Ranking The 8 Teams In The NHLs Metropolitan Division

Friedman: Rangers A Mainstay Near The Top, Islanders To Make A Power Move September 24, 2014 1:21 PM

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By Daniel FriedmanMore Columns

With the start of the NHL regular season just a few weeks away, the Rangers, Islanders and Devils are gearing up for what should be a tight battle within the Metropolitan Division. Heres how I think itll all play out:

Theyve always been a good regular season team; theplayoffs is where theyve struggled. Gone are Matt Niskanen, Brooks Orpik and James Neal, as well as coach Dan Bylsma and general managerRay Shero. With the new management and coaching staff in place, the Penguins are hoping they can turn things around. Itll be interesting to see how additions Patric Hornqvist and Christian Ehrhoff fit in, but Pittsburgh is still very deep down the middle and has more forward depth than theyve had in a couple of years. Theyre not a lock to finish atop the division, but they are certainly equipped to do so.

A Stanley Cup Final appearance was a surprising development, but it definitely raises the bar for this season. The Rangers will be expected to compete for the division title and be a dominant force. Whether or not theyre capable of meeting those raised expectations is a bit of a different story, but they do have pieces to work with. J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider will need to be productive, or the Blueshirts could be in trouble, especially now that they wont have Derek Stepan for part of the season due to a broken leg. They need the secondary scoring. As for the top line, goaltending and defense, you basically know what you have, and its pretty darn solid.

Chris Kreider (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

While Pittsburgh and the Rangers are the favorites to finish firstand secondin the Metro (not necessarily in that order), the battle for the remaining spots is where things will get interesting. There are very few unrealistic scenarios here; its essentially a free-for-all. Im going with the Islanders to place third, however, and Im doing that for a bunch of reasons. First, their goaltending situation has vastly improved. Second, theyre deeper down the middle than everyone in the division except Pittsburgh. Third, theyve got something to prove that their playoff appearance two years ago wasnt a fluke and that theyre the real deal. If youre looking for a good sleeper pick, the Isles are it.

The Islanders Josh Bailey, left, celebrates his shorthanded goal against the Devils with Kyle Okposo at the Prudential Center on Sept. 19, 2013 in Newark. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Assuming that young star Ryan Johansen is under contract (which should be the case, despite the current situation), the Jackets are going to push for a playoff spot again. I love the addition of Scott Hartnell, and the young nucleus of Johansen, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray will only get better. Of course, having Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes is also helpful. This team has surprised a lot of people lately and I think theyll continue to improve.

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Ranking The 8 Teams In The NHLs Metropolitan Division