Todd Cordell
*wild card
1. Pittsburgh - They have the NHL's best 1-2 punch down the middle, a high-end goaltender, and a healthy Kris Letang. They'll be really good once again.
2. Washington - I know they lost a lot of depth but their stars remain and I think Andre Burakovsky is going to take a huge step forward this season.
3. Columbus - They have a balanced attack, two of the best, young defensemen in the league, and a Vezina caliber goaltender.
4. Carolina* - The Hurricanes have a balanced offense, a defense core loaded with quality puck movers, and play drivers, and Scott Darling should solidify their goaltending. If he does, Carolina will surprise.
5. New York Rangers* - Their defense is as good as it has been in a long time and they're very deep up front, particularly on the wings. Look for the likes of Pavel Buchnevich and Brady Skjei to take another step forward.
6. Philadelphia - I think they're going to be a pretty good team at 5v5 and Brian Elliott will be better than people think. I have them just missing the playoffs in a tough division, but if they stay healthy they could squeeze in.
7. New York Islanders - Their offense should be a lot better with the addition of Jordan Eberle and the promotions of Mathew Barzal and Josh Ho-Sang. A full season under Doug Weight should help, too. Ultimately, I think the bottom half of their defense will hurt them.
8. New Jersey - Their offense should be respectable with the additions of Nico Hischier and Marcus Johansson, but I don't think their defense is good enough to hold up in an unforgiving Metro division. The future finally looks bright, though.
Jan Levine 1. Pittsburgh - still the class of the division. Crosby and Malkin elite talents coupled with the return of Letang and full season from Murray. Be wary of the playoff wear and tear and lack of a third line center
2. Rangers - call it a hunch, but the improved blue line should take pressure off of Henrik Lundqvist. Team needs third line center at a minimum, as currently trying Flip Chytil there, and questions as to if Mike Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes can ha sleep top-two roles
3. Blue Jackets - enjoyed magical regular season run a year ago, can they repeat? Offense gets upgrade in move from Brandon Saad to Artemi Panarin. If Sergei Bobrovsky repeats Vezina campaign, they will be even more dangerous, but he still needs to prove he can do it in the playoffs. Plus, will John Tortorella revert back to his old style, grinding down this team?
4. Capitals - maybe lowered expectations will result in a deeper playoff run. Washington still has Ovi and Backstrom. Team elected to sign T.J. Oshie long-term, resulting in trade of Marcus Johansson due to cap purposes. Braden Holtby is still elite but who steps up next to John Carlson on D?
5. Carolina - another hunch. A team on the rise. I love the Scott Darling acquisition and the ‘Canes young D is deep, possibly allowing one to be dealt for additional help up front. Look for Sebastian Aho to take a step forward, the same Teuvo Teravanian, with Justin Williams providing leadership and Jeff Skinner quietly scoring 30 goals.
6. Islanders - John Tavares’ contract status and future location of the franchise loom as two major possible stumbling blocks for the team. Jordan Eberle should be better next to JT, aided by Anders Lee. Mathew Barzal is a Calder candidate and the Isles need a strong year from their blue line to contend. If the arena situation gets satisfactorily resolved and JT signs, this team could be in the playoffs.
7. Flyers - lucking out in the lottery landed Philly, Nolan Patrick. Brian Elliott is a mild upgrade in net, but not enough to result in a material rise in the standings. Claude Giroux’s production has fallen off each of the past few seasons and was experimented at left wing in the preseason, which is where he might play, next to Sean Couturier. The cupboard is stocked for the future, so there likely are better days ahead.
8. Devils - the drafting of Nico Hishier and additions of Johansson and Will Butcher improves New Jersey. The Devils still require time and a further uptick in talent to reach the next level. Losing Travis Zajac to injury hurts but it allows Pavel Zacha to garner more ice time and Taylor Hall is their star. The future looks bright at The Rock.
Jared Crozier I will preface this by saying this is the toughest division in the league, and after the first three, any of the remaining 5 could end up being a playoff team with a bit of luck. I think the top 3 are locks, and the other 5 could end up in any order, with likely 2 making the playoffs as the wildcard teams.
1. Pittsburgh - "to be the man, you have to beat the man" - Ric Flair. The Pens are "the man" right now and although they lose players like any championship team, they also seem to find adequate, cheap replacements better than any other organization
2. Washington - regular season success doesn't matter anymore
3. Columbus - knocking on the door, but will Pittsburgh let them in?
4. Carolina - I don't think they will be as strong as many do, but they are on the upswing and they will make some noise. Putting a lot of eggs in the Scott Darling basket
5. New York Rangers - Depth up the middle (or more like lack thereof) is concerning, Lundqvist isn't getting any younger and the plan B isn't what it has been the last couple of years.
6. New York Islanders - Eberle with Tavares could be magic, but goaltending a question mark for me.
7. New Jersey - Promising youth, but immediate depth is not there, missing Zajac for the first half of the season hurts more than it should. Schneider among the best goalies in division, will make things tight.
8. Philadelphia - Someone has to be last in a tough, tough division and the Flyers have some underachievers and goaltending might have actually taken a step back.
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