It seems like yesterday that we were in the summer and discussing the Blue Jackets plans for the 2025-26 season. Now, all of the sudden, we're three weeks into the year. 

The predictions for the Metro were all over the place. Many had the usual suspects like the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and Washington Capitals at the top, so where are they after three weeks? Let's take a look. 

Metro Division Standings as of 10-23-25

1. New Jersey Devils - 6-1-0 - 12pts - Led by Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes, the Devils are looking to have a bounce back year after a "disappointing" 24-25 season. So far, so good for the Devils.
2. Carolina Hurricanes - 5-1-0 - 10pts - Same ole, same ole for the Canes. Their expectations are to win the cup and nothing else. But to do that, they need to get there. Their retooling of the roster seems to have worked.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins - 5-2-0 - 10pts - The Penguins aren't playing like they want Gavin McKenna, at least not yet. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, the old heads of the Pens, are leading the team in scoring yet again. When will they finally drop off?
4. Washington Capitals - 5-2-0 - 10pts - The Capitals are expected to take a step back after the Ovechkin goal chase. So far, Tom Wilson is leading the charge in scoring, with Alex Ovechkin having only scored once. But don't fret, the Capitals come to Columbus on Friday night with Ovi at 898 career goals. I expect him to hit 900 against the CBJ, because of course he will.
5. Philadelphia Flyers - 3-2-1 - 7pts - The Flyers were picked by most to finish in the bottom two of the Metro, and so far, they're disappointing everyone. They don't score much, but don't give up many goals either.
6. New York Rangers - 3-4-1 - 7pts - What even are the Rangers? Are they good? Are they bad? I don't think anyone knows. But with recent news that Artemi Panarin isn't willing to take a discount in NYC, everyone is wondering where he will end up. They were shut out in three straight home games before Panarin finally broke that streak. So far, the Rangers are not looking like a team that will battle for the Metro.
7. Columbus Blue Jackets - 3-3-0 - 6pts - The CBJ started out slow but have now won two straight going into this weekend's games against the Caps and Pens. The goalies have been magnificent; they just can't seem to score goals in bulk. Look for that too change this weekend.
8. New York Islanders - 3-3-0 - 6pts - I think the Islanders are where we thought they would be. What no one expected was for the youngest player in the league to be leading the team in points. 2025 first overall pick Matthew Schaefer has 2 goals and 7 points in 6 games, while averaging 22:07 in ice time. I would expect, in the end, that the Islanders finish somewhere in the mushy middle.

It wouldn't be NHL hockey without everyone overreacting to the standings after three weeks, and we're no different. Usually by late November, the playoff teams are pretty much set, give or take a spot or two.

A season can't be won in the first few weeks, but it can surely be lost by a slow start. The schedule makers didn't do the CBJ any favors with their schedule for October, but pulling out victories against Tampa and Dallas was crucial from keeping the start of the season from going off the rails in a hurry. 

This team knows they can beat anybody on any given night; they just need to score. With Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins playing lights out, the defense being somewhat stingy, and guys like Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov doing what they do best and scoring, the Blue Jackets should be hanging around for a good long while.   

Yes, the Jackets are only .500, but given their strength of schedule, I'll take 3-3 every time. The cream will eventually rise to the top, and the non-contenders will sink to the bottom. But for now, we get to watch teams underperform and overperform, all while we overanalyze it and overreact. 

Sit back and have some fun. 

Up Next: They’ll return home to host the Washington Capitals on Oct. 24 in the first half of a back-to-back. The second leg comes against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which could be an early-season statement game. If they can pick up wins against the Capitals and Penguins, it could move them into the top four in their division.

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