What we think we know about every team in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division

You may tell us otherwise in the comments, but at this time of year, we do know everything.

Come April we may look back in surprise at a few things, but heading into a new season we feel we have a good handle on how it’ll go for most teams. On Thursday we went through what we think we know about every team in the Atlantic Division and today we’re on to the Metro Division.

Months from now, when the playoffs conclude, we’ll look back and see what we really knew…

CAROLINA HURRICANES

We think we know the Hurricanes have the best blue line in the league and was made better with Dmitry Orlov’s arrival. We think we know that Carolina is the Metropolitan Division favourite again and that they’ll have a great regular season. We think we know they’ll have a great first round of the playoffs, too, where they haven’t lost in five years. We think we know they have one of the best head coaches in the NHL. And we think we know that, eventually, all this will lead to at least a Stanley Cup final appearance, if not a victory.

What we don’t know, though, is if this will be the season. Despite all their regular season and Round 1 success, when the Hurricanes get eliminated from the playoffs, they usually do it quickly and earlier than expected. In four of the past five seasons the Hurricanes were eliminated in a series that didn’t last more than five games.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

This was always going to be a big year for the Blue Jackets who, after adding high-end offensive wingers Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau in recent seasons, finally got the stud centre they have been chasing when they drafted Adam Fantilli. They also spent this past summer improving the back end. Now, in the wake of Mike Babcock’s hiring and firing before even coaching one game, we think we know the front office is on thin ice. After Babcock’s dismissal, ownership decided not to shake up anything else about the team, but if they don’t make a serious push up in 2023-24, we think we know there could be new shot callers in place next summer.

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NEW JERSEY DEVILS

After improving by 49 points from 2021-22 to 2022-23, we think we know the Devils are here to stay as a contender. One of the better offensive and defensive teams last season, the young Devils shot up to 112 points quicker than anyone imagined, but it wasn’t a fluke. They managed their cap to keep Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt for the long-term, establishing a core to move forward with. There are reasons to wonder about regression, such as how the goaltending is still a question mark and the notable losses from the blue line of Ryan Graves and Damon Severson. But we think we know the skill and budding potential in the lineup will find its way through again.

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NEW YORK ISLANDERS

We think we know the Islanders are still one of the best defensive teams in the league and that they have a goalie in Ilya Sorokin who could win the Vezina and carry a Cinderella team on a playoff run. We also think they’re the most confusing team to predict. Usually a stern defence and goalie means you have a surefire playoff team, but the Islanders’ offence has been weak enough to lower the ceiling.

Could the combo of Bo Horvat at centre and Mat Barzal on the wing click and elevate team scoring? Could the power play improve from 30th? You could see both situations go either way. We think we know that the Islanders range from possibly being a tough-out in the playoffs, all the way to a high-odds lottery team. After management’s decision to run it back following two straight seasons without a post-season series win, we think we’ll know what the Islanders are, definitively, by the end of 2023-24.

NEW YORK RANGERS

By the end of this season we think we’ll know whether or not Alexis Lafreniere has a future here long-term. We’re going to find out if he can make the move to right wing to fit in the top-six and, if not, we’re not sure he’ll be a fit on the third line past the expiry of his bridge deal in 2025. If the Rangers, with a brand new coach in Peter Laviolette bringing a fresh look, don’t feel this move to the right side works, we think we know they’ll start considering an exit plan.

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PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

We think we know that the Flyers are, finally, going to put themselves on the right track — however, we also think we know that the organization could shift focus again at the drop of a hat. The Flyers have needed to rebuild a roster that has missed the playoffs three years in a row — the longest such drought for the team since the early-1990s. But the franchise has a deep-rooted desire to always compete and so have shied away from planning to step back. Now, under Keith Jones and Daniel Briere, the new bosses are saying all the right things about a rebuild.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

We think we know the Penguins fully believe in a bounce back from Tristan Jarry. Though Jarry didn’t have a great season in 2022-23, he attributed that to the fact he was dealing with a few injuries that limited him to 47 games and affected his play all year. That the Penguins signed him to a five-year extension with a $5.375 million cap hit tells us they know what they have with him. After some major upgrades to the blue line and some adjustments up front, the Penguins are eyeing a playoff return. Jarry is the X-Factor to making it happen and we think we know he’s up to the task.

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WASHINGTON CAPITALS

We think we know the end has come for this group as a Stanley Cup contender. Yes, the Capitals were hammered by injuries to a few key players last season and having most back healthy should help. However, the Capitals themselves also have questions about Nicklas Backstrom’s ability to return to peak form and the relationship with Evgeny Kuznetsov seems to have deteriorated somewhat as his production has declined. While the rival Penguins made a few notable changes to bring about new optimism, the Caps are mostly the same and it seemingly has to all break right for them to rise again. We think we’ll know by the end of the season that, yes, these Capitals will need to change over quite a bit.

More from Sportsnet

What we think we know about every team in NHL’s Atlantic Division

How will Erik Karlsson fit with Kris Letang and the Penguins?

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