NHL Metropolitan Division Preview 2015-16: Capitals Poised For Stanley Cup Run

The Metropolitan Division is poorly named, but it does include many of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and New York Rangers all have a pretty good chance at winning the East and playing in the Stanley Cup Final. Other teams in the division such as the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers won’t be an easy two points, either.

Check out our preview for the Metro below.

1) Washington Capitals
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 45-26-11, eliminated in conference semifinals
Notable Additions/Departures: Joel Ward (departure, free agent), Troy Brouwer (departure, trade), T.J. Oshie (add, trade), Justin Williams (add, free agent)
Outlook: On paper, this is the best Capitals team of the Alexander Ovechkin era. The forward group has a great mix of veterans with Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie in the primes of their careers, as well as up-and-coming stars such as top-six center Evgeny Kuznetsov.

The blue line plays with a physical edge and also excels in transition, while starting netminder Braden Holtby has established himself as an upper-echelon player with the best playoff save percentage among active goalies with 40 or more starts.

Washington is built for a deep playoff run, and the additions of Oshie and three-time Stanley Cup champion Justin Williams could push them over the hump.

2) New York Rangers
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 53-22-7, eliminated in conference finals
Notable Additions/Departures: Carl Hagelin (departure, trade), Cam Talbot (departure, trade), Jarret Stoll (add, free agent)
Outlook: The Rangers were so close to making back-to-back Cup Final appearances before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the conference finals. The Blueshirts again will be among the top East contenders with a talented forward group and deep blue line, both of which didn’t lose any key players from last season (except Carl Hagelin, but he often was injured). Of course, the presence of elite goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will keep New York in just about every game. The former Vezina Trophy winner hasn’t declined statistically or physically as he approaches his mid-thirties.

Barring major injuries, the Rangers will be a very tough out in the 2016 playoffs.

3) Pittsburgh Penguins
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 43-27-12, eliminated in conference quarterfinals
Notable Additions/Departures: Phil Kessel (add, trade), Eric Fehr (add, free agent), Nick Bonino (add, trade), Brandon Sutter (departure, trade)
Outlook: The Penguins were devastated by injuries/health issues last season, particularly on the blue line with Kris Letang and Olli Maatta. Both are back healthy and leading an improved defenseman corps that includes breakout candidate Derrick Pouliot, a potential top-pairing D-man drafted eighth overall in 2012.

Pittsburgh’s major offseason acquisition was Phil Kessel, one of the best offensive players in the league and a proven 30-to-40-goal scorer. Kessel will be the elite scorer that captain Sidney Crosby has lacked on his wing for the last several seasons.

The Penguins will score a ton of goals this season, both at even strength and the power play. If the blue line stays relatively healthy and the goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury is good (doesn’t have to be great), this could be a sleeper Stanley Cup team.

4) New York Islanders
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 47-28-7, eliminated in conference quarterfinals
Notable Additions/Departures: Marek Zidlicky (add, free agent), Steve Bernier (add, free agent), Thomas Greiss (add, free agent), Michael Grabner (departure, trade), Griffin Reinhart (departure, trade)
Outlook: The Islanders took a huge step last season and nearly advanced to the second round for the first time since 1992-93. Superstar center and captain John Tavares leads a high-scoring, fast-paced forward group, while Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy anchor an improving blue line. One of the few concerns is the goaltending of Jaroslav Halak. He posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.43 goals against average last season, both of which are underwhelming on a good team that dominated puck possession at times.

It’s going to be an exciting first season in Brooklyn for the Isles, who should make the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns.

5) Columbus Blue Jackets
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 42-35-5, missed playoffs
Notable Additions/Departures: Brandon Saad (add, trade), Marko Dano (departure, trade), Artem Anisimov (departure, trade), Gregory Campbell (add, free agent)
Outlook: The Blue Jackets are a trendy pick to make the playoffs in the East this season, but the blue line is a major concern. There’s no legitimate No. 1 defenseman to play shutdown minutes against the opponents’ top forwards, and the unit as a whole lacks quality depth.

The forward group has the potential to score more goals, especially after acquiring top-six winger Brandon Saad from the Chicago Blackhawks. However, it will be interesting to see how productive Saad becomes without Jonathan Toews as his center.

Columbus needs a healthy Sergei Bobrovsky in net and improvement from many defensemen to make the playoffs from the most competitive division in the East.

6) Philadelphia Flyers
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 33-31-18, missed playoffs
Notable Additions/Departures: Michal Neuvirth (add, free agent)
Outlook: The Flyers are taking the right approach to rebuilding, or retooling on the fly, however you want to phrase it. They have built a competitive core with Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn, while spending recent first-round picks on defensemen with enormous potential such as Samuel Morin and Ivan Provorov.

Philly won’t challenge for a playoff spot this season and is destined for another lottery pick, but that’s OK. This is the patience the Flyers haven’t always shown, and it will be worth it in a few years when they are back among the division’s elite.

7) New Jersey Devils
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 32-36-14, missed playoffs
Notable Additions/Departures: Steve Bernier (departure, free agent), Jiri Tlusty (add, free agent)
Outlook: The Devils are not going to be a good hockey club this season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they end up with a top-five pick. Being the worst team in the league and winning the draft lottery might be the best scenario for this rebuilding franchise, but that won’t happen as long as Cory Schneider is in net. The former Boston College goaltender is an elite player at his position, and he kept the Devils in a lot of games last season despite having one of the least potent offenses. The development of highly skilled 2015 first-round pick Pavel Zacha will make the season worth watching for Devils fans.

8) Carolina Hurricanes
2014-15 Record/Playoff Result: 30-41-11, missed playoffs
Notable Additions/Departures: Eddie Lack (add, trade), Alex Semin (departure, free agent)
Outlook: The Hurricanes are going to be bad this season. There’s no other way to put it. This team has major issues at both ends of the ice, in net and on special teams. The uncertain futures of captain and No. 1 center Eric Staal and goaltender Cam Ward also could be a distraction. Both players are entering the final years of their deals with UFA status on the horizon.

Carolina securing a top-three pick in the 2016 draft is a pretty safe bet.

Thumbnail photo via Jean-Yves Ahern/USA TODAY Sports Images