Quoting: CMcAvoy73
Realistically the canes run away with that division. They’re by far the best team in it.
I don't see it. They drastically downgraded their goaltending from Mrazek, Ned, and Reimer to Andersen, Lyon, and Raanta. That, coupled with the loss of Hamilton to anchor the defense makes me no very confident in them this year. Their defense will still be good, but not as good as last year. It may be the final year or two of Washington and Pittsburgh's contending window, they should both be better with both teams getting healthy. Realistically Carolina is likely a playoff team, but I don't see them at the top in the Metro.
Quoting: CMcAvoy73
They play low event hockey and hope they come out on top. They can’t be dominant playing that way.
From when I've watched, the Isles play boring defensive hockey, but they smother opponents offenses and have some great goaltending. The tandem of Sorokin and Varlamov should only get better this year, as Sorokin gets better and gets more of a share of the starts. Losing Eberle will hurt offensively, but Trotz minimizes mistakes with his teams, and while teams like Pitssburgh, Washington, New Jersey, NYR, and Carolina all battle it out, I see the Islanders sneaking by everyone and walking away with a close #1 seed.