In an uncertain division, the consistency of the Carolina Hurricanes gives them the edge to win the Metropolitan Division. Here's a look at the early odds and top picks to win the Metropolitan Division.
The NHL's Eastern Conference was a tale of haves and have-nots last season. That also held true for the Metropolitan Division, in which the fourth-place Washington Capitals were 16 points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes, but also 16 points ahead of the fifth-place New York Islanders.
Carolina ranked fifth in the NHL in five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals percentage last season. The Pittsburgh Penguins ranked seventh by the same measure. The rest of the division had the Capitals 14th, New Jersey Devils 15th, Islanders 21st, New York Rangers 24th, Philadelphia Flyers 27th, and Columbus Blue Jackets 30th.
While that would seem to put some separation between Carolina, Pittsburgh, and the rest of the division, that might make an underdog like New Jersey more appealing, provided the Devils can get adequate goaltending.