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NHL July Power Rankings: Metropolitan Division Rising

By Dave Stevenson |
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Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

It’s crazy how drastically power has shifted in the NHL during the month of July. Teams that everyone thought were contenders in mid-June have become pretenders. Teams that were assumed to be pretenders have become contenders. NHL teams have used more than just free agency to improve during the off-season. This off-season, perhaps more than in any off-season in recent history, teams have also used trades to become either contenders or pretenders.

RELATED: Ranking The Three-On-Three Lineups Of The Metropolitan Division

That said, there are still about seven weeks before most NHL teams open their training camps, the long part of the off-season is upon us. Now’s as good of a time as any to evaluate where every hockey team is right now and whether or not they’ll be contenders or pretenders next season.

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Perhaps no division has done more this off-season than the Metropolitan Division. The Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets have all improved since the start of the off-season. The New York Rangers might have lost a few guys, but they are also the reigning President’s Trophy winners and they’ve also got some interesting guys back who might help them be even better than they were last season.

These rankings are based on several factors. First of all, who has each NHL team gained? Secondly, who have they lost? Thirdly, are they trending upwards or downwards? Keep in mind that there is still a lot of time left in the off-season for teams to improve and that there are still legitimate free agents out there who could provide help to a variety of teams.

Next: #30 to #26

NHL Pretenders: #30 to #25

Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

#30: Arizona Coyotes

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Downwards, but upwards in a roundabout way 

The Arizona Coyotes are going to be one of the worst teams in the NHL. They are clearly going to go after local product Auston Matthews, the expected first overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft after just losing out on Connor McDavid this year. Dylan Strome is a mighty fine consolation prize for them though.

Except for Strome, they haven’t picked up anyone who’s going to give them too much value. Scott should at least made games more interesting. Lindback is an interest goaltender to take a shot on. Richardson might be the kind of guy who the Coyotes look to move for picks at the NHL trade deadline.

#29: Toronto Maple Leafs

ADDITIONS: 

LOSSES: 

TRENDING: Upwards

The Maple Leafs have been very busy this off-season. They are the most committed team in the NHL in terms of stock piling draft picks to speed up their scorched earth rebuild. Most of their moves reflect that. A majority of their signings are one year deals. They will flip them at the deadline for, yup you guessed it, draft picks. That’s an efficient way to rebuild in the NHL. It might not seem like it, but there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel for Leafs fans.*

*That might or might not be a train speeding towards them.

#28: New Jersey Devils

ADDITIONS: 

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

The Devils… I don’t really know what to think about them. I really like the Palmieri trade for them. Moore certainly has potential, but three years for him when he hasn’t yet shown he’s more than a third pairing defenseman? The Devils could be the worst team in the NHL this year. Very plausible. That said, I like what they’re doing… I think. They’re finally letting their young players play. That could end well for them or it could end badly. Regardless, it’s better than letting the old veterans play at this point. This season will be largely about the Devils finding out what they have and what they need.

#27: Carolina Hurricanes

ADDITIONS: 

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

The Carolina Hurricanes finished last season quite strong. They were actually one of the better teams in the NHL post-January 1st. That said, the Canes are still in a bit of trouble. If their guys can stay healthy, they could be a dark horse candidate to make some noise. That’s not likely to happen though.

#26: Buffalo Sabres

ADDITIONS: 

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

The Buffalo Sabres are quickly on the rise. I must admit, I’m impressed how quickly they went from arguably the worst roster in the NHL to this. I love their forward group. However, their blue line still needs help. They desperately need a top pairing defenseman. If they can go get a guy like Cody Franson after losing out on Johnny Oduya, this team could be really good.

Next: Number #25 to #21

NHL Power Rankings: #25 to #21

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

#25: Vancouver Canucks

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Downwards

I’m really confused as to what the Canucks are trying to do. Yes, they made the NHL playoffs just a few months ago. However, they sort of lucked their way in. Changes were needed, and the changes that were needed if Vancouver wanted to contend in the NHL this season have yet to be made. I honestly don’t think they’ve improved themselves with any move so far this off-season. They’ve lost four pretty good players and gained (maybe) one. Their window is closing quickly with few young players in the future.

#24: Philadelphia Flyers

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

The Flyers have not done much so far this off-season, but they have definitely improved their club. They’ve managed to get rid of the contract of Pronger and Grossmann. Those were two of their awful contracts. They still have a long way to go as far as ridding themselves of some of the worst contracts in the NHL. That said, I won’t count out a team led by Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. That would be silly. Steve Mason, if he stays healthy, could be the kind of goaltender who can carry the Flyers to the playoffs despite their flaws.

#23: Colorado Avalanche

ADDITIONS: 

LOSSES: 

  • Ryan O’Reilly

Quite the off-season for the Avalanche. However, I don’t think any of their additions are going to make a huge impact next season in the NHL. Comeau did well last season with the Penguins, but only when he was paired with Evgeni Malkin. Beauchemin brings a veteran presence, but how much does he have left in his tank? The likely answer: not much. Grigorenko and Zadorov will both be great in the future and Zadorov should fill in nicely on their blue line. However, he’ll need to be eased in. Soderberg must prove that he is more than just a bottom six center. Hard to see them advancing too high in the Central Division.

#22: Edmonton Oilers

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

NOTE: It’s at this point that I’m considering teams to be contenders.

The Oilers are the “weakest” of the bunch, namely because there are so many new parts. They’ve vastly improved, arguably more than any other team in the NHL, but they have questions. Their blue line should be better, but can they be good enough to survive in the Western Conference? How good exactly is Cam Talbot? Was he just a surfer riding the huge PDO wave of the Rangers, or is he something more? Something special is brewing in Edmonton. We’ll have to see precisely how long it takes to brew.

#21: Florida Panthers

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

I really like the Florida Panthers. This team is going to be really awesome in a few years. However, that year is probably not this year. I will not rule out a playoff run because they have way too much talent for me to rule them out of a playoff spot in the NHL. However, a playoff run will require their younger players to continue to develop ahead of schedule like they have. I think they will develop, but will it be enough? They are a few pieces away, they have a deep farm system and they have cap space. That’s a pretty nice place to be in. If you aren’t rooting for the Jaromir Jagr – Aleksander Barkov – Jonathan Huberdeau line that was so much fun to watch last season, we can’t be friends.

Next: #20 to #16

NHL Contenders: #20 to #16

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

#20: Boston Bruins

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Downwards

The Bruins have probably had the most interesting off-season in the NHL. They’ve made a really dumb move (trading Hamilton for draft picks), an alright move (trading Smith for Hayes), a better move than I originally thought (signing Beleskey) and a really good move (trading Lucic for in effect two first round picks). Are they better for it? We’ll see.

#19: Los Angeles Kings

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Downwards

The Kings are sort of in a transition period. After winning two Stanley Cups in four seasons, the most interesting team in the NHL had a season when everything blew up in their face. This caused a bunch of changes, and not all of them were good. They are going to miss Williams dearly. That said, the Kings are one of the few NHL teams who have come back from a 3-0 deficit. They’ve come back from worse than this. Still, I can’t deny they are worse off than they were before.

#18: Ottawa Senators

ADDITIONS: 

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Standing still

The Senators, not to anyone’s surprise, have had a pretty quiet off-season. After a Cinderella run into the NHL playoffs, the Senators have taken a step back and realized that kind of run likely isn’t sustainable. However, they still have a good team. They have two really good goalies. They have the best defenseman in the NHL. They have a solid young forward group. They sort of do nothing extremely well, but they do everything well enough to be considered contenders.

#17: Winnipeg Jets

ADDITIONS:

  • Alex Burmistrov

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Standing still

The Jets will definitely contend in the Western Conference this season. They have the farm system to pull off pretty much any trade that they want. My only issue with them is that they did nothing to address their goaltending, though Michael Hutchinson could be a diamond in the rough for the “True North” of the NHL.

#16: San Jose Sharks

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upward

What a change for the San Jose Sharks. They went from an NHL team that was rebuilding to a legit contender. The addition of Jones is sort of questionable, but considering the goalie market, the Sharks probably got the best goalie available. And they basically trolled the Kings in doing so, so props to them for that. As a Caps fan, I really like the addition of Ward. Martin probably got one year too many, but that’s fine. They still have some work to do to really impress me, but so far this off-season has definitely been great for them.

Next: #15 through #11

NHL Contenders: #15 To #11

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

#15: New York Islanders

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

  • None

TRENDING: Standing still, but in the Metropolitan Division, that means downward.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the Islanders talent. However, Garth Snow, as brilliant of a general manager as he is, has signed a backup goalie and that’s about it. Now, Snow still has two months to screw an NHL team over. However, has the rest of the NHL realized yet that trading with Snow is probably not a wise decision? And is it really wise to stay put with their current group of guys? Especially when Kyle Okposo is likely leaving the Islanders next season?

#14: Calgary Flames

ADDITIONS:

  • Dougie Hamilton
  • Michael Frolik

LOSSES: 

  • None

TRENDING: Upwards

The Calgary Flames made two really sexy moves this off-season. They traded for Dougie Hamilton and signed Michael Frolik. However, do either of those signings fix their inherent problems? That remains to be seen. Also, it’s worth noting that Hamilton’s amazing possession stats were largely due to spending a lot of time playing with one Patrice Bergeron.

#13: Dallas Stars

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

The Dallas Stars should be an excellent team this season. They upgraded their already ridiculous forward group by trading for Sharp. Recently, they signed Johnny Oduya. Combined with Seguin, Oduya and Sharp probably make the Dallas Stars the most handsome team in hockey. My only issue with the Stars is their goaltending. I don’t really trust either of their goaltenders. They’re basically paying two guys who are slightly above NHL league average at best.

#12: Detroit Red Wings

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

I love what the Red Wings have done. Despite losing Mike Babcock to the Toronto Maple Leafs, they should yet again make the playoffs because that’s what the Red Wings do. They’ve been searching a long time for a right handed defenseman and they got one of the best in the NHL in Green. They also got a great bargain in Richards. They still have to get their goalie situation figured out, but this is a really good team.

#11: New York Rangers

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Downwards

The New York Rangers are the defending President’s Trophy winners. That said, they have experienced quite a few losses this off-season. The loss of Hagelin is going to hurt the Rangers more than most people think. Etem is good though, and I think if he’s utilized properly, he could off-set the loss of Hagelin. Raanta certainly isn’t a bad backup goalie to have. After being one of the best teams in the NHL, can the Rangers continue to ride their huge wave of PDO, or will they crash down?

Next: #10 to #6

NHL Contenders: #10 to #6

Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

#10: Montreal Canadiens

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES:

  • Brandon Prust
  • P.A,. Parenteau

TRENDING: Standing Still

The Montreal Canadiens are likely going to take a bit of a step back this season. They haven’t really addressed their major problem (their forwards). They have improved their blue line though, which was needed. They have the best goaltender in the NHL (Carey Price), so they’ll definitely be contenders. But if Price has an off-year, things could get ugly fast.

#9: Columbus Blue Jackets

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES: 

TRENDING: Upwards

If the NHL off-season were a pool party, the Columbus Blue Jackets came in a colorful speedo and did a huge cannonball by trading for WWE Champion Seth Rollins Brandon Saad. I love that move for Columbus. It came at a steep price, but thanks to Saad and Campbell, the Blue Jackets now have two guys who know what it takes to win a Stanley Cup. Campbell isn’t what he used to be, but he’s still as feisty as ever and he fits in with Columbus. They have major concerns on their blue line, but they have an elite goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky who can make up for those flaws.

#8: Pittsburgh Penguins

ADDITIONS:

  • Phil Kessel

LOSSES:

  • Steve Downie
  • Blake Comeau
  • Paul Martin
  • Thomas Greiss
  • Taylor Chorney
  • Scott Harrington
  • Nick Spaling

TRENDING: Slightly upwards

The Penguins made the biggest trade of the off-season, acquiring Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kessel has never played with an elite center since his days in Boston when he briefly played with Bergeron. They have arguably the best forward trio in the NHL in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kessel. Kessel will score 40 goals if he simply shows up to games. That said, the Penguins still have holes. Their bottom six is nothing special. Their blue line is cheap and actually pretty good. However, if/when Kris Letang gets injured, that could cause some serious issues. Still, they are a very top-heavy team. That top is about as good as any top that I’ve ever seen.

#7: St. Louis Blues

ADDITIONS: 

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Standing still

The St. Louis Blues have had an interesting off-season to say the least. Changes were needed so they traded one of the better young players in the NHL (Oshie) for a grinder (Brouwer). As a Caps fan, I love Brouwer and always will. Fantastic dude and his Winter Classic goal is probably the greatest sporting event I’ve ever witnessed live. That said, I’ll take Oshie a thousand times over Brouwer. The Blues have a very good team, but they still need to make some more changes. Otherwise, the Oshie trade just looks dumb.

#6: Minnesota Wild

ADDITIONS:

  • Mike Reilly

LOSSES: 

TRENDING: Upwards

The most important thing that Minnesota did this off-season was re-sign Vezina Trophy finalist Devan Dubnyk. The Wild’s season made a complete 180 turn the moment they traded for him. If Dubnyk can avoid a huge drop off, the Wild will be right in the mix of things come the NHL playoffs. I still think they need to add some offense, but again, they have Dubnyk. I like the Reilly signing for them. Losing Stewart is addition by subtraction.

Next: #5 to #1

NHL Contenders: #5 to #1

Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

#5: Nashville Predators

ADDITIONS:

LOSSES: 

The Nashville Predators are a lock to make the playoffs. They are a young team that is constantly getting better. Pekka Rinne quieted all of his haters with an outstanding season. They added a really good buy low candidate (Hodgson) and defensive depth (Jackman). My main concern with them is their experience. Also, teams adjusted to their scheme and were able to clog the neutral zone against them at times. They’ve got to adjust to that. With Nashville’s forwards, that shouldn’t be a difficult task.

#4: Washington Capitals

ADDITIONS:

  • T.J. Oshie
  • Justin Williams
  • Taylor Chorney

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

The Washington Capitals have had arguably the best off-season of any NHL team, even after you factor in that they lost Green and will most likely lose Fehr. They added two skilled players in Oshie and Williams. They didn’t even have to give up much to get the duo either. When I look at the Caps, I don’t see any glaring weaknesses. Their third pairing is kind of weak, but it will consist of two guys who have done well in small sample sizes (Nate Schmidt and Dmitry Orlov). Their top four defensemen are excellent, so that should help mask that flaw. They also have one of the best goaltenders in the NHL in Braden Holtby who can mask flaws even better than the top four defensemen. Oh yeah, they also have that Alex Ovechkin guy, he’s sort of alright, I guess.

#3: Chicago Blackhawks

ADDITIONS:

  • Artem Anisimov
  • Marko Dano
  • Jeremy Morin
  • Trevor Daley
  • Ryan Garbutt

LOSSES:

  • Johnny Oduya
  • Patrick Sharp
  • Brandon Saad
  • Brad Richards
  • Antoine Vermette
  • Antti Raanta

TRENDING: Downwards, but not for long

Yes, the Chicago Blackhawks have lost a lot of great NHL players. However, they’re the Blackhawks. This is what they do. They retool and they still contend. I’ve seen this story way too many times to believe they’re going to take a huge step back. As long as their core group of Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Corey Crawford are around and still kicking butt, I’ll never bet against them.

#2: Tampa Bay Lightning

ADDITIONS:

  • Erik Condra

LOSSES:

  • Mark Barberio

TRENDING: Upwards

How are the Lightning trending upwards despite adding almost nobody and losing almost nobody? They’ve got arguably the best forward group in the NHL. While they are young, they are constantly improving. If a guy goes down, they have plenty of guys who can fill in. Their blue line, led by Victor Hedman, is one of the best in the NHL. About my only concern with them is Ben Bishop. The rest of the team can mask his flaws though. They’re the team to beat in the East.

#1: Anaheim Ducks

ADDITIONS:

  • Carl Hagelin
  • Kevin Bieksa
  • Chris Stewart
  • Anton Khudobin

LOSSES:

TRENDING: Upwards

Am I really betting on Bruce Boudreau? You bet! Outside of being an adorable person who I can’t help but love, I think he’s a great coach. This year, the rest of the NHL is going to learn that the hard way. The Ducks took a team that made it to the Western Conference and made it even better. Are they going to regret that Ryan Kesler extension in about three years? Probably. But if they win a Cup or two, it’ll ease the pain.

Next: Metropolitan Division Power Rankings

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