The Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers have each won at least one Metropolitan Division title since the 2019-20 season.
But, this season, according to a panel of NHL.com writers, there shouldn’t be much variety at the top.
Seven of the nine NHL.com writers polled picked the Hurricanes to win the division this season, with the New Jersey Devils and Rangers getting the other picks.
Carolina certainly has the credentials to be division champs; the Hurricanes have done it in two of the past three seasons. Last season, they finished second to the Capitals in the division and fourth overall in the Eastern Conference before knocking out Washington in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Devils finished third in the division last season, losing to Carolina in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy two seasons ago but missed the playoffs this past season. Mike Sullivan, the former coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is now in charge, looking to get the Rangers back atop the mountain.
The Capitals, who had a conference-best 111 points, did not get any votes despite having won the division title last season and in 2019-20.
The Columbus Blue Jackets were just two points behind the Devils last season and just missed qualifying for the postseason for the first time in six seasons.
Like the Rangers, the Philadelphia Flyers have a new coach in Rick Tocchet, who coached the Vancouver Canucks last season. They are looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2020.
The New York Islanders, under new general manager Mathieu Darche, and with 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer on the blue line, will be looking to climb up from a sixth-place finish last season.
The Penguins, under new coach Dan Muse and in the middle of a rebuild, finished seventh last season.
Here are the writers on who will win the division.
Carolina Hurricanes
I’m looking at the Hurricanes with an eye on the 2021-22 Colorado Avalanche. They were coming off three straight losses in the Western Conference Second Round before finally breaking through, making it to the Stanley Cup Final, and winning it all. While I’m not quite going that far with the Hurricanes, I think this is the year they break through to the Final after having lost in the second round in three of the previous five seasons and in the Eastern Conference Final twice. I believe in what general manager Eric Tulsky is building, including the additions of Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller, and in the strides made by some of the players in that organization, including Logan Stankoven, rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin and Seth Jarvis. That will start with the Hurricanes winning the Metropolitan Division. — Amalie Benjamin, senior writer
The Hurricanes have become perennial contenders in the Metropolitan Division, finishing first or second each of the past four seasons, including second behind the Washington Capitals last season, and reached the Eastern Conference Final last season for the second time in three seasons. Signing Ehlers and acquiring Miller this offseason should help push them back to the top of the Metropolitan. Ehlers, who scored at least 25 goals five times in his 10 seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, is a much-needed offensive weapon that should fit seamlessly into their unrelenting forecheck system. The Hurricanes believe Miller can reach another level playing under coach Rod Brind’Amour following five seasons with the New York Rangers. Carolina still has to prove it can take the next step in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but with Brind’Amour getting complete buy-in from his players, they are poised to be the class of the division again during the regular season. — Tom Gulitti, senior writer