The 2022-23 NHL season is almost upon us. Soon, we will see the return of hockey in all it’s glory. This past off-season has been one of the crazier ones in recent memory, so with the next season looming, it is a good time to recap and preview how each team will do this season. The preview will be split into four parts, each part previewing one division. For today, we’re going to be looking at the Metropolitan Division. I will be discussing the teams in what place I predict they will finish for the season.

As a general preview of the entire division, the Metro is still going to be rather predictable up top. Beyond second, maybe third place, I feel it’s a bit more unpredictable this time around. The usual suspects remain and more than likely we’ll see the usual teams compete for a playoff spot, but given the chaotic nature of the off-season, and of the league in general, it would not surprise me to see a new playoff contender come up out of this division.

Carolina made quite a bit of moves this off-season, not only to bolster the core some more, but to replace some moving out parts. Being handed Pacioretty and Coghlan for free (albeit Pacioretty is out for half the season) is certainly one way to bolster the roster, but losing Trocheck and Niederreiter is a disappointment. Once Pacioretty returns that should help sort out the losses. The Canes got some decent depth pickups as well in Kase and Dzingel, and even with an aging Brent Burns, that should be quality help for the blueline. As with a fair few teams I have already covered, the concern lies in net, but for very different reasons. Both Andersen and Raanta were excellent last season, but injuries did them in come postseason. Injuries have always been a recurring problem for those two, but when they are on the ice, they are quality goaltenders. If they manage to avoid any serious injury, this team is a runaway favorite for the Metro, and a big Stanley Cup favorite, yet again. I do not believe any Metro team comes close to them in terms of quality, the closest of course being the team right below the Canes here.

A bit of a hot take here, the Capitals have improved enough (especially in goal) for me to believe that they’ll surpass the Rangers this season. Sooner than later, the Caps are going to be on the decline, but the regular season has always been Washington’s strong suite. The big problem last year (beyond some key injuries) was with Samsonov in net, and with him shipped off and being replaced by reigning Stanley Cup champion Darcy Kuemper, that is a massive improvement. That alone will propel the Caps to a better place than last year, but they added some quality depth to go along with that. Dylan Strome and Connor Brown were nice buy low pickups, and Strome especially should help while Backstrom is out indefinitely. Currently there is no timetable for him, so without him, that’s a big loss, but I do not believe it to be big enough to drop them any lower in the standings. While I am a little bullish on this team, they do carry significant risk since their decline will be coming sooner than later. The Metro, fortunately for them, is not as heavy on the top as last year. The Atlantic looks significantly stronger than the Metro yet again. I feel in any other division the Caps probably would be lower, but in this division, second is just right for them.

I am not all that high on the Rangers this year. They had a big year last year, buoyed mainly by one of the greatest years for a goaltender in recent memory, and a top tier power play. However, as we all know, the two most inconsistent things in this league are goaltending, and the power play. Because of this, I see them dropping off a bit this year. They have great star power up top, and of course they still have Shesterkin, who I still believe will have a dominant season. But for the Rangers to be on par, or better, than last year, Shesterkin has to enable godmode yet again, and that is simply not reliable. For sure he will steal a handful of games to carry them further up this division than I think they would without him, but it just seems like last season was the magic run. They had great deadline pickups that played quite well in the playoffs, but managed to keep essentially none of them. If they managed to keep Vatrano and/or Copp at the least, the depth would not be as questionable to me. Trocheck helps fill the gap, but considering how even strength play was by far their biggest weakness last season, I do not believe they can make the run they did last year. I still put them at a high ceiling because when the team is on, it is one of the best teams in the conference. Too many factors need to go their way this year in order to replicate last season, and already last season was a miracle with all those factors considered. In summary, this team will still be good, just not great, but with this division, it will still be good enough to garner a top three spot.

This is coming from a Penguins fan, the Pens made some questionable decisions this off-season. The main story of the off-season was whether they were going to be able to resign Letang and Malkin, but they managed to successfully retain both, even if the term was significantly longer than what is comfortable. Letang was imperative to sign, even with the six year term, but I was always questionable with Malkin. He is still a very good player, but I’m not so sure he’s the player the Penguins need at the moment. Watching their games, it has become a pattern that the Pens tend to play better, organized hockey without Malkin in the lineup. Beyond that, they shook up the blueline, bringing in Petry, Smith, and Rutta, while letting go of Matheson and Marino. The Marino move made sense, but it always seemed like it was so they can bolster the bottom six. That they did not do, instead trading Matheson for Petry, an older, more expensive defenseman. That might work out, but I’m not a big fan of it. As the Penguins stand right now, they have a bit of a log jam on the back end, while their bottom six is below average at best. Resigning Kapanen over more quality wingers on the market was a bone headed move. One can only hope some of the youth in the AHL can get into the starting lineup. Overall, they still have Crosby, Letang and Malkin (even if I do think he should not have resigned), and the top six is still really good, so they will be enough to guarantee at least a fourth place finish. I believe playoffs are still in order, but it is going to be closer than most fans here in Pittsburgh would like to admit.

I’ve already done a whole article documenting the dormancy of the New York Islanders over the summer, as one can clearly see when you check out their notable additions/subtractions. Regardless of how I think they will do, their defense and goaltending is still too elite to let the team fall down the standings hard. Even if their offense is still stagnant, they still have solid options in Barzal, Nelson, Dobson, and Lee. It’s always possible some players rise up and do better compared to the abysmal season last season, as they were wrecked by an early, long road trip and a raging bout with COVID. Without Barry Trotz, the engineer to their recent success, I’m skeptical they can return to the playoffs. With their defense, they can stay afloat in this division above the rebuilding teams of the division, although the gap between the Isles and teams like the Devils is starting to narrow. For now, I still predict an average placement for the Islanders, but they have to watch out for the Devils and Blue Jackets, and I will not be shocked to see if one of them manages to overtake them in the standings.

The Devils are a mighty interesting team this season. Things seem to be projecting towards progression from their rebuild into a solid, middle of the pack team, which is a major improvement compared to previous seasons. The acquisition of Ondrej Palat is big for them. Their top six with them is looking sneaky good, especially if Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes continue to take the next big steps. Their prospect pool is looking like one of the league’s best, but whether some of them will see their debuts or any consistent playing time remains to be seen. But one this happens, I expect this team to progress like a rocket. As they stand right now, however, they have a solid team. Marino is a nice add for the blue line, and Vanecek might be an improvement in net if last season proved to be an anomaly. It is the back end that might hold them back from competing for a playoff spot, unless they prove that their recent performances are indeed just anomalies. Considering the strength of the division, they might be stuck here at #6, although I will not put it beyond them to potentially eclipse the Islanders for fifth if everything breaks right.

The Jackets started out the off-season with a bang, collecting the biggest prize of free agency in Johnny Gaudreau. Not only is getting a premier free agent rewarding enough, it is especially so for Columbus, as their ability to retain or attract talent has become a huge question mark as of late. The Gaudreau signing seems to have put this narrative to bed, with conjunction of Patrik Laine choosing to resign with the Blue Jackets as well. They have the makings of a solid, all-around team, but they are still a couple years away from seriously competing. The blue line is still a work in progress. Signing Gudbranson was a headscratcher. Their bottom six needs to progress more before they can take some serious steps to the playoffs, but if Gaudreau and the top six perform as advertised, it is certainly possible they could over achieve. I do not predict this to happen this year, however, but they are an interesting team to keep watch on for the future. For now, they stay here at seventh, but the gap between them and the Devils (or maybe even the Islanders) is not too far.

Last season does not seem to be an anomaly. The recent string of moves made by the Flyers over the past few seasons are finally coming to a head and the team looks to be in a state of unintentional tanking. Rasmus Ristolainen was already a mistake to trade for (let alone for the return they gave up for him), but to extend him was completely bone headed. Of course, Claude Giroux was traded mid season, so without him, they lack a franchise player. The players that are left are not superb. Konecny and Atkinson may be their best offensive players left, especially so now with Sean Couturier still out from injuries. Ryan Ellis joins him as well, after making his brief debut with them last season, and now it seems his career is in jeopardy. Tony DeAngelo is a good offensive defenseman, but to say that is who the Flyers need on the blueline would be a lie. The singings of Deslauriers and Braun are very on brand, however, especially in conjunction with their new head coach in John Tortorella. He and the Flyers are a match made in heaven, but for all the wrong reasons. Whether Chuck Fletcher intended this or not, the Flyers are going to be a big tank this season. The only hope for them this season is if they can secure the first overall pick to pick Connor Bedard. That is the biggest reward they can achieve out of this season.