With the new Stanley Cup Champion crowned in the Tampa Bay Lightning, it’s time to take a look ahead to the offseason and study the Metropolitan Division.
The Stanley Cup has been handed out to the Lightning and they are partying up and down Friday right now but, as we head into the offseason, it is time to look ahead to see how teams in the Metropolitan Division look heading into 2020-21 season.
So, without further ado, here is the Way-Too-Soon Power Rankings of the Metropolitan Division – let’s dive right in!
The New Jersey Devils don’t have a complete roster yet with only 9 forwards signed as this post went live. This is a very young lineup featuring the like of Jack Hughes, Michael McLeod and Miles Woods among others.
The defense is still anchored by PK Subban and new addition Ryan Murray, and tends to be on the older side with the average age being around 28. Ryan Murray, Connor Carrick and Dmitry Kulikov are all expiring after this season . But the most troubling sign for me with the Devils is goaltending. They signed Corey Crawford in Free Agency while Mackenzie Blackwood will no doubt be their 1.B netminder. This roster is incomplete, but this team does not have depth or weapons to compete in a stacked Metropolitan Division. Somebody has to come in last, and it’s going to be Jersey. Good luck Lindy Ruff!
Okay, hear me out everyone, I think the New York Rangers are going to be a good team, but in a couple of years. Oh sure, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are a really good 1-2-3 scoring machine. Add sophomore forward Kappo Kakko, 2020 No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere and the recently-signed Brendan Lemieux to the pile, and this will be a pretty stacked forward roster for years to come. Let’s just give them a few years to develop before we anoint them the kings of the Metropolitan Division, however, they’re not even the kings of New York yet.
Plus, that defense I’m a little suspect about with Jack Johnson on it, and that’s a lot of money you’re giving Jacob Trouba for the next six years, although the goalie tandem will be solid with Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev. This is a fringe postseason team, but let’s not get our hopes up just yet.
Now before we move on, these next teams are all really good and these are all interchangeable. This is just one hack’s opinion as of November.