After their first postseason appearance in a decade, the Carolina Hurricanes have loaded up for another run. Finding success in the volatile Metropolitan Division will make or break those hopes.
Gauging the NHL’s Metropolitan Division is akin to navigating a minefield while blindfolded, drunk, and riding a hoverboard. Needless to say, the Carolina Hurricanes have their work cut out for them. The Washington Capitals, who have won the division in 4 times since its 2013 inception, should still be dangerous.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, winning Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017 while members of the Metro, seem to be slowing down, but they still boast the 1-2 punch of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
The New York Rangers, who won the division in 2015, have expedited their rebuild with the additions of coveted free agent Artemi Panarin and Finnish phenom Kaapo Kakko. The New Jersey Devils also added key pieces, drafting Jack Hughes and trading for P.K. Subban. Meanwhile, the New York Islanders, fresh off a surprise 103 point season, lost starting goaltender Robin Lehner to free agency. To fill his spot, GM Lou Lamoriello brought in the oft-injured Semyon Varlamov.
In Philadelphia, the annual goaltender search looks to have finally reached an end with the impending ascendance of Carter Hart. The big question is how much he can help the Flyers improve on their -37 goal differential from last season. If the young goalie finds his groove, the Flyers could end up back in the playoffs. If not, it could be another long season in Philadelphia.
Free agency bit a number of teams, but none harder than the Columbus Blue Jackets. GM Jarmo Kekalainen went all-in for the playoffs and while the Jackets won a playoff series, they were knocked out in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cups Finalist Boston Bruins. The offseason hit the Arch City hard. Gone are Panarin, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, and Sergei Bobrovsky. While they did add Gustav Nyquist, he alone won’t put the Jackets back in the mix.
The Carolina Hurricanes, fresh off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, had a very busy summer. They fortified their forward depth with the acquisitions of Erik Haula and Dzingel and added Jake Gardiner and highly-touted collegiate player Chase Priskie to an already stacked blueline.
Remember this Chase Priskie goal that made #SCTop10 against Clarkson? @CanesNHL fans will see plenty more highlight reel goals like this! #BobcatNation pic.twitter.com/psJtYZwId7
— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) August 17, 2019
The question is whether the goaltending can perform at or near last season’s pace. Petr Mrazek, one half of last year’s tandem, was re-signed while veteran backup Curtis McElhinney left Raleigh for Tampa Bay. GM Don Waddell was able to unload the Scott Darling contract, picking up seasoned goalie James Reimer in return. Swedish netminder Anton Forsberg was added in a trade with Chicago over the summer. Both will face competition for the backup role from Alex Nedeljkovic, fresh off a Calder Cup Championship.
So, let’s take a look at the division and what the Carolina Hurricanes will need to do against their Metro counterparts.