Former NHLer turned analyst Mike Rupp made a claim on NHL Network about the Metropolitan Division heading into the 2025-26 NHL season:
Safe to say @Rupper17 is not too confident in the Metropolitan Division this year. 😬 pic.twitter.com/tEvVLYWr25
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) July 19, 2025
This past season, the Washington Capitals were the second-best team in the NHL (111 points), but then there was a major drop with the remaining Metro Division playoff teams.
The Carolina Hurricanes finished at No. 10 (99 points), while the New Jersey Devils (91) came in at No. 16.
The New York Rangers (85 points) and New York Islanders (82 points) missed the playoffs, finishing in 22nd and 23rd place, respectively. The Columbus Blue Jackets finished 20th (89 points).
So, what about the 2025-26 season and Rupp's claim?
The Capitals are coming off a magical season, but there's no way they can do it again, right?
The Hurricanes, regardless of what they do in the summer, always find a way to have strong regular seasons, so it wouldn't be a shock to see them finish atop the Metro this season. They did land Nikolaj Ehlers and get a full season of Logan Stankoven
While the Devils didn't make any crazy splashes in free agency — they'll be getting Quinn Hughes sooner rather than later — their success sits on the shoulders of Jack Hughes and his ability to stay healthy. They should be a playoff team.
The Rangers didn't do much and are going through a bit of an identity crisis at the moment, but when you have Igor Shesterkin in goal, defying odds is always possible. They did add Valdislav Gavrikov, who should help the defense.
First-time general manager Mathieu Darche filled holes this summer, but will the new additions be strong enough to get this team back to the postseason?
Coming off an emotionally driven season, the Blue Jackets could be a playoff team this upcoming season, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers aren't likely to be ultra competitive.
The Islanders are likely to be fighting for a wild-card spot again, as they always seem to do. That projection can change if the Islanders can show some consistency out of the gate, as they've been anything but since Patrick Roy took over behind the bench mid-way through the 2023-24 NHL season.
To get back to Rupp's claim, the Metro could very well be the weakest division in the NHL this season, which means an even stronger chance for the Islanders to find a way to get back into the postseason.
Projection:
CAR
WSH
NJD
NYI
NYR
CBJ
PHI
PIT
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PHOTO: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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