Last week was one of the wildest weeks that I can remember since becoming a hockey fan over two decades ago. We've seen crazy days, but it felt like something big happened almost every day. In many ways, it might've already shaped how the Metropolitan Division could look in 2026-27. For the Carolina Hurricanes, it means that some teams have them directly in their sights.
The madness before, during, and after the draft has turned what seemed to be a quiet and boring offseason into something much crazier than originally expected. There is certain to be much more on the horizon with free agency beginning on Wednesday at noon. Before that begins, let's take a look at the current state of the division.
Rumors are swirling, voices are getting louder for two Columbus stars
There's arguably nothing that the Blue Jackets can do this summer that will drown out the noise surrounding Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, their two most impactful players. Marchenko has made it clear that he's unlikely to extend long-term with the Blue Jackets, and Werenski has indicated that he likely won't be in Columbus beyond the terms of his contract.
This puts Columbus in a tough spot. Marchenko has one year left at $3.85 million, and he still has one more year of team control before he's UFA-eligible. He had 27 goals and 67 points a season ago. Werenski is coming off the first Norris Trophy of his career and has two years left at $9.58 million. He has a no-movement clause this season, which drops to a 10-team trade list in 2027-28.
They tried to make a big splash before the draft, bringing in Valeri Nichushkin in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche. However, losing one, let alone both, of their stars would be a massive problem for the Blue Jackets. They've been close to the playoffs in the last few years, but it's hard to envision a path there without Werenski or Marchenko in the mix.
New Jersey feels stuck in limbo after two notable trades
Most of the teams in the division feel like they are moving in a clear direction. The next two are the only ones that aren't, at least right now. The New Jersey Devils were hit with countless injuries this season, forcing them to finish outside the playoffs. Jack Hughes led the team in scoring despite missing 21 games. They are a skilled team. They just couldn't stay healthy to save their lives.
The Dougie Hamilton rumors have been silenced, especially after the team traded Simon Nemec (and Maxim Tsyplakov) to the Calgary Flames before the draft. There also isn't much need to worry about captain Nico Hischier. He's eligible to sign an extension on Wednesday, and all reports indicate that he's sticking around for a little while.
The biggest area of concern is goaltending. Jacob Markstrom, who posted a .883 save percentage and was set to begin a two-year deal with New Jersey, was traded to Florida on Tuesday for Evan Rodrigues, shaking up how the Devils will look between the pipes. Jake Allen is under contract for the next few years, and Nico Daws is waiting patiently, though there could be something bigger coming.
As the division builds, it has been mostly quiet on Long Island
If you have been looking for signs of life from the New York Islanders this offseason, there have been few and far between since the end of their season, which saw them miss the playoffs. They've made the odd signing here and there, giving former Hurricane Tony DeAngelo a two-year extension before he became a free agent, but it has been otherwise quiet.
The team has a superstar to build around in All-Rookie and Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Ilya Sorokin is one of the best goalies in the world when he's on and given the proper help. That's where the issues lie. Their core is getting a little older, with most of their highest-paid players 30 years old or older.
Captain Anders Lee is a pending UFA, and Mathew Barzal's name has been mentioned in some trade rumors. They have more young defensemen waiting in the wings to get their chance, so a significant youth movement could be on its way behind Schaefer. They'll try to be aggressive on the trade market, but I'm not sure how much is out there that would make sense for them.
The Rangers took a big swing at the draft, though questions remain
It has been a disappointing two years on Broadway for the New York Rangers. They went from winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2024 to missing the playoffs in 2025 to finishing with the worst record in the Eastern Conference in 2026. It led to another letter being released by the Rangers' front office. They don't seem content with that, and they've made one big move already.
One of the more shocking moves on Friday night during the draft was the Rangers trading for RFA Pavel Dorofeyev and signing him to a seven-year, $77 million deal ($11m AAV). Dorofeyev has developed into a big-time goal scorer with Vegas, potting 35 goals last season and 37 this season, including 20 goals on the power play.
There are still rumblings about Vincent Trocheck being a trade option for the Rangers, so that is a big question for them to answer this summer. He was a popular trade candidate at the trade deadline, but the Rangers' ask was still very high. It sounds like they might not be requesting as much now, so we'll see if that prompts a move before training camp begins.
It sounds like it'll be a summer of extensions in Philadelphia
The 2025-26 season saw the Philadelphia Flyers back in the postseason because of a furious run down the stretch, finishing third in the division after it looked like they were done at the trade deadline. Instead, they qualified and won a round in the playoffs. They have a bit of a youth movement going on as well, led by Porter Martone, who'll get a chance to really shine in his first full season.
The Flyers appear poised to hand out several extensions this summer. Dan Vladar's is practically agreed to already (5 years, $27.5 million) and will likely be official on Wednesday. Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras are almost certain to follow sometime after July 1. All three have more than earned their pay increases, especially Zegras, who thrived in his first season as a Flyer.
The group also got a tidy bit of work done before the draft, acquiring Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a package that included Samuel Ersson and Emil Andrae. Vladar and Woll will be a formidable duo to deal with in the Metropolitan Division. They also traded Garnet Hathaway to the Panthers, though they retained half of his final year.
Pittsburgh is keeping the band together as they eye one last Stanley Cup
Speaking of teams in Pennsylvania that were massive surprises in 2025-26, the Pittsburgh Penguins are positioned to be an "all-or-nothing" team this season. Almost all of their stalwarts are in the final years of deals, including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, who signed a deal in May despite being told he wasn't coming back before the season, and Erik Karlsson, with Kris Letang being the exception.
It hasn't been a very loud start to the offseason for the Penguins, outside of Malkin's one-year extension. They made a small deal with Washington to bring in Hendrix Lapierre, and another to add Kaedek Korczak from Vegas, but that's about it. Meanwhile, they have a laundry list of players who are hitting free agency without many impactful free agents to replace them with.
The biggest question, to me, will be in the net. Stuart Skinner is a UFA, and Arturs Silovs is an RFA, but it feels like a formality that he'll be back. Sergei Bobrovsky is the top UFA goalie on the market, and behind him, there isn't a ton. Skinner might be the second-best goalie available. Is it worth the Penguins trying to run it back with him, or will they get aggressive on the trade market?
Is Washington preparing for a retirement or building for one last run?
One of the most active teams ahead of the draft was the Washington Capitals, completing a pair of moves to bring in truly impactful forwards. They started by trading for Jordan Kyrou, sending Connor McMichael, a prospect, and a first-round pick to the Blues. Then, they completed a sign-and-trade with the Buffalo Sabres to nab the expected top free agent on July 1, Alex Tuch.
It has led to two schools of thought regarding the Capitals, both concerning Alex Ovechkin's status for next season. Some believe that the Capitals are building to give Ovechkin a true contender around him for one last chance at his second Stanley Cup. Others think these moves are in preparation for Ovechkin announcing that he's going to hang up his skates.
Ovechkin, who'll turn 41 before the season starts, is a UFA on July 1, and it would feel too weird for him to land anywhere other than Washington if he decides to come back. He'll have a significantly better supporting cast around him should he decide to return, and if he doesn't, Washington has done an excellent job of preparing for life after the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer.
Without much for Carolina to do, they'll be in the middle of everything
All of this leads us to the Carolina Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup champions. While the Capitals have done everything they can to try and usurp them from the top spot, it's the Hurricanes' until someone knocks them off it. They're already poised to bring back most of their roster, so it'll be hard to envision someone doing so until we actually see it.
There's not a ton that needs to be done in Raleigh this offseason, with no glaring holes in the lineup. They'll need to resolve the Alexander Nikishin situation by either signing him or trading for him. However, the front office is always on the lookout for something to improve this team, and there could be a trade or two made to make them even stronger.
One thing we haven't talked about is the element of time. As the Stanley Cup champions, the Canes will experience a shorter summer than their division counterparts. The teams that missed the playoffs have been off for over two months, while the other two that made the playoffs have followed in short order. This team is well-conditioned, so we'll see how much of a factor it really is in October.
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