Updated September 24, 2026
The Metropolitan Division begins 2026-27 with Carolina in a tier of its own. The defending Stanley Cup champion returns most of its roster, while Washington has made major changes in an attempt to close the gap.
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New Jersey is also priced among the leading contenders, but the division becomes much more open after the top three. Philadelphia made the second round last season, while the Islanders, Pittsburgh and Columbus all have realistic paths into the playoff race.
Carolina enters the season as the clear Metropolitan Division favorite, followed by Washington and New Jersey. Philadelphia sits further down the market, with Columbus, Pittsburgh, the Islanders and Rangers carrying longer prices.
The gap reflects Carolina's consistency as much as anything else. The Hurricanes finished 53-22-7 last season, won the division and then went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Washington's aggressive offseason has made the Capitals the most obvious challenger, while the rest of the division contains considerably more uncertainty.
Carolina enters 2026-27 as both the defending Stanley Cup champion and the clear team to beat in the Metropolitan Division.
Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis remain central to the offense, while Carolina continues to have one of the NHL's deepest defensive groups.
The biggest change is in goal. Frederik Andersen left for Edmonton, leaving Pyotr Kochetkov and Brandon Bussi as Carolina's new tandem.
Even with that uncertainty, Carolina has fewer major questions than any other team in the division.
Washington may be the most improved team in the Metropolitan Division.
The Capitals added Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner to a forward group that still includes Alex Ovechkin. Washington finished 43-30-9 last season but missed the playoffs after finishing three points behind Philadelphia for third place in the division.
Those additions give the Capitals considerably more scoring depth and make them the most obvious threat to Carolina at the top of the Metro.
New Jersey continues to have one of the highest ceilings in the division, but health and goaltending remain major questions.
Jack Hughes is the player everything revolves around. Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes give New Jersey additional high-end talent, while Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista add more depth to an offense that needed reinforcements.
The bigger concern is in goal. Jacob Markstrom was traded to Florida, leaving Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich as the available options. New Jersey has the talent to challenge near the top of the division, but the Devils enter the season with more uncertainty than Carolina or Washington.
The Islanders may be one of the more interesting teams further down the Metropolitan Division market.
Matthew Schaefer is already developing into a cornerstone on defense, while Ilya Sorokin remains one of the NHL's best goaltenders. The Islanders were still in second place in the division as late as March 28 last season before losing seven of their final eight games and missing the playoffs.
Peter DeBoer now gets a full season behind the bench. If the Islanders improve a power play that ranked 30th last year, they have enough defensive and goaltending quality to outperform their preseason price.
Philadelphia was one of the NHL's biggest second-half risers last season.
The Flyers went 18-7-1 following the Olympic break, finished third in the Metropolitan Division and defeated Pittsburgh in the first round before losing to Carolina. Most of that roster returns for 2026-27.
Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone and Tyson Foerster give Philadelphia an increasingly interesting young core. The Flyers still need more consistency over a full season, but they have moved beyond simply being a rebuilding team.
Pittsburgh returned to the playoffs last season behind the familiar veteran core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.
The Penguins finished 41-25-16 and second in the Metropolitan Division before losing to Philadelphia in the opening round.
Age makes Pittsburgh difficult to project. Crosby remains an elite player, but the Penguins are trying to remain competitive while gradually transitioning toward a younger roster. They should remain in the playoff conversation, even if winning the division looks like a much bigger challenge.
Washington has improved, New Jersey has considerable upside and both the Islanders and Flyers could outperform their preseason prices.
Carolina remains the standard.
The Hurricanes won 53 games last season before capturing the Stanley Cup and return most of the roster responsible for that run. The goaltending change introduces some risk, but Carolina's depth and overall structure give it the strongest foundation in the division.
The Hurricanes are my pick to win the Metropolitan Division in 2026-27.
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