Metropolitan Division Power Rankings: Top Teams Separating
Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The Metropolitan Division has quickly become one of the most competitive divisions in the NHL. The Metropolitan Division has four really good teams that are fighting for playoff seeding. Barring a huge collapse, the Metropolitan Division will feature four playoff teams. The Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders will all almost indefinitely make the playoffs this year. Their seeds are still very much up in the air, and any one of those four teams could easily wind up winning the division. Here are this week’s Metropolitan Division power rankings.
Metropolitan Division Power Rankings: The Pretenders
. Carolina Hurricanes. 8. team. 109. The Carolina Hurricanes are in a bit of a predicament. They are bad, but they’re not bad enough to have a really good chance at getting Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. Either one could give the Hurricanes a huge boost and potentially make them competitive in the Metropolitan Division. They will be shopping guys like <strong></strong><strong><a href=.
New Jersey Devils. 7. team. 85. The New Jersey Devils are in the same boat as the Hurricanes, except the Devils are better. To be competitive in the Metropolitan Division, the Devils have to get some top forward talent. If they go all out and trade <strong></strong><strong><a href=. .
team. 113. The Columbus Blue Jackets have been cursed this season. They’ve lost more games due to injury than any team deserves. Despite that, they’ve been surprisingly competitive, mostly thanks to <strong></strong><strong><a href=. . . Columbus Blue Jackets. 6
5. team. 68. Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia Flyers are beginning to show signs of life. I thought that they’d be 100% done in the Metropolitan Division after <strong></strong><strong><a href=. . . Philadelphia Flyers
Metropolitan Division Power Rankings: The Contenders
4. team. 19. The Washington Capitals have improved a lot this year thanks to new head coach Barry Trotz. They have a very good chance of winning the Metropolitan Division if they can beat the Rangers and Penguins when they play them. <strong></strong><strong><a href=. . . Washington Capitals
The Pittsburgh Penguins, much like the Blue Jackets, have been cursed with injuries this year. The difference between them and Columbus? The Penguins have <strong></strong><strong><a href=. . . Pittsburgh Penguins. 3. team. 92
New York Rangers. 2. team. 95. The New York Rangers are a very hot team despite losing starting goaltender <strong></strong><strong><a href=. .
. . New York Islanders. 1. team. 106. The New York Islanders remain the best team in the Metropolitan Division, even without <strong><a href=