A Look at the Offseason Moves of the Capitals' Metropolitan Division Rivals

A look at the offseason moves of the Caps' Metro Division rivals originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Washington Capitals had one of the busiest and most impactful summers of any team in the NHL this season. 

But was it enough to propel them higher in the divisional standings? 

The Metropolitan Division might not be as top-heavy as the Atlantic, which boasts the Panthers, Maple Leafs and Lightning, but from the top-down, it’s a wildly competitive division. 

Here’s a look at each team’s offseason: 

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes added some big-time names this summer in Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty (who will be out until likely February), but lost defenseman Tony DeAngelo and forwards Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter. 

The lineup is still wildly talented and has Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov in the forward ranks. Carolina tallied 116 points last season and nearly won the Presidents’ Trophy, so they figure to be the team to beat once again in the division. 

New York Rangers

The Rangers added Trocheck as soon as free agency opened to fill the void left by Ryan Strome, but otherwise had a relatively quiet offseason. Jaroslav Halak will replace Alexandar Georgiev in net, as Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, Justin Braun and Kevin Rooney all found new homes this summer. 

Igor Shesterkin carried the Rangers a season ago, and he’ll be expected to do the same in New York this season. If he doesn’t, the Rangers could be in a bit of trouble. 

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins kept the band together this summer, re-signing Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust to try and win another Stanley Cup with their core. 

They made a few additions on defense, subbing Jeff Petry in for Mike Matheson and Jan Rutta in for John Marino. It wasn’t a busy summer in Pittsburgh in the scope of external additions, but it was one that might’ve kept the window open for just a bit longer. 

New York Islanders

The Islanders are the toughest team to judge from this summer, as the lineup remains a mystery with no additions made this summer. 

It was widely suspected they’d be players for Nazem Kadri up until Thursday when reports linked the center to Calgary Flames. So as of now, it’s impossible to grade their summer. 

Columbus Blue Jackets

The award for making the biggest splash goes to the Blue Jackets, who brought in Johnny Gaudreau to a massive contract that will pay him an average of $9.75 million for the next seven seasons. They also added defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a four-year deal that will pay him $4 million next season. 

But with the losses of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Gabriel Carlsson, it’s not clear if it’s enough to propel Columbus (which had 81 points last season) into a playoff spot next April. 

New Jersey Devils

Once again, the New Jersey Devils had a solid summer. 

They traded for Vitek Vanecek from Washington and then brought in John Marino, Ondrej Palat and Erik Haula. The latter two are dependable forwards added to a team that, while it has speed, needs more up front. 

If the Devils are able to capitalize on their offseason additions, they could be knocking on the door of a playoff spot next season. 

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers added DeAngelo to their blue line from the Hurricanes, but otherwise didn’t add much to a roster that put up just 61 points last season and had the third-worst goal differential in the sport. 

The question for the Flyers entering the 2022-23 season will be if John Tortorella can turn around what the team currently has on the roster, including continued growth from goalie Carter Hart. 

Otherwise, it’s going to be a long season in Philadelphia.