Star Power

Taking a look at the Devils yesterday got me thinking about the dynamics of this division.  As we saw yesterday, offense is a huge question for the Devils.  However, they have one of the fiercest goaltending tandems in the league.  When trying to predict where teams will fall in the Metropolitan Division this year, it is crucial to take a look at their strengths and weaknesses.

Carolina Hurricanes:  The Hurricanes are one of the most top-heavy teams in the NHL.  The Staal brothers, along with Semin, Tlusty, and Skinner will carry the offense with little to no help from the bottom six.  They have a decent defense (when healthy) and Cam Ward is still a quality goaltender.  If Elias Lindholm (the fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft) makes the team he could contribute, but that is still a longshot.  This team has potential, but it is hard for me to be optimistic about their chances this year.

Columbus Blue Jackets:  Fresh off of a Vezina trophy and a two year $11.25 million contract, Sergei Bobrovsky will be seeking to prove that his breakout 2013 campaign was no fluke.  This year, however, he may finally get some goal support.  The Blue Jackets were 25th in the NHL last year in goals per game at 2.4.  At the trade deadline they added Marian Gaborik (12G-15A last season) and over the summer they signed free agent Nathan Horton (13G-9A last season, 7G-12A in the playoffs).  Their defense is decent and will be helped out quite a bit if 2012 second overall pick Ryan Murray is the real deal.

New Jersey Devils:  Sub-par offense, average defense, top-notch goaltending.  For more info, see yesterday’s blog.

New York Islanders:  A breakout season from John Tavares and a long-awaited playoff berth have fans smiling again on Long Island.  The Islanders lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Penguins in six games.  It was their first playoff berth in six years.  The Islanders are a team on the rise up front, but they are shaky on the back end.  They watched Mark Streit go to division rival Philadelphia while adding energy forward Cal Clutterbuck.  The team looks very similar to the one that made the playoffs last year.  However, Nabokov is not exactly a stud between the pipes (he is not terrible either) and the teams who they edged out to make the playoffs have improved quite a bit this summer (see Philadelphia and Columbus).  The Islanders will have to work extra hard to return to the playoffs next season.

New York Rangers:  While perusing the Rangers line up only two names really stuck out, Rick Nash and Henrik Lundqvist.  In terms of firepower up front, the Rangers do not have it.  However, they have a few young guns who could step up and contribute this season (Kreider? Brassard?).  Under Vigneault, the offense should be given more creative freedom, enabling some of those guys to improve.  The defense will be solid, as long as Staal stays healthy.  However, as Lundqvist goes, so goes the Rangers.  Like New Jersey, this team will rely heavily on their goaltending this season.

Philadelphia Flyers:  The Flyers top nine forwards this season are among the league’s best.  Giroux is now a bona-fide superstar, Voracek scored 22 goals last season (t-8th in the NHL), Wayne Simmonds has shown a great scoring touch, they added Vinvent Lecavalier via free agency, and I have not even mentioned up and comers like Schenn and Couturier.  The Flyers blue-line is a question going into the season.  Luke Schenn and Brayden Coburn are both quality stay at home guys while Timonen and Streit can move the puck.  Still, they lack any real first pairing material on the back end.  The goaltending situation in Philadelphia will be one to watch.  The tandem of Mason and Emery could be fantastic, or it could blow up in the Flyers faces.  It will be an interesting year to say the least.

Pittsburgh Penguins:  The Penguins enter another season as the favorites to win it all (Vegas odds are 5/1).  With long term extensions given to 2011-2012 MVP Evgeni Malkin and 2013 Norris Trophy Finalist Kris Letang, the Penguins have the most firepower in the NHL.  Over the past two seasons Crosby, Malkin, Neal, and Letang average a combined 1.17 points per game.  Add to that Kunitz, Dupuis, Bennett and Scuderi, and you have one of the best group of forwards and defensemen in the NHL.  The biggest problem for the Penguins going into the season is their goaltending.  Neither Fleury nor Vokoun looked all that great in the playoffs and they could become a major problem that hampers this great lineup.

Washington Capitals:  Adam Oates did a fine job in his first year as head coach of the Washington Capitals, leading them to a division title after a slow start.  The Caps are another team with their fair share of firepower.  Alex Ovechkin (the reigning league MVP), Nicklas Backstrom, Joel Ward, Troy Brouwer, and Mike Green will make for an exciting team to watch.  Grabovski will bring some skill to the table to help replace Ribeiro, who the Capitals lost to the Coyotes via free agency.  The Capitals defense core is pretty good, and should do well this season barring any injuries.  Goaltending is also a question for the Capitals.  Braden Holtby has shown flashes of greatness and had some very solid stretches.  However, at 23 years old, he still has to prove that he can perform at a high level for a full 82-game season.

The teams in this division seem to fall into one of two categories quite nicely, with the exception of the Hurricanes and Islanders.  The teams that will rely heavily on their goaltending are the Blue Jackets, Rangers, and Devils, while the Flyers, Penguins, and Capitals will use their forward skill to try and outscore their opponent. 

It is a dynamic like this that makes it so difficult to predict what will happen in this division.  Will the skill of Crosby, Malkin, and Neal be able to beat the duo of Brodeur and Schneider?  Can Voracek, Giroux, and Simmonds get the puck past their old teammate Bobrovsky? Who gets the edge, Ovechkin or Lundqvist?

“Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.”  That phrase has a lot of truth to it, however I do not think it is enough to crown the Devils division champs just yet.  As I preview the other teams in the division, sometime before October, keep this dilemma in mind.  One thing is for sure, whether it is between the pipes or on the first two lines, the Metropolitan Division is not lacking in star power.