blowing that this team made the playoffs. They were 28th in the NHL in total goals and had a -36 goal differential. Yet, this team found a way to win and give themselves a chance in the playoffs. Dylan Strome led the team with 67 points, and most casual hockey fans probably never heard of half of the forwards the Capitals put on the ice.
The Metro was maybe the weakest division in hockey last year, and with the Flyers, Devils, and even the Blue Jackets getting better this summer, another entry into the playoffs should prove to be a tougher task.
Like the Penguins, the Capitals’ time with their star player is limited, and they are doing their best to hang on. Chychrun and Roy are excellent additions to their d-core, while Logan Thompson should add some stability in the net with Charlie Lindgren. Trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois is certainly a gamble at this point in the young forward’s career. Yet, he still has significant upside, and it’s a bet worth taking for a team trying to push a rebuild a couple of years down the road.
There are two concerning situations looming over the Capitals heading into next season. The first is the health of T.J. Oshie. Oshie has been a vital part of this team for years, but it seems like his constant health issues might have ended his terrific career. He will tell you he will play, but those close to the organization speculate otherwise. The second situation is that they have -$14.17 million in cap space, which has to be dealt with in the coming months.
5. New York Islanders
Last year: 39-27-16, 94 points (3rd in Metro)
Fifth in the Metro might seem low for a team that made it to the playoffs last year. The truth is, much like the Capitals, the Islanders benefited from a subpar division, and without coach Patrick Roy stepping in partway through the season, they might not have made it that far. The Islanders ranked in the bottom 12 of the NHL in every major statistical category. Yes, the top half of their roster is strong on paper, and their goaltending should be as well, but this team has been underperforming for quite some time. Plus, $1.08 million in cap space isn’t enough to add anything of consequence to the lineup.
Barzal, Nelson, and Horvat all had very good seasons, each racking up over 69 points, and Kyle Palmieri had a standout campaign with 30 goals. All of those numbers should go up under a new coaching staff. The only piece they brought in was Anthony Duclair, who should add some scoring depth on the second and third lines. Duclair had a strong end to the season last year, scoring 15 points in 17 games with the Lightning after the trade deadline. Roy coached Duclair in the QMJHL, so maybe there’s some built-in chemistry from the good ol’ days.
If the Isles are going to have a bounce-back season, the goaltending is going to have to bounce back themselves. Varlamov had a solid season as the backup, with a .918 SV% and a 2.60 GAA in 27 starts. The $8 million goaltender Sorokin, however, struggled more than his numbers would suggest. That proved to be the case in the playoffs as well, as he was pulled from his only start, allowing three goals on 14 shots.
4. Philadelphia Flyers
Last year: 38-33-11, 87 points (6th in Metro)
The Flyers entered 2023-24 with zero expectations, other than a rebuilding season that wasn’t supposed to be pretty. To almost everyone’s surprise, the Flyers overachieved and were in a playoff spot for the majority of the year. A late-season collapse prevented them from punching their ticket, but last year made the conversation around the Flyers more interesting heading into the 24-25 campaign.
Philly didn’t add anyone in free agency, but signing first-round draft pick Matvei Michkov could be a huge move. The Flyers believe he could break training camp with the team. If he does, that might be the boost this team needs, both 5-on-5 and on a PP unit that was dreadful last year. Knowing who their goaltenders are for 82 games is a huge bonus as well. They know Carter Hart is so longer a part of the program. Samuel Ersson had a strong rookie campaign, and a full year with Fedotov will certainly help.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
Last year: 52-23-7, 111 points (2nd in Metro)
The Carolina Hurricanes have been a juggernaut in the Metro Division for years now. But make no mistake, on paper, the Hurricanes have taken a step back, and the “Stanley Cup window” may be closing on this core.
Their back end took a massive hit this summer. Pesce and Skjei walked in free agency and were replaced by Walker and Gostisbehere. Pesce and Skjei were a combined +25, and Skjei’s offense from the blue line, paired with his defensive prowess is hard to replace. Walker is a steady defensive-minded player. While Gostisbehere is no stranger to offensive contributions with 56 points his last year, he was a -16.
Their prize trade deadline pickup, Jake Guentzel went to Tampa, and the future of Martin Necas is still up in the air. They still have elite goal-scoring, and resigning coach Rob Brind’Amour and his staff add familiarity and stability to this team. Between the pipes, they are bringing back Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. While Andersen’s upside is undeniable, he is constantly injured and has failed to shut the door in the playoffs when it matters the most. Kochetkov had a promising rookie season, posting a .911 SV% along with a 2.33 GAA.
2. New Jersey Devils
Last year: 38-39-5, 81 points (7th in Metro)
One year after making the playoffs and winning a round against the Rangers, the Devils had high expectations heading into the 23-24 season. After a ton of key injuries, a goaltending debacle, and an eventual coaching change, the Devils missed the playoffs by a mile. As the summer approached, GM Tom Fitzgerald had specific roles that needed to be either changed or filled. The first shoe to drop was signing Sheldon Keefe as the next head coach of the New Jersey Devils.
Keefe has a proven track record of winning and getting the best out of young talent. He had 212 wins in 349 regular season games with the Leafs, winning the Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies a year before he was called up by the big club. He had 134 wins in 204 games coached in the OHL and 303 wins in 423 games in the CCHL. While that success hasn’t translated the playoff wins in the NHL, there’s no doubt that Keefe can turn this team into a regular season winner once again.
Adding Pesce and Dillon to the blueline, along with a healthy Dougie Hamilton, makes this d-core one of the best in the Metro. It also can’t be overstated how much of an upgrade Markstrom and Allen will be compared to what they had last year. This offense was potent just a couple of seasons ago, but Jack Hughes is the straw that stirs the drink. If he can stay healthy, there’s no telling what the ceiling is for this team.
1. New York Rangers
Last year: 55-23-4, 114 points (1st in Metro)
In Peter Laviolette’s first season as head coach, the Rangers bounced back from a disappointing playoff exit to win the President’s Trophy and go all the way to the conference finals.
Considering that this team is relatively the same, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Rangers will duplicate last year’s success. Quick did an excellent job backing up Igor Shesterkin, making the duo the best in the Metro. Plus, the amount of talent they still have in their top six is disgusting. Lafreniere finally started to turn into the player that they hoped to be while adding Sam Carrick and Reilly Smith adds some depth to the bottom six.
With Goodrow and Wennberg leaving, one could argue they didn’t do enough this summer. However, the apple cart was disturbed too much. Even with most of the division getting better, the Rangers will have to prove they are not worthy before we remove their crown.
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