NHL 2021-22 Metropolitan Division Preview

The NHL has used geographical names for their conferences and divisions since the 1993-94 season. For five seasons, the Western Conference (formerly the Campbell Conference) had the Pacific and Central Divisions, while the Eastern Conference (formerly the Wales Conference) had the Atlantic and Northeast Divisions. When the divisions were realigned in the 1998-99 season, two more were created: the Northwest and Southeast Divisions. The league went back to four divisions in 2013-14, and among the division names was one that stood out the most: Metropolitan. That's not exactly geographical, but it fits the division because of the cities represented. So for the last eight years, we've had the Metropolitan Division (nicknamed "Metro" for short), and it's a pretty fun division to watch.

The Metropolitan Division was formed by keeping the five-team Atlantic Division intact (New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins), and placing them with the Southeast Division's Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets from the Western Conference's Central Division. The Blue Jackets were one of three teams who switched conferences in the 2013-14 season, as they and the Detroit Red Wings moved from West to East, while the Winnipeg Jets moved from East to West. The Metropolitan Division is basically Patrick Division 2.0. The same six teams from the old Patrick Division are together in the Metro, with the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets being added to the mix. It is the only all-American division in the NHL.

At the moment, the division's upper echelon teams are the Penguins, Capitals, and Islanders, though the order is a variable. The three clubs have reached the Eastern Conference Final in five of the last six seasons, and in that span, they have won three Stanley Cups. The reason why those three teams are the class of the Metro is simple: the Penguins are led by Sidney Crosby, the Capitals are led by Alex Ovechkin, and the Islanders have a fantastic group of players with an amazing coach in Barry Trotz. Of the three, however, the Islanders seem to be the best out of the bunch, as they are coming off back-to-back appearances in the NHL's Final Four. Could we see the Isles atop the Metro at regular season's end? Time will tell.

So who is a close fourth behind those three teams? That's a bit tricky. IMO, it's between the Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, and Flyers, with an argument made for each of them. What we saw from the Flyers this past season was, well, underwhelming, but this is a team who is capable of good things. The team needs to just get everything together and get their ducks (not the ones in Anaheim) in a row, and they could be a threat to any of those top 3 teams in the Metro. The Hurricanes are loaded, but they did lose Alex Nedeljkovic to Detroit; that could be a detriment. Even so, Carolina always makes noise and has been making a lot of it since the 2018-19 season. Speaking of that season, that was the year that the Blue Jackets finally won a series, doing so against a Lightning team who won 62 games. But just as they were being taken seriously, a disastrous 2020-21 campaign happened. It remains unknown if the Jackets will get that magic back; it could be a while.

That leaves the Rangers and Devils. The latter team, well, doesn't really show any strong signs of resurgence. The Devils last made the playoffs in 2018, though with the way they've been playing, one would think that they haven't reached the playoffs in about ten years. The Rangers, however, do look promising. They did have some good moments in that localized East Division last year; moments where it did look like they could climb the ranks and make the playoffs, but it just didn't happen.

So how will the Metropolitan fare in the 2021-22 season? The Penguins, Capitals, and Islanders will definitely represent the Metro's top 3, but I do not know what the order of finish will be. It can't be predicted; it's the NHL equivalent of trying to predict who will win the NFC West. I do think the Hurricanes will join them as a Wild Card; I just can't see the Flyers, Jackets, and Rangers passing them, and I think it'll just be another long season for the Devils.

If you like this story, feel free to click the heart below! If you really love this story, feel free to leave a tip, but only if your heart desires!