How The New Jersey Devils Currently Stack Up Against A Revamped Metropolitan Division

The Metropolitan Division got a bit of an overhaul this offseason. I know I’m not breaking any news here, as this site and plenty of other outlets have discussed the changes in the Metro since the end of this past season. Not only that, but change is a constant in the NHL, so it would be bizarre if any given division didn’t look significantly different from one season to the next. Still, just because specific changes have been documented and general changes are expected doesn’t mean they aren’t worth going over in depth.

And that’s what we’re going to do today. Each and every team in the Metropolitan Division looks different heading into 2026-27. Some teams underwent more significant changes than others, some got better, and some got worse…at least on paper. Let’s roll through the Devils’ divisional rivals and see where they stand after the bulk of the offseason work has been done. Then we’ll take a look at New Jersey and try to figure out where they lie in the pecking order of the division hierarchy.

(All cap space numbers come from the invaluable PuckPedia)

Carolina Hurricanes

2025-26 Season Results: 53-22-7, 113 points; Won Stanley Cup

Notable Additions: none

Notable Subtractions: Frederik Andersen

Current Cap Space: $9.9M

We start with the champs. The Carolina Hurricanes finally got over the hump in the Rod Brind’Amour era and won a Stanley Cup. I would argue that it was set up perfectly for them to win, with a hilariously easy field to get through, but it’s undeniable that they were one of the best teams in the entire league and could’ve easily won the Cup even if the competition was stiffer. In any case, flags fly forever, and the Hurricanes are the champions. The Devils have had such a difficult time playing against Carolina over the past few seasons, and now they have to deal with their boogeyman hoisting a trophy in their faces.

As far as their offseason goes, it has been very, very quiet in Raleigh. That’s due to a number of factors, such as a weak free agent class, a decent-but-not-vast amount of cap space to work with, and the fact that Carolina’s roster is already pretty set heading into next season. They did not make any notable additions, unless you count the signing of Juuso Valimaki or the re-signing of Nic Deslauriers. They also didn’t draft anyone that will make an immediate impact on their NHL roster this season. And on the flip side of the coin, Carolina did not lose anyone of note either, with one obvious exception: Frederik Andersen. The veteran goalie was lights out in the postseason for the Hurricanes until the Stanley Cup Final, where after Game Two, he was replaced by Brandon Bussi, who took Carolina the rest of the way. Andersen ended up signing in Edmonton, so the Hurricanes goaltending is currently in the hands of Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov.

There is one more potential subtraction though: Alexander Nikishin. The Russian defenseman is a Restricted Free Agent, and there are rumors swirling that Carolina might be looking to trade him. If he leaves, that would certainly count as a notable subtraction, but as of this writing, he is still an RFA under team control. It’s a situation that bears monitoring.

Outside of that, while it’s not a full blown subtraction, it’s worth noting that Seth Jarvis underwent shoulder surgery in late June and is expected to miss 4-6 months. If it’s the early part of that timeframe, he should only miss about a month of action. If it’s the the full six months, that would put his return around Christmas, which would be a significant chunk of the season. Though I believe Carolina is a deep enough team to weather his absence and get him back up to speed before the postseason.

There wasn’t much movement in Carolina this summer, but that’s what happens when you have all of your most important players locked down to long term, team-friendly contracts for the foreseeable future.

2025-26 Season Results: 41-25-16, 98 points; Lost first round to PHI

Notable Additions: Hendrix Lapierre, Kaedan Korczak, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Andrei Kuzmenko, Nicholas Robertson

Notable Subtractions: Anthony Mantha, Ryan Shea, Parker Wotherspoon, Noel Acciari, Stuart Skinner

Current Cap Space: $16.9M

Against all odds, the Penguins finished second in the Metro this past season. Entering the year, many around the NHL expected Pittsburgh to be a bottom-five team in the league. They surprised everyone by riding a shockingly good offense (290 goals, third in the league behind only the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes) and a wave of loser points (most in the Eastern Conference) to a playoff berth. They fell to their in-state rivals in the first round when the goal-scoring dried up, but it was still a wildly successful season for the Pens when taking preseason expectations into account.

Perhaps their most notable bit of business over the offseason was inking franchise legend Evgeni Malkin to a one-year extension, keeping him in Pittsburgh for at least one more season. They also made trades for intriguing youngsters such as Hendrix Lapierre, Nicholas Robertson (still an RFA as of this writing), and Kaedan Korczak. Meanwhile in free agency, they brought in Andrei Kuzmenko and Trevor van Riemsdyk. As far as subtractions, they lost Ryan Shea, Noel Acciari, and Stuart Skinner to free agency, and they shipped Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights in the trade that brought Korczak to Pittsburgh. Anthony Mantha, who shocked everyone with 33 goals and 64 points last season, remains unsigned right now, so he could theoretically slot into the notable addition OR notable subtraction category.

Pittsburgh did a lot of shuffling at the margins of their lineup. And while I’m not sure their offense will be as potent as it was last year, they might still have enough in the tank to compete for a playoff spot again. They also have a lot of cap space with which to make even more moves if they so choose.

2025-26 Season Results: 43-27-12, 98 points; Lost second round to CAR

Notable Additions: Joseph Woll, Simon Benoit, Noel Acciari, Zach Aston-Reese, Jack Studnicka

Notable Subtractions: Garnet Hathaway

Current Cap Space: $29.6M

Philadelphia was another surprise playoff team this past season. While I don’t think most people thought they would be as bad as the Penguins, there weren’t many that thought they would finish where they did. And not only did the Flyers surprise a lot of people by making the playoffs, they even won a round while they were there! Although it was against a potentially fugazi Pittsburgh team, and the Flyers promptly came crashing back down to Earth in a second-round sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes. Still, it was a wildly successful season for them.

By far the most notable move of the Flyers’ offseason is one that didn’t actually work out: their signing of Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $18M AAV offer sheet. It was a bold move by a team that so desperately needs high-end talent. Philadelphia has done a good job filling out their roster with solid support pieces and depth players. But the most important part of any team, the game-breakers at the top, is not something that the Flyers currently possess. Their offer sheet to Carlsson was aimed at fixing that, even if it was a gross overpayment. Anaheim recently matched the offer sheet though, so Philadelphia will have to hunt for their franchise center somewhere else.

Aside from the Carlsson saga, Phildelphia added Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the offseason, and they signed Noel Acciari, Zach Aston-Reese, and Jack Studnicka in free agency. In addition to trading for Woll, the Flyers also addressed their goaltending by signing team MVP Dan Vladar to a five-year, $5.5M AAV extension. Vladar almost singlehandedly carried the Flyers to a playoff spot with his play post-Olympics, and Danny Briere rewarded him with a long-term deal. They also inked Tyson Foerster to a major eight-year, $7.1M AAV to an extension as well.

As far as major subtractions go, Garnet Hathaway was the only notable loss, going to the Florida Panthers in a trade. Other than that, Phildelphia will be rolling with much of the same lineup that got them to the second round this past season.

2025-26 Season Results: 43-30-9, 95 points; Missed postseason

Notable Additions: Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Vincent Desharnais, Boone Jenner, Justin Holl

Notable Subtractions: Connor McMichael, Brandon Duhaime, John Carlson

Current Cap Space: $75.4K

Now we get to the team that had, in my opinion, the most impactful offseason among Metropolitan teams.

The Washington Capitals were the top team in the Eastern Conference two seasons ago. They lost in the second round to Carolina, but things were looking up. Then this season, regression to the mean bit them hard, as they posted 95 points and missed the postseason altogether. 95 points is obviously not a bad season, but it was a far cry from their magical 2024-25 and obviously not good enough in a competitive Eastern Conference.

Since their Stanley Cup season of 2017-18, their core has either aged out (Nicklas Backstrom, Braden Holtby) or is about to get there (Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson). To stay competitive, Washington has tried to retool on the fly. This has resulted in them acquiring players such as Jacob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, and Logan Thompson in recent years. And this summer, they took some pretty big swings again. It started with a trade with the St. Louis Blues for star winger Jordan Kyrou. Washington had to send out talented youngster Connor McMichael in the deal (as well as a first round pick), but Kyrou is a strong player who should be worth that price. The very next day, The Caps were at it again, swinging a sign-and-trade for Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres. Instead of getting to unrestricted free agency, Tuch agreed to an eight-year, $10.5M AAV deal as part of the transaction. The biggest fish on the free agent market never actually got to free agency, landing instead in our nation’s capital.

Then in free agency, Washington signed former Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner, as well as Vincent Desharnais and Justin Holl. While certainly not on the level of players like Kyrou and Tuch, these moves should theoretically solidify the Captials’ depth.

As far as subtractions go, we already mentioned McMichael. He’s the biggest piece that walked out the door this summer. Aside from him, Brandon Duhaime left in free agency, and even though he was already gone by the time the summer rolled around, it’s worth mentioning that long-time franchise staple John Carlson is no longer a Capital, having been traded at the deadline and signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason. It’s also worth mentioning that Rasmus Sandin underwent surgery for a torn ACL in late-April. You may recall that the Devils’ own Johnny Kovacevic went down an eerily similar path recently, getting surgery to repair a major knee injury in late April of 2025. Kovacevic was not able to return until mid-January of 2026, so one would expect Sandin to miss roughly the same amount of time himself.

Columbus Blue Jackets

2025-26 Season Results: 40-30-12, 92 points; Missed postseason

Notable Additions: Valeri Nichushkin, Ryan Lomberg, Phoenix Copley

Notable Subtractions: Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment, Danton Heinen

Current Cap Space: $23.3M

It’s been two seasons in a row now of Columbus just missing the playoffs. Two years ago, they made an inspiring run at it in the face of unspeakable tragedy when we lost Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in the summer of 2024. Then this past season, they once again came close but eventually fell short, thanks to a major collapse to finish the campaign (2-8-1 over their final 11 games). It’s been tough sledding for the Blue Jackets to get back to contender status, and they suffered through a tumultuous offseason this summer.

Much like the Flyers, the most notable “move” they made was one they didn’t make. Reigning Norris trophy winner and franchise icon Zach Werenski has been at the center of tons of drama this offseason. Reports surfaced that he wanted a trade. Then reports surfaced that Columbus had a deal in place with the Dallas Stars that would’ve sent Werenski there in exchange for Thomas Harley, only for Werenski to veto the move thanks to his no-move clause. Then after all that, both Werenski and the Blue Jackets released statements establishing Werenski’s commitment to the Blue Jackets and that he wants to stay in Ohio.

Very normal stuff.

Meanwhile, Kirill Marchenko’s future is up in the air as well. The 25-year-old winger has one year left on his deal before reaching RFA status, and he has indicated that he does not have interest in re-signing long term in Columbus once his deal is up. So now the Jackets have to figure out what to do with him too.

As far as actual additions go, the Blue Jackets’ biggest move was trading for Val Nichushkin of the Colorado Avalanche. He’s not what he once was, and he comes with significant character concerns, but on the ice, Nichushkin should be able to help their middle six. They also brought in Ryan Lomberg and Phoenix Copley in free agency.

And as if the looming clouds of Werenski and Marchenko leaving weren’t enough, the Blue Jackets lost their captain, Boone Jenner, to Washington in free agency. They also watched Mason Marchment and Danton Heinen walk out the door, two wingers of varying effectiveness (although Heinen is still a free agent so Columbus does have the chance to bring him back if they want to).

Now, you might have noticed that the Jackets have a boatload of cap space. Just over $23M to be exact. But keep in mind, that’s a bit misleading, as Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger are RFAs that need new deals. Sillinger won’t break the bank, but Fantilli will cost a healthy amount. The former third overall pick hasn’t fully lived up to his pre-draft hype yet, but this is still a player with a 30-goal season and two 50-plus point campaigns under his belt. With the prices being thrown at many other players this offseason, Fantilli could easily command eight figures as a very young RFA. So expect that $23M in cap space to dry up in a hurry.

2025-26 Season Results: 43-34-15, 91 points; Missed postseason

Notable Additions: Matias Maccelli, Vitek Vanecek

Notable Subtractions: Anders Lee, David Rittich

Current Cap Space: $3M

Yet another year where the New York Islanders could not buy a goal despite playing strong defense (although, really, it’s more accurate to say it was strong goaltending). They were top-five in the league in fewest goals against (236), but 25th in the league in goals scored (229). Despite a dazzling rookie season from first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, the Islanders suffered through a middling season and missed out on the playoffs.

It was a relatively quiet offseason as far as bringing in new players. Matias Maccelli is an interesting bet that could help their middle six. And old pal Vitek Vanecek provides goaltending depth behind starter Ilya Sorokin. But that’s about it for major acquisitions.

Taking a look at their subtractions, Columbus wasn’t the only team in the division that saw their longtime captain leave this offseason. A staple on Long Island for years now, Anders Lee signed a three-year deal with the Utah Mammoth in free agency. For the first time in a career that started in 2012-13, Lee will wear another team’s sweater this season. Aside from Lee, David Rittich is gone as well, leaving for the Devils on a one-year contract.

2025-26 Season Results: 34-39-9, 77 points; Missed postseason

Notable Additions: Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Sean Durzi, Marcus Pettersson, Joe Veleno, Joonas Korpisalo, Alberts Smits

Notable Subtractions: Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Quick, Brett Berard, Adam Edstrom, Will Borgen

Current Cap Space: $7.9M

The New York Rangers had a very similar offseason to the Washington Capitals. It was a transformative one that saw the team make a couple of big moves. And it was also a season where the team had to say goodbye to a franchise staple at the trade deadline.

The biggest move by far for New York this offseason was the trade for Vegas’ Pavel Dorofeyev. The deal that the Rangers got the 37-goal scorer to agree to came in at seven years, $11M AAV. It is an open question if he can produce the kind of goal-scoring numbers he put up in Vegas without elite playmakers such as Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. But the Rangers, who are starved for players who can turn the red light on, needed to act, and Dorofeyev was one of the top options on the market. If Dorofeyev can prove he’s not totally reliant on elite linemates to do the heavy lifting for him, this will be a great deal for New York.

Elsewhere, the Rangers also sent a first round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for Marcus Pettersson, traded Vincent Trocheck to Utah for Sean Durzi, acquired Joonas Korpisalo from Boston, and signed Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno in free agency. The Rangers had some major holes to fill in the middle of their lineup, and they acquired a lot of players that they hope can fill those holes.

Finally, the Rangers are the only team in the division that drafted high enough this summer to actually land a player that might contribute in 2026-27. With the fifth overall pick, New York selected Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits. He’s a big, toolsy blueliner who might be NHL ready this year, though even if he is, how well he’ll fare in the league as a teenager is anyone’s guess.

The major subtractions have to start with Artemi Panarin, who was traded to the Los Angeles Kings at the deadline. Panarin is inarguably one of the best free agent signings of the salary cap era, and while his production and play driving were down this season in New York, his on-ice value will certainly be missed. Also gone is Trocheck, as mentioned. He was another aging player that was losing effectiveness, but he was still a steady middle six center that New York has to replace. Jonathan Quick is also gone as the backup to Igor Shesterkin, with Korpisalo taking his place.

There were a ton of moving parts in Manhattan this offseason. Whether the Rangers got demonstrably better as a result of all those moves remains to be seen.

Taking a look at all the moves that each Metropolitan Division team made this offseason, this is how I’d rank the Metro as things stand right now:

Tier 1: Hurricanes

Tier 2: Devils, Capitals

Tier 3: Islanders, Rangers, Flyers, Penguins, Blue Jackets

I don’t think anyone would argue that Carolina remains the class of the division, and they should have a great chance at repeating at Cup winners. Below them, I think I would slot the Devils in the next tier with the Capitals. While I do think that Washington would be better served in the long run by tearing it all down, I can understand not wanting to do that while Ovechkin remains on the roster. Not to mention that they seem to think they can get back to contender status with this retool on the fly approach with or without Ovechkin. Selling futures for players like Kyrou and Tuch will help them greatly over the next two to three seasons. However, I am predicting that, right around the close of the decade, the constant acquisition of effective but aging players will catch up with the Capitals, and they will plummet down to the bottom of the standings with very little postseason success to show for it. They will be a very competitive team and a likely playoff squad in the short term though, so for 2026-27, I have them right behind Carolina.

Then the rest of the division comes in below that. I debated putting the Flyers in Tier 2 with the Devils and Caps, but I think Dan Vladar’s hot streak covered up a lot of holes this team has. While I do genuinely believe they’ve built some very strong depth, the Flyers sorely lack the star power that any contender needs. The Leo Carlsson offer sheet was a valiant attempt, but it didn’t work out for them. They still have plenty of cap space to work with, but until they actually land that game-breaking talent, they will be relying on Vladar to do a lot of the heavy lifting for them, and I’m not so sure he’s the wisest bet long term.

I think the Penguins also benefitted from a great deal of good luck in 2025-26, and they’re due for a step back. The Islanders should be roughly the same, the Blue Jackets might be a little bit better but not by much, and the Rangers should be improved, but they were one of the worst teams in the league last year so even improving as much as they theoretically did should only get them to middle of the pack status.

As for the Devils, I have written recently that while I don’t think new GM Sunny Mehta has done much to raise the ceiling of this team in the short term, he has done a good amount to raise the floor. He’s gotten rid of some negative value contracts in Jacob Markstrom and Maxim Tsyplakov, not to mention getting strong value for Simon Nemec instead of signing him to a deal that, in my opinion, Nemec will not live up to. He also filled out the depth by landing Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist in the Markstrom deal with Florida. And even though the Barrett Hayton offer sheet didn’t work, I still have a degree of confidence that the team as currently constructed has enough depth to get the offense back on track. The goaltending is a bit of a concern, but if the Devils really do decide to roll with three goaltenders this season, I do think they can squeeze enough solid play out of Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich to get them to the postseason.

Keep in mind, the Devils went a disgraceful 7-17-2 against the Metropolitan this past season. If they want any shot at getting back to the playoffs, they need to greatly improve their play against divisional foes. So keeping tabs on what the other teams in the Metro have been up to this offseason is of utmost importance, and it’s worth seeing how well the Devils will match up with them with the changes they’ve made.

The major caveat to all this, of course, is that things can still change before next season begins. As things stand now, I think New Jersey should be right in the mix for second or third in the division, but it’s possible other teams make moves that propel them into Tier 2 alongside New Jersey and Washington. Or perhaps New Jersey makes a move or two themselves that helps to separate them from the pack a little bit. We usually don’t see many moves in July or August, but maybe we are entering a new era of year-round transactions being a thing.

Your Take

What do you make of the Metropolitan Division as things currently stand? Aside from Carolina, who do you see as the biggest threat? Do you agree that New Jersey is right there with Washington in the second tier? If not, how would you tier things out? As always, thanks for reading!

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