Metropolitan Division 2024-25 Season Preview

Will the top of the mountain still be contested between the Rangers and Hurricanes, or will another team challenge them this season?

Welcome to our series of division previews for the 2024-25 season. After previewing the Atlantic Division, next up is the equally competitive Metropolitan Division, which houses the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners New York Rangers.

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New York Rangers

Notable Additions: Reilly Smith, Sam Carrick
Notable Subtractions: Nick Bonino, Barclay Goodrow, Erik Gustafsson, Jack Roslovic, Alex Wennberg, Blake Wheeler

Offense

The New York Rangers were the best team in the league standings-wise last season, but as we all know, that doesn’t guarantee a Stanley Cup. You have to go back to the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season to see the same team win both the Presidents’ Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season. That honor belongs to the Chicago Blackhawks who paced the NHL with 77 points.

The Rangers tried to bolster their forward group at the trade deadline with Roslovic and Wennberg, but despite their solid efforts in the playoffs, they came up short against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. They lost both to free agency in the offseason, and have only added Reilly Smith since to replace them.

The forward core is still led by the big four of Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, and they figure to be a lethal group again this season after combining for 344 points last season. However, I’m sure fans would love to see the Zibanejad from 2022-23 when he put up a career-high 91 points, rather than the one that saw a 19-point decline and 13 fewer goals. If he can return to that form and Panarin (120 points), Kreider (39 goals) and Trocheck (career-high 77 points) can replicate their performances from last season, they will be in good shape.

The complementary group is also strong even without the services of Wennberg and Roslovic. Alexis Lafreniere broke out with 28 goals and 57 points last season and finally looked like the first-overall pick that was so highly touted back in 2020. They should also have a healthy Filip Chytil this season, which adds another potential 20-goal scorer to the lineup. Finally, Smith has to be extra motivated after an underwhelming stint in Pittsburgh. He is a five-time 20-goal scorer and is a lot better than the 13 goals he put up in 2023-24.

Defense

The Rangers will be returning pretty much the same blue line that fell to the Panthers. And that’s not a bad thing whatsoever. They have one of the best in Adam Fox leading the charge, and he is supported by the underrated Ryan Lindgren, and young stars K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider, not to mention captain Jacob Trouba, who is staying in the Big Apple despite rumors to the contrary. All in all, from one to six, they still have arguably the top defense corps in the Eastern Conference.

Goaltending

Goaltending also remains the same from last season with All-Star and Vezina Trophy caliber netminder Igor Shesterkin, and the ageless Jonathan Quick, who is arguably one of the best backups in the NHL. Overall, the Rangers are poised to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown and will be in the Stanley Cup conversation once again. They have been close several times, but can’t seem to make it past the Eastern Conference Final. The last time they did that, they won the Cup.

Projected Line Combinations, Defense Pairings & Goaltenders