Overreacting To And Overanalyzing The Metro Standings As Of 11/03

We are now, four weeks into the 2025-26 NHL season, and no one many could have predicted how this season is going. Looking around the NHL, teams that were supposed to be good are bad, and bad teams are good.

For the Columbus Blue Jackets, they have turned around a slow start and now are winnings of four of their last five. But where do the rest of the Metro Division sit? Let's take a look and see.

Metro Division Standings as of 11-03-25

1. New Jersey Devils - 9-4-0 (18 pts): The Devils are a powerhouse, they are one of the most offensive teams in the league and it shows. They are led by Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, but looking down their lineup, they are four lines deeps and coached very well by Sheldon Keefe.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins - 8-3-2 (18 pts): The resurgence of Evgeni Malkin has really helped the team. Finally, it isn't just Sidney Crosby carry the load, now he and his long-term teammate are pushing there Penguins up the standings.

3. Carolina Hurricanes - 7-4-0 (14 pts): This shouldn't come as any surprise, the Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the league, top to bottom. Once they can figure out how to get players like Nik Ehlers going, they are going to be danergous.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets - 7-5-0 (14 pts): As mentioned above, they are winners of four of five and look like a well oil-machine compared to the first week of the season. Their team maturity has helped fix what was wrong and now they are pushing for a spot in the top three in there Division.

5. New York Rangers - 6-5-2 (14 pts): They need to figure it out still. If they do, they could be a wild card team, but whatever needs to be fixed, needs to happen quick or they will be on the outside looking in again.

6. New York Islanders - 6-5-1 (13 pts): The Islanders are going to be saved by Matthew Schaefer. He has taken the NHL by storm and showed that he is going to be a star for years to come. This season has shown that if they allow him time to blossom, he will lead the way.

7. Washington Capitals - 6-5-1 (13 pts): Once the goal chase came to an end, who really thought this team was going to be a playoff team? It was quite clear that once Ovechkin hit the record, they would show their true colours. It may be time to look in the direction of a rebuild.

8. Philadelphia Flyers - 6-5-1 (13 pts): This is a growth year for the team. Once they have a year under their belt with this core and coaching staff, they should be good. They are young and need time to get their feet wet. Plus, not being good for this season, could have a good reward, right?

At the end of the day, the hope is that the Blue Jackets continue their strong play and we get to see playoff hockey back in Columbus again. That looks to be the case, with half the Division playing to win, and the other half in the "in-between stage." 

Let us know what you think below.

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