Training camps opened this past week, and it's now time to check in on the Metropolitan Division. While it's still a close and competitive division -- which includes last year's Presidents' Trophy winners in the Rangers -- there is no obviously elite team to begin the year. The old guard is still trying to hold on, while a number of young teams are looking to take their place.
New York Rangers
The top regular-season team from 2023-24, the Rangers fell short of the Stanley Cup Finals by losing to the Panthers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is still a very good team and one that has kept most of its pieces from last year around. The competition will be fierce in the Metropolitan, but the Rangers have high-end talent at many positions, giving them a good chance to have home ice for at least two rounds in the playoffs.
The departures from last season were minimal -- trade-deadline acquisitions Alexander Wennberg (San Jose) and Jack Roslovic (Carolina) walked, while Tyler Pitlick and Blake Wheeler remain unsigned. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson departed for Detroit. The additions were likewise limited, with fourth-line center Sam Carrick coming in from Edmonton and Reilly Smith acquired via a trade with the Penguins for a pair of picks. Chad Ruhwedel was also re-signed to compete for a spot on the blue line.
In terms of the lack of moves, you don't try to fix what isn't broken. The Rangers have a strong, though not perfect, top six headlined by winger Artemi Panarin after his career-best 49-goal, 120-point season. He should work on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere after the trio played well together last year. The all-situations duo of Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad remains together, though it's unclear if it'll be Smith, Kaapo Kakko or someone else playing right wing on that line. Kreider's last three years have been his best, including a 39-goal, 75-point 2023-24, and while he's 33, his greasy net-front play still looks to have mileage left. Kakko, Filip Chytil, Will Cuylle, Jimmy Vesey, Carrick and enforcer Matt Rempe round out the depth, while Jonny Brodzinski and Adam Erne are grittier options for the fourth line. Prospects Brennan Othmann, Adam Edstrom and Brett Berard will get looks in camp, but all will face a steep uphill battle to get on the NHL roster in October.
On defense, Adam Fox continues to lead the way. His peak is a Norris candidate, but he's often at the top of the next tier just outside of award contention. Defensive ace Ryan Lindgren remains his partner. Captain Jacob Trouba, K'Andre Miller and Braden Schneider are among the regulars, while Ruhwedel, Zac Jones, Connor Mackey and Ben Harpur are in the mix for the last spot in the lineup. The Rangers were a strong defense last year, giving up just 2.76 goals per game (seventh-best in the league) and surrendering just 29.5 shots per game (10th-best). Gustafsson isn't a standout in those areas, so it's possible the defense is even better in 2024-25, especially if Jones' development progresses well. Even if it's a little worse, there's little reason to worry with Igor Shesterkin in goal. Shesterkin saw 55 games with a 36-17-2 record, four shutouts, a 2.58 GAA and a .912 save percentage. He was able to see a slightly lighter workload with Jonathan Quick thriving in the backup role with similar ratios. Quick is 38 years old and will be 39 in January, but he should be good for 25 games.
The Rangers should be in the mix for the Stanley Cup again this year. It's a tight-knit team that doesn't need to improve on much, and there's still enough youth in the lineup to hope for growth from within. The most important players are all under contract for at least two more years aside from Shesterkin, who could find an even higher level of play in a contract year. A savvy trade or two could be the difference in the spring, but the Rangers have a strong foundation and plenty of fantasy contributors to work with from the get-go.
Carolina Hurricanes
Unlike the Rangers, the Hurricanes had an offseason filled with turnover. The Hurricanes also needed to do more -- they're among the top regular-season teams but haven't solved the equation for getting on a deep playoff run. With analytics genius Eric Tulsky now the general manager, there's hope that the Hurricanes can uncover some hidden gems to take a run at the Stanley Cup, and there may be no better year than now to try it.
The departures were numerous, especially on defense, with Brady Skjei (Nashville) and Brett Pesce (New Jersey) exiting the Hurricanes' top four. Wingers Jake Guentzel, Stefan Noesen and Teuvo Teravainen are all gone after playing key roles last year, and Antti Raanta opted to continue his career in Europe after getting lost in the goalie shuffle. Carolina dealt defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the Jets in July and bought out the last year of Evgeny Kuznetsov's contract to let him return to Russia. They'll also be missing Jesper Fast (neck) for the full season. The Hurricanes were able to re-sign Jordan Martinook while adding Eric Robinson, William Carrier, Jack Roslovic and Tyson Jost to the forward group in depth roles. Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker also signed as free agents to supplement the defense corps. Later in the summer, top-six forwards Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis received new contracts, with Jarvis committing long-term while Necas is on a bridge deal.
The forward group is different, but it's still headlined by Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Jarvis and Necas. Roslovic could be a top-six option, but he doesn't have a ton of upside. Jesperi Kotkaniemi may again get a chance as the second-line center, but he has yet to meet expectations in that role, which could lead to more playing time for captain and shutdown center Jordan Staal or a young center like Jack Drury. The bottom six still has Brendan Lemieux and Martinook, with Carrier and Robinson adding a bit more toughness. The Hurricanes would likely benefit from one of Bradly Nadeau, Jackson Blake or Ryan Suzuki stepping up into an everyday role, but there's no guarantee that will happen. The Hurricanes also have Sam Gagner and Rocco Grimaldi in camp on tryout deals.
The losses of Skjei and Pesce will put a strain on the Hurricanes' defense this year. Luckily, they still have one excellent shutdown defenseman in Jaccob Slavin, and Brent Burns remains capable of eating heavy minutes despite signs of wear and tear showing in his 43-point campaign as a 38-year-old last year. Gostisbehere will be a third-pairing and power-play option in his second stint in Carolina, while Dmitry Orlov, Walker and Jalen Chatfield should be the regulars in the bottom four. The one wild card in camp is Scott Morrow, a 21-year-old prospect with immense scoring upside after he produced 30 points in 37 contests as a junior at UMass. They won't keep him in the NHL to be a scratch -- if he does well in camp, he may force head coach Rod Brind'Amour to consider seven-defensemen lineups this season, which isn't a bad option considering the mediocre forward depth. In goal, Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov are the top options, and it's possible Spencer Martin makes the team as a No. 3. It hasn't been announced officially, but it makes a lot of sense for Andersen and Kochetkov to split starts, which would help to limit Andersen's extensive injury risk while giving Kochetkov room to grow in his third full season. Kochetkov has the most upside, while Martin can be a sneaky good backup if he's able to get enough time.
As with any team that has a lot of moving parts from year to year, it'll be important to see how it comes together on the ice. That said, Brind'Amour is a good coach who demands a high effort level, so there won't be any passengers in the lineup. A 52-win, 111-point season might be asking too much, but the Hurricanes are still well above average even with all of the changes.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils are the team with the most to gain this season after stumbling to a seventh-place finish last year despite being a preseason favorite for a team-wide breakout. They've addressed some issues on the back end with trades and signings, though September injuries look to have thrown a monkey wrench in the plans for the defense. Luckily, last year's disappointment is this year's opportunity to turn a collection of talented players into a division-dominating team for the rest of the decade.
The additions are important here, and none more so than Jacob Markstrom, who was acquired from the Flames for Kevin Bahl in June. Markstrom completes the goaltending overhaul, which also saw Jake Allen brought in at the trade deadline and Kaapo Kahkonen walking as a free agent. Another trade saw Paul Cotter acquired from Vegas for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid at the draft. John Marino, meanwhile, was also traded away to Utah. The Devils brought in Johnny Kovacevic from Montreal, but lost Tomas Nosek, Brendan Smith and Chris Tierney to free agency, signing Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, Kurtis MacDermid, Stefan Noesen and Tomas Tatar as replacements. New Jersey is also getting a look at forward Kevin Labanc, defensemen Andy Welinski and Jakub Zboril and goalie Michael Hutchinson on tryouts.
There's a lot to like about the Devils' top six, and the best of it runs down the middle with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier returning to center the scoring lines. A healthy Timo Meier (shoulder) and Jesper Bratt, as well as Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer, Tatar and Erik Haula offer scoring depth that could allow the team to roll three lines with two-way upside. The additions of Cotter and Noesen speak to a need to get tougher while maintaining some skill, and MacDermid is a pure enforcer who looks to be getting a chance at forward after spending most of his career as a defenseman. Curtis Lazar, Nathan Bastian and Nolan Foote are also contenders for depth roles, while Labanc's tryout has seen him get a look at a top-six role early in camp.
Defensively, the Devils would have far more reason for optimism if Pesce (lower leg) and Luke Hughes (shoulder) weren't on the shelf to begin camp. Pesce could be healthy by the start of the season, but Hughes will miss time. Luckily, Dougie Hamilton has recovered from a torn pectoral muscle, and Simon Nemec will get a chance to grow into a larger role early in the campaign after producing 19 points in 60 games as a rookie in 2023-24. Dillon, Jonas Siegenthaler and Kovacevic should all be regulars in the lineup initially, while Santeri Hatakka and Nick DeSimone are competing for depth roles this fall. The Devils definitely have more defensemen than they can roster barring a trade before the season, so they are in a good position. When that group is fully healthy, it should make for a good foundation in front of Markstrom, who had mostly good-to-decent results behind an inconsistent Flames team for four years. He's a dark-horse Vezina candidate when at his best, but at 34 years old, that may not last much longer. Allen is a fine backup who should benefit from not being in Montreal anymore.
With how young the Devils are, they'll still have some growing pains. The young players in depth roles have stuff left to prove, but you can comfortably reach for third-liners on this team in fantasy drafts. They still need to get into the playoffs this year. If progress isn't made, there will be some talk that they'll need to make changes to the core, which will be tough to do with 11 players signed for at least three more years, six of whom have some trade protection. If everything goes right, this is a team competing for the top of the division, and an average performance should still get them a playoff spot with room to breathe.
Washington Capitals
Don't bury them just yet -- the Capitals meant it when they said they wouldn't rebuild as long as Alex Ovechkin is around. It wasn't just talk, as an aggressive offseason has injected some new life into a team that somehow made the playoffs with a minus-37 goal differential in 2023-24. With the younger teams in the Metropolitan gearing up to take over, the Capitals will have their hands full trying to maintain their place.
The trade market was huge for the Capitals this summer, as separate deals saw Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane brought in for the low price of Darcy Kuemper and a pick. The Capitals also swung a deal with Vegas at the draft, acquiring goalie Logan Thompson for picks. Beck Malenstyn was dealt to Buffalo, and Nick Jensen was flipped to Ottawa for Jakob Chychrun. The free-agent losses were limited, with just Max Pacioretty and Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the way out. A spending spree July 1 netted Matt Roy, Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh. Jakub Vrana will also return to his NHL origin on a tryout in an effort to get his career back on track. Veteran T.J. Oshie is not expected to play in 2024-25, the final year of his contract, due to a chronic back injury, and Nicklas Backstrom (hip) will also remain on long-term injured reserve.
This is still Ovechkin's team, and while it doesn't look to have the makings of a Cup contender, that's not the only target in play. With two years left on his deal, Ovechkin sits 42 goals away from being the highest scorer in NHL history. It's unclear which of Dubois or Dylan Strome will be his center this year -- realistically, there's a case to be made for fluidity among the rest of the Capitals' forwards. Tom Wilson and Mangiapane should also see top-six minutes, while Connor McMichael, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Aliaksei Protas, Sonny Milano or Raddysh could all be second-line options at times. In depth roles, Hendrix Lapierre and Nic Dowd will anchor the bottom six with some of the aforementioned wingers and players like Duhaime, Michael Sgarbossa and Pierrick Dube contending to fill out the depth. Vrana is likely a middle-six option if he gets a contract off his tryout.
The acquisitions of Chychrun and Roy give the Capitals a surprisingly formidable top-four on defense, as they should pair with John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin or Martin Fehervary. The Capitals' blue line is built on two-way talent -- don't expect a Norris candidate from here, but Carlson is a clear No. 2 fantasy blueliner and Chychrun, Roy and Sandin should all be reliable late-round options. Trevor van Riemsdyk, Alexander Alexeyev and Ethan Bear round out a group with few weaknesses despite the lack of overwhelming talent. The goaltending duo of Thompson and Charlie Lindgren would seem to be a perfect pair for a 50-50 split. At 27 years old, Thompson still has a little more upside, and he shouldn't drop off too much after playing behind Vegas' suffocating defense. Lindgren thrived as a starter last year in a career-high 50 games, going 25-16-7 with a 2.67 GAA and a .911 save percentage, but it was his first extended run of success and it came mostly at the age of 30. A late-blooming goalie is nothing new, but the Capitals have the luxury of not needing to ride one goalie or the other.
Despite the aggressive offseason, there are still questions of if the Capitals can be a playoff team again. The Devils are up-and-coming, and the Capitals were the last team to make it into the Eastern Conference last year, so the margin is thin if they don't improve. There are some budget options for fantasy up front, but arguably no one on this roster is a must-have player going into the season. One thing's for sure -- Ovechkin's chase of Wayne Gretzky's goal total will make the Capitals appointment viewing for fans regardless of their performance.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The other half of the Metropolitan's old guard, the Penguins fell short of the playoffs and also were prudent to sell at last year's deadline. The result now is a team that will still have a decent floor with Sidney Crosby defying the aging curve but without much of a supporting cast up front and an injury-prone defense.
The Penguins didn't lose much in free agency, with just depth forward Jansen Harkins and defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph departing. Reilly Smith was also dealt to the Rangers after being an awkward fit in the Penguins' top six last year, while Kevin Hayes was traded from the Blues to Pittsburgh at the draft. Emil Bemstrom re-signed after not getting a qualifying offer, while other July 1 signings included defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Blake Lizotte, and blueliner Sebastian Aho followed a day later. August trades brought in Cody Glass from Nashville and Rutger McGroarty from Winnipeg, with the latter costing Brayden Yager. Defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov, most recently of the Sharks, is in camp on a tryout.
Down the middle, the Penguins still have Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Lars Eller. Lizotte or Noel Acciari could center the fourth line, as could Glass or Hayes, but they should all be bottom-six regulars. The real question is which wingers will get top-six jobs. Bryan Rust, Michael Bunting and Rickard Rakell are virtual locks, but the competition on left wing between Beauvillier and Drew O'Connor could be fierce. O'Connor looked great with Crosby late last year, as did Bunting with Malkin, but Beauvillier could do with finding consistency after playing for three teams and producing just 17 points in 60 games. Bemstrom, Jesse Puljujarvi, Valtteri Puustinen and McGroarty could all challenge for NHL jobs, but only McGroarty has any long-term fantasy upside at this point.
Erik Karlsson avoided missing time in 2023-24, but he dropped significantly as expected with 56 points, well under the 101 points he put up in his last year with the Sharks. He's been healthy for two full years, but he's dealing with an upper-body injury early in camp. Kris Letang actually did more with less, putting up 51 points in 82 games last season despite spending all year on the second power-play unit. Expecting both Karlsson and Letang to stay healthy is asking a lot, but the Penguins' production from the blue line depends on it. Marcus Pettersson and Grzelcyk should fill out the top four, though a bounce-back year from Ryan Graves could earn him that role over Grzelcyk. Aho, Jack St. Ivany, Ryan Shea and John Ludvig will compete for third-pairing spots, and Owen Pickering could be an option as well if he has a strong camp. The Penguins are running it back with Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic in goal after the latter signed a two-year deal before free agency. Jarry's in the second season of a five-year deal, so he needs to be the No. 1, though a timeshare situation would be a fine alternative. While his .903 save percentage was his worst in five years, Jarry also had a career-high six shutouts in 2023-24, highlighting his inconsistency. Either goalie is a fine No. 3 in fantasy, though they could both rise to No. 2 status if they get a starting role.
The Penguins feel like they're a step behind the other teams in their division. Bunting and Pettersson could be hidden gems in fantasy in the right formats, while Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Karlsson and Letang will be steady, but the depth isn't great. They were outside looking in at the end of last season, and it's tough to see where the improvements will come from after the offseason additions were mostly on the edges of the roster rather than in key spots.
New York Islanders
The Islanders finished third in the Metropolitan Division in 2023-24, despite Ilya Sorokin not being his best and with mediocre-at-best offense and defense. The Islanders' system is to play boring, steady, defensive hockey with little room for creativity, flair or star power. Given the big names scattered across the top teams they'll be competing with in the division, it's fair to question how much longer they can sneak into the playoffs before their inevitable early exits.
The Islanders' losses were limited to the bottom part of the roster. Long-time wingers Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin went to free agency, and Martin's back on a tryout with no guarantee of a roster spot. Robert Bortuzzo (Utah) and Sebastian Aho (Pittsburgh) are gone from the defense, while Mike Reilly re-upped to stay on Long Island after finding success on the third pairing. The Islanders got a head start on retooling by adding Maxim Tsyplakov from the KHL's Spartak Moscow in May, and they made another free-agent splash with Anthony Duclair joining to fill a top-six role. Fredrik Karlstrom and Liam Foudy will compete for fourth-line roles.
The Islanders have squeezed a lot out of a workmanlike top-six. The duo of Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal found success last year, and Duclair adds speed and a plus shot to that mix. Tsyplakov figures to be a top-six option as well, but Anders Lee has past success with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri on a do-it-all second line. Bottom-six centers Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas bring defensive acumen, while Oliver Wahlstrom, Simon Holmstrom, Pierre Engvall, Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching should round out the wing spots. The Islanders' depth players helped them rank eighth in the league with 10 shorthanded goals last year, but they were worst in penalty-kill percentage at 71.5. Improving on that number is a must for keeping the rest of the team afloat, though they could also stand to better themselves on the power play, where they converted at a 20.4 percent rate, good for 19th in the league.
Long-term injuries wreaked havoc on the Islanders' defense last year, as regulars Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield all missed over 20 games. All three are healthy to begin the year, though none of them have particularly high fantasy upside since they mostly play in shutdown roles. Noah Dobson, however, was healthy for much of the year, producing 70 points in 79 contests in a breakout campaign that has his name among the other second-tier No. 1 defensemen in the league. Reilly is a fine third-pairing option who can take power-play minutes, though younger options in Samuel Bolduc and Robin Salo could push him for a regular role. In goal, Sorokin needs to find his game again. He will miss the preseason while recovering from back surgery, so Semyon Varlamov should be fresh and ready to go at the start of the year. Jakub Skarek or Keith Kinkaid (tryout) are other options, but the Islanders' goaltending pipeline isn't very deep.
With more skill and fewer pylons in the bottom half of the lineup, the Islanders will look different on the ice. It might not be enough to shake the boring label, but this is a team that could benefit from loosening up just a bit, especially with a reliable defense corps to lean on. Sorokin's back will be a storyline early, but a little more offense should help take the pressure off the goaltending if the Islanders are meant to be competitive in 2024-25.
Philadelphia Flyers
It was the Flyers' year to get back to the playoffs... until it wasn't. A late fade coupled with injuries and poor goaltending saw the Flyers drop out of the race over the final quarter of the season. This year, it's on them to do things differently so that doesn't happen again. An exciting prospect joins an otherwise unchanged team that needs to be prepared for 80-100 games rather than 60.
The Flyers' losses in personnel were not much -- Marc Staal retired and Denis Gurianov went to the KHL. Erik Johnson was re-signed, while Ryan Johansen is currently not with the team amid a contentious contract termination over the summer. He never played a game with the Flyers after he was traded from the Avalanche. The biggest addition wasn't a free agent at all -- Matvei Michkov was lured away from the KHL and offers an instant shot in the arm for an offense that has some good players but few true standouts. He's a Calder Trophy favorite before the season after putting up 41 points in 47 games with KHL slackers HC Sochi. Anthony Richard was also signed as a depth forward.
With so few changes, Philadelphia has to hope the players who were there last year are truly good enough to get back in contention. In addition to Michkov, Travis Konecny is a starring player, though not to the level of other teams' top forwards. Sean Couturier is healthy after another surgery, this time for a sports hernia, and he should be a regular in the top six along with Morgan Frost, Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster. With any John Tortorella-coached team, line shuffles are frequent, so expect changes throughout, especially if a young player's effort level slips. In the bottom six to start are reliable veterans like Scott Laughton, Garnet Hathaway and Ryan Poehling, who can all excel on the penalty kill for a team that netted 16 shorthanded goals last year, best in the NHL. Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink are among the younger forwards with upside, while Noah Cates and Nicolas Deslauriers round out the regulars up front.
The biggest move on defense came at last year's trade deadline when the Flyers shipped disgruntled prospect forward Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim for Jamie Drysdale. Injuries have dulled Drysdale's potential, but he should see power-play time alongside Cam York, Egor Zamula and Travis Sanheim. Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen are among the stay-at-home blueliners, with Ristolainen being remarkably effective in his own zone when healthy last year. Johnson is a veteran seventh defenseman, and Tortorella had no qualms with dressing seven blueliners in 2023-24. The crease has contained some drama for the Flyers recently, as prospect Aleksei Kolosov wants to be guaranteed an NHL job and is willing to bolt to the KHL if he doesn't get one. Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov are expected to be the Flyers' goalies this year, while Cal Petersen and Eetu Makiniemi are expected to begin the year at AHL Lehigh Valley. Ersson impressed for parts of last season, while Fedotov is likely the future in the crease if Kolosov doesn't stick around.
Obviously, Michkov is the reason to watch the Flyers this year. Konecny is a good all-around player, and the other wingers like Tippett, Foerster and Farabee make up for not having a standout center for fantasy purposes. Whichever defenseman gets the No. 1 power-play job, likely York or Zamula, will have upside as well. Defense will be the priority, but the Flyers could make some noise. We'll see in March if they've learned any lessons from last year.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Above all else, this will be a tough year emotionally for the Blue Jackets after the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew on Aug. 29. It's a situation that has gotten sadder at every turn, especially when looking back on the death of Columbus goalie Matiss Kivlenieks in 2021. The whole hockey community has had a tough time processing the Gaudreaus' deaths, but it will weigh heavy on hearts in Columbus and around the league this year. Hopefully, Gaudreau's teammates will be able to find some peace in the course of playing through their schedule in honor of him while leaning on each other. While the pain is heavy now, the emotional bonds of moving forward together will show a lot of character and resolve for all involved in the long run.
The Blue Jackets didn't have to say goodbye to many players via free agency, with Carson Meyer leaving for the Ducks and Alexander Nylander signing with AHL Toronto. Alexandre Texier was dealt to the Blues. The bigger changes happened later in the offseason, with Patrik Laine getting his change of scenery when he was dealt to Montreal for defenseman Jordan Harris. Sean Monahan was the one big splash in free agency, while James van Riemsdyk was signed just before the start of camp. Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko and Jet Greaves are among the re-signed players, while Dylan Gambrell was added on a two-way contract to help the center depth.
Counting on growth from within is the right choice for the Blue Jackets. They relied on a number of young players last season, and all of them, aside from Texier, are back for 2024-25. Captain Boone Jenner, Monahan and van Riemsdyk are the veteran leaders, and the only other forwards over 30 on the roster are Sean Kuraly and Justin Danforth, who should be bottom-six regulars, though Danforth is limited at camp after offseason wrist surgery. Adam Fantilli and Johnson will be among the most exciting young forwards, while Marchenko, Yegor Chinakhov, Dmitri Voronkov and Cole Sillinger should be locks for the middle six. Mathieu Olivier and James Malatesta provide some heavy-hitting power at the bottom of the lineup, while Gavin Brindley and Trey Fix-Wolansky will compete for spots. The Blue Jackets have had rotten injury luck for a few years running, and if that continues, plenty of players will get a chance to prove themselves at some point in 2024-25.
Defensively, this is the best Columbus' blue line has looked in a while. Zach Werenski remains the star of the show, but David Jiricek could take another step in his second season. Harris' scoring upside isn't great, but he's a capable bottom-four option. Ivan Provorov and Erik Gudbranson return to shutdown roles, and Damon Severson remains a top-four option who can chip in decent offense. Denton Mateychuk is worth keeping an eye on after he joined the professional ranks in June after a run to a third-place finish at the Memorial Cup with WHL Moose Jaw. Jake Christiansen is also in the mix on the blue line. The biggest weak spot, as it has been for a few years, is in goal. Elvis Merzlikins' $5.4 million cap hit has made him untradeable, even with Daniil Tarasov looking like the more capable goalie. Greaves' two-year deal is a two-way contract this season, so he'll likely begin in the AHL. With expected poor results on the ice, Columbus' situation is a crease to stay away from in fantasy.
The Blue Jackets are unlikely to move out of the basement of the Metropolitan Division this year. Like other bottom-dwelling teams, it's up to the players to put in a good effort and show personal growth. There are enough prospects here and in the system to have optimism for the future, even if it takes a few more years to come to fruition.
That's all for the Metropolitan, and it leaves just the Pacific Division preview left. Look for that Sept. 30, just over a week before the season gets going in earnest.
