Is there any taming the Metro Division?

It’s no secret that the Metropolitan Division is an absolute meat grinder. And winning this division isn’t easy, ever. But last season, Carolina and New Jersey sure made it look easy. The Ranger and Islanders didn’t do too bad either. And it’s very clear who the top 4 teams are in the Metro.

Since it's inception in 2014, only four teams have won the division. Pittsburgh (1), NYR (1), Washington (5) and Carolina (2). Three cup winners have come out of the Metro since 2014, Pittsburgh in 15-16 and 16-17, and Washington in 17-18. NYR has also made it to the Cup Final once and lost. Three times the Presidents Trophy has come out of the Metro. The 2015 NYR, and Washington did in twice, back to back years in 2016 and 2017. The CBJ have averaged right around 87 points a season while in the Metro Division, but have never won it.

Last season, the Capitals and Penguins finally took a step back. The aging Penguins playoff streak was finally snapped at 16. After multiple Stanley Cups, and numerous playoff wins, they were finally stopped. And as incredible as it sounds, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin played in all 82 games in 22-23 together, for the first time in their careers. That stat just seems fake.

The Washington Capitals playoff streak was also snapped at eight. During the streak we finally got to watch Alex Ovechkin win a championship, beating the upstart Vegas Golden Knights. How did Ovi do in a season that saw them miss the playoffs by 12 points? He went out and scored 42 goals and moved into second all-time behind Wayne Gretzky. He would finish the season with 822, a mere 72 behind Gretzky. He will pass that sometime in the next two seasons.

So that leaves the Flyers and Blue Jackets at the bottom. Philly had a bad year, but the CBJ had a terrible year. With 545-man games lost, somehow that wasn’t the most in the NHL. But both the Flyers and Blue Jackets are making moves in the off-season and look to steadily improve. Both teams are in re-builds, with Columbus hoping to come out of it sooner rather than later, and the Flyers just starting.

How did each team do against their Metro Rivals?

New Jersey seemed to have figured the Metro out last season, Columbus did not.

When you look at the average age of each team, it almost matches up with the standings exactly. The youngest team, the CBJ, finished last. The second youngest team the Devils, made the playoffs, but some feel they are ahead of their time. The two oldest teams, the Caps and Pens, didn’t make the playoffs. See how that works? Minus the Flyers, who were the third youngest team, every team in the middle made the playoffs. Young teams have been known to win the Stanley Cup, but typically it takes a mix of veterans and youth to win. And the teams in the middle, have just that.

The CBJ average age at the end of last season finished at 25.9, that’s active roster players. And seeing how they had most of the vets hurt, it makes sense why it was so low. But this season, they’re bringing in Damon Severson (28) and Ivan Provorov (26) to the help with that situation. Not to mention any other vets they may sign in free agency, or trade for. There must be a good mix, but are they there yet?

The CBJ will look to improve from last season. Staying healthy is the main thing. One would imagine that they aren’t in a lottery position next season. They are about to draft the center of the future that could very well play in 2023-24. They still have Gaudreau, Laine, Werenski and a plethora of young potential superstars, so it’s looking up. But how far up are we looking?