The NHL season is less than a month away. Fans will not only have to readjust to the 82-game schedule (last season was only 48-games long), but also to new divisions and conference switches. Latinos Post will do a survey and preview of each division as well as predictions for how the teams will wind up. First up is the Metropolitan Division.
Carolina Hurricanes
Last Year's Finish: Despite acquiring Alex Semin and Jordan Staal last year, the Carolina Hurricanes failed to make a major impression and finished third in the now-defunct Southeast division with 42 points.
Expected Team Leaders: Eric Staal had a solid year in 2012-13 with 53 points in 48 games. Alex Semin also produced 44 points offensively. Jordan Staal had 31 points in 2012-13 despite being given more offensive opportunities. However, the biggest disappointment was the 24 points of Jeff Skinner. The youngster is expected to be one of the team's franchise stars and will need to improve upon a rather poor 2012-13 season. Cam Ward is expected to continue being the team's top goalie but new addition Anton Khudobin could have a few things to say about that.
This Year's Biggest Question: Can the team get some consistency in goal? Cam Ward has been the franchise keeper for Carolina ever since helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2006, but injuries and the lack of stability behind him has caused the team major problems. Ward's best goals against average came in 2008-09 when he only allowed an average of 2.44 goals against average and stopped .916 percent of the shots faced. He improved the save percentage in the following two years but struggled to keep the goals against average down. Khudobin was brought in from Boston thanks to a solid performance behind Tuuka Rask in 2012-13 but he is still relatively unproven.
Expectations: Carolina is expected to compete for a top four finish in the division despite have some instability in net and defensively.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Last Year's Finish: Columbus made a surprising run for a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference during the 2012-13 season but fell short on the last day. Ultimately Columbus finished with 55 points in 48 games.
Expected Team Leaders: Columbus produced by committee a year ago but Marian Gaborik is expected to be the offensive leader in 2013-14 after being shipped away by the NY Rangers. However, the big leader is Sergei Bobrovsky. The Russian netminder nearly led the team to the playoffs in his Vezina-winning year and will be the centerpiece in 2013-14.
This Year's Biggest Question: Can Bobrovsky repeat last year's success? Let us put it into perspective. The goalie played 38 out of 48 games and put up statistics that include a 2.00 goals against average and an astonishing .932 save percentage.
Expectations: The Blue Jackets are not going to surprise anyone this year. Teams know this squad is dangerous and will look to attack them where they are weakest. Look for a regression this season.
New Jersey Devils
Last Year's Finish: The 2012-13 season was the tale of two seasons for the Devils. They started the year off as the top team in the East but finished 11th in the conference and 5th in their division with only 48 points.
Expected Team Leaders: Ilya Kovalchuk was supposed to be the franchise player after signing a 15-year deal two years ago. However, he is gone and with him is the NHL's longest contract. Now leadership will fall to the likes of Adam Henrique and Travis Zajac in the offensive department. Bryce Salvador will lead a relatively solid core of defenders and the Devils will hope youngster Adam Larsson develops into the stud he is expected to be. In goal, Martin Brodeur and new acquisition Cory Schneider will battle for the top spot in the crease.
This Year's Biggest Question: There are actually two questions. First off, who starts in goal? Brodeur has long been the man for the Devils but has shown regression in recent years and could face stiff competition from Schneider who is now expected to take the mantle of franchise keeper at some point. Will this year be the year when the torch is passed?
The other question is: Where will the goals come from? David Clarkson scored 15 goals in 2012-13 while Kovalchuk put up 11. Patrick Elias and his 14 goals and Adam Henrique's 11 are the only ones remaining on the team in 2013-14; aside from those four players no one topped 10 goals for New Jersey in the shortened season. The team will hope that some players step up or it will continue to be offensively challenged in 2013-14.
Expectations: The Devils have always been contenders but a rebuild may be in the works. A top five finish in the division is not out of the realm of possibility but it will be harder than expected.
NY Islanders
Last Year's Finish: For the first time since 2006-07, the Islanders made the playoffs with 55 points. They wound up eliminated in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins despite putting up a convincing battle in six games.
Expected Team Leaders: John Tavares is expected to get the captaincy and will likely reunite with Matt Moulson on the top line after the two were separated for the postseason. The Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey line will likely return and the Islanders will be led by Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald on defense. Evgeni Nabokov is expected to be the top goalkeeper, but that issue looms large for New York.
This Year's Biggest Question: Goaltending seems to be the big trend in this division. Nabokov helped the Isles to the playoffs in 2012-13, but faltered when it mattered most and was the difference between an Islanders victory over the Penguins and an early elimination. Kevin Poulin is the backup, but he is inexperienced.
On a side note, can the Islanders sustain their play over the course of a full season? They proved capable in 48 games but can they be winners during an 82-game stretch?
Expectations: No one is going to overlook the Islanders this season so they will likely face a great test in 2013-14. They should certainly compete for a playoff spot but whether or not they succeed depends on goaltending.
NY Rangers
Last Year's Finish: The Rangers finished sixth in the East and took down the Washington Capitals in seven games. However, in the second round of the playoffs, the team imploded against the Boston Bruins.
Expected Team Leaders: In a division where goaltending is the eternal uncertainty, the Rangers actually have the answer: Henrik Lundqvist. The Swedish keeper is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, in the world and will continue to be the cornerstone of the team. After him, Derek Stephan, Ryan Callahan, Brad Richards, and especially Rick Nash will be called upon to lead the club offensively.
This Year's Biggest Question: Can Alain Vigneault help this team offensively? Defense is an area of strength for this club but goal scoring is a perpetual problem. If the Rangers are to be successful they need their new coach to help the team find its scoring touch. Brad Richards will have to prove that he is not in decline after a poor 2012-13 season.
Expectations: Playoffs have become the norm in New York and should continue to be so this season.
Philadelphia
Last Year's Finish: The Flyers imploded in 2012-13 and missed the playoffs with only 49 points in 48 games.
Expected Team Leaders: Claude Giroux's first year as captain went poorly but he will have to continue being the cornerstone of this relatively young squad. Mark Streit was brought in over the summer to help the defense and will be looked upon to shoulder much of the offensive load from the blueline.
This Year's Biggest Question: Can Steve Mason and Ray Emery be a dependable goalie tandem? See the pattern. Just like nearly every other team in this division, goaltending is a major cause for concern. The Flyers are hoping that either Mason will be the goalie he was in 2008-09 or Emery will be able to showcase the form he had in 2012-13 as the backup for the Blackhawks for a full season.
Expectations: The Flyers were a perennial playoff contender until they fell apart last year. Look for them to compete for a top eight spot this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Last Year's Finish: The Penguins led the Eastern Conference with 72 points and took down the NY Islanders and Ottawa Senators in the opening rounds of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals the Penguins were swept by the Boston Bruins.
Expected Team Leaders: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz... the list goes on and on. This team is loaded with potential all-stars.
This Year's Biggest Question: Two questions here. Is Marc-Andre Fleury still a top goaltender? The netminder imploded in the playoffs yet again and could be seeing his time in Pittsburgh coming to an end if he does not perform this year.
The other question relates Crosby. Can he stay healthy? Last season he did not suffer a concussion but was out for weeks thanks to getting hit in the face with a puck. Is this the year Crosby finally plays the majority of the year without any major problems?
Expectations: The Stanley Cup is always the expectation. This team is a pre-season favorite for most pundits to lift the cup next spring.
Washington Capitals
Last Year's Finish: The Capitals claimed the top spot in the Southeast division but lost in the first round of the playoffs against the NY Rangers in seven games.
Expected Team Leaders: Alex Ovechkin is the franchise star and will look to regain the form he exhibited at the end last season that earned him the Hart Trophy. Braden Holtby will likely continue to man the nets. Mike Green, John Carlson, and Karl Alzner will continue to lead this squad's defense.
This Year's Biggest Question: Can Mikhail Grabovski be an adequate second line center? The former Toronto Maple Leaf struggled under Randy Carlyle in 2012-13 but he has a ton of offensive talent and could plug the hole left by Mike Ribeiro this off season.
Expectations: The Capitals will not have the comfort of an easy Southeast division and will likely battle for playoff positioning this year. However, the playoffs are a likely outcome for Washington.
Prediction: The Penguins and Rangers are the only teams in this division that are bonafide contenders and both teams are locks for the playoffs. The remaining six squads will all challenge in one way or another. Here is the how the teams will rank by the end of the year.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. NY Rangers
3. Philadelphia Flyers
4. Washington Capitals
5. NY Islanders
6. Columbus Blue Jackets
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. NJ Devils
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