Rangers debate: Who is biggest threat in Metropolitan Division?

NHL: New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils
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As the hockey season gears up, with the start of training camps and preseason games this month, the New York Rangers will again look to establish themselves as the team to beat in the Metropolitan Division.

Last season, the Rangers finished first in the division with a franchise-record 114 points. The only other team to break the 100-point barrier was the Carolina Hurricanes with 111 points. But every other team in the division, outside of the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets, bunched together and were in the hunt for the final playoff berth in the division or a wild-card spot.

The Rangers will get an early look at two of their division rivals, playing the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders from the jump twice each in the preseason. They will also have the opportunity to gauge the strength of two other Metro team early on, playing the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals within the first month of the regular season.

Though they largely stood pat this offseason, the Rangers see much change within the division, where there was much roster turnover and personnel changes ahead of the 2023-24 season.

It’s safe to say the Metro will look different this year, but what exactly does that mean for the Rangers?

Related: 5 biggest differences for this Rangers training camp compared to last year

Debating which Metropolitan divisional opponent will pose biggest challenge to Rangers

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

In preparation for the start of the season, our Executive Editor Jim Cerny and Staff Writer Madison Hutchinson debate which Metropolitan opponent will be the most challenging for the Rangers this season.

Madison: I think that this season the Rangers will face stronger competition within the Metropolitan Division than last season. The offseason included a slew of moves for teams like the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils, making each a more difficult opponent than last season. But the Metropolitan team that I think will be the biggest threat to the Rangers is the Hurricanes. The Canes finished second in the division last season and advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing to the Rangers in six games. This year Carolina moves on without important pieces like Brady Skjei, Jake Guentzel, and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes have been a divisional favorite for several seasons but now find themselves looking more like an underdog. I think this only plays to their advantage. Coach Rod Brind’Amour took over when the Hurricanes were in a nine-year playoff drought and transformed them into a franchise with a winning culture that has made the playoffs six straight seasons. The Canes won’t be viewing themselves as lacking, and with additions of former Hurricane defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, defenseman Sean Walker, former Rangers center Jack Roslovic, and winger William Carrier, they countered their losses, particularly strengthening their offensive abilities on the back end with Walker who had an NHL career-high 29 points last season, appearing in 81 games in the regular season, and Gostisbehere who knotted 56 points in 81 games for Detroit last season.

Jim: No doubt, the Rangers can’t take the Hurricanes for granted. And the main reason for that, I agree, is Brind’Amour, who I believe is one of the best coaches in the League, one who continually gets the best out of his players year-in and year-out. I also agree that they may be even more dangerous as an underdog this season, than the past several seasons when they were division favorites. But that said, the Hurricanes are not as good right now. They didn’t replace the firepower of Guentzel, also lost Teuvo Teravainen and didn’t adequately replace Pesce and Skjei on the back end. Plus their bottom six, an underrated part of their recent success took a string of hits, losing Stefan Noesen in free agency and now that Jesper Fast is out for the season following neck surgery. The Rangers must be aware of the Hurricanes, but their biggest challenge this season will be holding off the Devils, which I’ll further explain below.

Madison: While I agree the Hurricanes have a much different look this season, Guentzel, while effective, wasn’t a Cane for long (28 games) and so had not become an established part of their offense. Teravainen had begun to see dwindling production over the past two seasons, and Noesen was at times last season averaging under 10 minutes of ice time per game. Importantly, the Hurricanes have a young offensive core led by Seth Jarvis, who recently committed for the long haul with an 8-year contract, Sebastian Aho, and Martin Necas, all of whom have experienced multiple seasons at the NHL level and have been a part of their playoff runs. These three crafty forwards are entering their prime physically and should see improved offensive numbers as long as they remain healthy. Jarvis recently commented on his growth as a player and that he expects to take his game to another level this year. It can’t be underestimated that Jarvis was able to wrap up his contract negotiations before training camp, too.

NHL: New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers
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Jim: You get no arguments from me about Jarvis, who really broke out as a star last season, or Aho or even Necas, who needs to find that next level in his game. But the Hurricanes are not as deep nor as good as they had been. The Devils, in my opinion, will surpass them this season and challenge the Rangers for the top spot in the division. This isn’t even a hot take, because two years ago New Jersey had a franchise-record 52 wins, finished ahead of the Rangers with 112 points and then rallied to take out the Blueshirts in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. They simply ooze skill up front with Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Nico Hischier — and even third-liner Dawson Mercer scored 20 goals last season (though they better get the RFA signed soon). What makes them pop even more this season is that they filled their biggest holes in the lineup during the offseason. Their goaltending was putrid in 2023-24. So, they traded for Jacob Markstrom, who’s not what he used to be but still a major upgrade at the position. Plus they have a steady veteran in Jake Allen to back him up now. They also addressed their shaky defense corps by signing Pesce, a solid two-way top-four D-man, and Brenden Dillon, who adds bite and experience to the group, whether on the second or third pair. Factor in the return of a healthy Dougie Hamilton and the growth of talented youngsters Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, and you’ve got a huge improvement on defense and one of the better D-corps in the League. Everything that could go wrong, did so last season when they bottomed out with 81 points. The Devils will be motivated and have the roster to make noise again this season.

Madison: This was a busy offseason for Tom Fitzgerald and the Devils, and I agree they’ve made moves to counter the struggles they had last year. However, to be a top competitor in the division, there are a considerable amount of uncertainties that need to go the Devils way. One is that Sheldon Keefe will be a fit as head coach. Last season’s stretches with Lindy Ruff and Travis Green showed differing strategies to try to get the most out of the Devils young talent with little success. The hope is that Keefe’s experience and playoff-bound seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs young core will transfer over, but it is a question yet to be answered. The Devils biggest offensive weapon is obviously Jack Hughes, but as he’s coming off shoulder surgery (the same surgery Canadiens forward Cole Caufield had in 2022-2023 that saw him have a slower production pace last season). So, there is a question looming of just how productive he’ll be, especially at the beginning of the season. We don’t know how Hughes is going to look just yet, but we do know what the Devils look like when he’s not at his best and it’s not pretty. The Devils have made positive strides toward regaining their standing as a playoff team, but I don’t know that they’ll be able to fully capitalize on it.

Jim: For sure, the Devils won’t be nearly as good if Hughes is not healthy to begin the season. But let’s not underestimate how deep they are up front, and now on defense. This is a really good team. And I will repeat myself: just two seasons ago they matured in front of our eyes and finished ahead of the Rangers in the Metro. They are deeper and better than two seasons ago, and they’re pissed off. Let’s not underestimate that. Injuries, terrible defensive play, coach fired. The excuses are there about last season. But the Devils were supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender. And they fell flat on their face. Will that happen two years in a row? Doubt it, with the roster they have. The Devils will be passing the Hurricanes on the Metro highway this season and be the top challenger to the Rangers.

Madison Hutchinson is an avid sports fan with experience as an editor, writer, and editorial manager in digital and ... More about Madison Hutchinson
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