Metropolitan Division Offseason: Winners and Losers
By David Atlas
We’re not quite through the off-season, but it’s safe now to evaluate the moves that each team in the Metropolitan Division has made thus far and pick winners and losers. After all, not many moves will be made late into August.
In 2020-2021, the NHL realigned divisions based on geographic location in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with highly effective vaccines readily available the NHL will go back to the divisions we’ve grown accustomed to.
The reigning Metropolitan Division champions (2019-2020) are the Washington Capitals, finishing with 90 standings points, good for a point percentage of .652. Followed closely by the Philadelphia Flyers at 89 (.645) and the Pittsburgh Penguins at 86 (.623) to round out the top three. The Carolina Hurricanes finished with 81 points (.596), the New York Islanders finished fifth with 80 points in only 68 games (.588), to best the sixth place Columbus Blue Jackets who amassed 81 points in 70 games (.579). The bottom two teams were the young New York Rangers (79 points or .564) and the New Jersey Devils who finished with 68 points for a point percentage of .493.
The Metropolitan Division will look different in 2021-2022. The Capitals will prevail, narrowly, over the Hurricanes for the division title. The Islanders will place third, followed by the Penguins, Rangers, Devils, Flyers and Blue Jackets in that order.