With 11 games remaining in the regular season, there is still a ton to be decided in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. The Carolina Hurricanes are tied atop the conference with Buffalo, with a game in hand, while they lead the division by eight points, as of Friday. There is no shortage of scenarios that can unfold over the final few weeks.
While a return to the top of the division feels like the most likely outcome, I'm not treating it as a certainty. With as wide-open as the division and the conference are right now, it means that the Hurricanes could see any number of teams in the first round. By my count, there are seven teams to seriously consider as possibilities.
During this exercise, the only teams that I'm treating as unlikely opponents are the Sabres and the Lightning. They both have over 90 points and seem poised to finish in the Top 2 of the Atlantic. With the remaining seven, I've ranked them in terms of which team gives us the most exciting series. It's not about who I think the Canes can beat in the first round. It's purely about the entertainment side.
7. Boston Bruins
Honestly, it feels like we're due for another Carolina-Boston series. It has been four years since we've gotten one, last coming in 2022 and ending with a Game 7 win for the Hurricanes. It was the third series meeting in four years between the sides, the previous two being won by the Bruins. I struggle to see how this would be a fun series.
The teams have split the first two meetings of their season series, both of which have been played in Boston. The series finale will be the Hurricanes' final home game of the season on April 7. The Bruins have David Pastrnak, who is always all over things, while Morgan Geekie facing his old team would be a good story. There are other series that stand out as being more exciting.
6. New York Islanders
Like with Boston, the Hurricanes have faced the New York Islanders a lot recently. In the seven seasons since Rod Brind'Amour took over, these two have met three times, including two of the last three first rounds. All three series have been won by the Canes, with Carolina holding a 12-3 edge in wins. It's another series that we've seen enough times to not want to see again so soon.
There is plenty about the Islanders that makes them exciting. Mathew Schaefer has made a seamless transition to the NHL, setting rookie records as an 18-year-old. He's almost certain to win the Calder Trophy. Ilya Sorokin has also been a brick wall between the pipes, making life miserable for opposing offenses. They still have two meetings left this season, including the season finale on Long Island.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins
The last supposed "hoorah" for the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang has gone far better than most could've asked for. It has them on the verge of a playoff spot, something few expected from them this season. Maybe it's the number of recent meetings, but I wouldn't be too enthused about a seven-game series against the Penguins.
These two have only met once in the postseason, squaring off in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. Back then, Jordan Staal was a Penguin, playing on the wrong side of the original Staal Bowl against his older brother, Eric. Pittsburgh swept that series in a very one-sided affair. They were the better, more experienced postseason team 17 years ago. I'm intrigued by how things would look in 2026.
4. Ottawa Senators
If there is one thing that can be guaranteed about a series against the Senators, it's that it would be an incredibly physical one. Each of the Senators' Top 4 point scorers also has at least 100 hits, and they have seven guys over the century mark. The Hurricanes have six with 100 or more, but it's the guys you would expect, like Jordan Staal, William Carrier, and Alexander Nikishin.
The Senators possess a mixture of skill and physicality that can drive a team up the wall, making it very hard to play against. The Hurricanes have struggled against teams like that in the playoffs, but I don't think they're on par with Florida or New York in that regard. Most importantly, it would give us a never-before-seen matchup in the playoffs.
3. Detroit Red Wings
We saw these two play a trio of close games this season, two of them going in the Canes' favor on home ice. The other was a very controversial finish after a furious comeback that was ruined in overtime. While they have a ton of high-end skill up front, you'd be surprised to know that it's Detroit's defense and goaltending that have them on the verge of making the playoffs.
Times have changed since the Hurricanes and the Red Wings met in the playoffs. Back then, Detroit was in the Western Conference. Their juggernaut of a lineup beat the Canes in five games to win the Stanley Cup in 2002. I don't think their current roster is quite on that level, but there's enough there to give the Canes problems, as we've seen this season.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
With the Hurricanes and the Blue Jackets meeting in a home-and-home next week to wrap their season series, I'm sure my tune will change on this within a week. There have been few teams in the league hotter than Columbus since making their coaching change. They're not only pushing for a playoff spot, but also for a chance to host their first-round series.
Still, there's the chance that they finish in a Wild Card spot, putting them in a position to meet the Canes in the first round. Do you remember how electric Columbus was when they faced the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning in 2019? It was insane. I wouldn't want to play in that environment, but it's hard to ignore how crazy it could be.
1. Montreal Canadiens
Speaking of electric buildings, there are few on the planet that get rocking as much as Centre Bell in April. The environment on Tuesday night in Montreal was crazy, and it is still only late March. The Canadiens have given the Hurricanes a hard time in both games this season, so Sunday in Raleigh will be a chance for the Canes to correct that in the season series finale.
From an excitement standpoint, this matchup has it all. There are both long-standing, going back to the Hartford days and early postseason matchups post-relocation, and recent history, with the offer sheet sagas. There appears to be genuine disdain between the fans, which could stir up some trouble online, while the action on the ice gets heated as well. As for our sanity, that might be compromised.