The final look in our season preview series is in the Metropolitan Division. Last year was full of surprises for this collection of teams, with arguably the biggest overachievers and underachievers included. It's also home to this year's No. 1 overall pick, who could try to shake up the balance of power.
Carolina Hurricanes
As much as some things change, the Hurricanes are always near the top of the stack in the Metro. They dealt with turnover last year and will have a bit more to navigate this season as well. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour has a system that works well in the regular season, but it hasn't yet led to playoff success. It's a system that sacrifices some scoring for airtight defense, so while the Hurricanes rarely have a high-profile scorer, they're usually good for plenty of viable depth options in fantasy.
Free agency saw Jack Roslovic -- who is still unsigned -- headline the departures, which also included Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, Riley Stillman, Ty Smith and Spencer Martin. A trade also saw the Hurricanes swap Scott Morrow for K'Andre Miller (upper body) in a deal with the Rangers, which came with an eight-year contract for Miller. Nikolaj Ehlers was one of the biggest signings of free agency on a six-year, $51 million deal. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake were locked in to long-term extensions as well, setting a few more foundational pieces in place for the core, while Cayden Primeau was given a
The final look in our season preview series is in the Metropolitan Division. Last year was full of surprises for this collection of teams, with arguably the biggest overachievers and underachievers included. It's also home to this year's No. 1 overall pick, who could try to shake up the balance of power.
Carolina Hurricanes
As much as some things change, the Hurricanes are always near the top of the stack in the Metro. They dealt with turnover last year and will have a bit more to navigate this season as well. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour has a system that works well in the regular season, but it hasn't yet led to playoff success. It's a system that sacrifices some scoring for airtight defense, so while the Hurricanes rarely have a high-profile scorer, they're usually good for plenty of viable depth options in fantasy.
Free agency saw Jack Roslovic -- who is still unsigned -- headline the departures, which also included Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, Riley Stillman, Ty Smith and Spencer Martin. A trade also saw the Hurricanes swap Scott Morrow for K'Andre Miller (upper body) in a deal with the Rangers, which came with an eight-year contract for Miller. Nikolaj Ehlers was one of the biggest signings of free agency on a six-year, $51 million deal. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake were locked in to long-term extensions as well, setting a few more foundational pieces in place for the core, while Cayden Primeau was given a shorter extension to take over as the No. 3 goalie. The Hurricanes have also been active in the tryout market, securing agreements for forwards Givani Smith and Kevin Labanc as well as defenseman Oliver Kylington, but of the three, only Smith remains with the team late in camp.
Carolina's forward group is set up for flexibility and the ability to roll three lines regularly. Sebastian Aho is still the centerpiece of the offense, but with a deep crop of wingers like Ehlers, Blake, Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov and Taylor Hall, the scoring can come from a variety of areas. Given those crowded numbers, one of them is likely to be stuck in the bottom six at any given time, though power-play minutes will help them stay productive. It's also possible a younger player could take over a center spot from Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who continues to have a tenuous grasp on a second-line role. Stankoven may be the best option for that, though he is undersized for the position, so he'll have to prove himself in game action. Checking forwards Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook are fixtures on the third line, while some combination of Mark Jankowski, William Carrier and Eric Robinson will be the leading candidates to fill out the fourth line. Smith, should he get a contract, will be an option for extra physicality on the fourth line.
The biggest changes for the Hurricanes were on defense, with the departures of Burns and Orlov leaving top-four minutes up for grabs. Jaccob Slavin (undisclosed) will need a new partner on the top pairing, while Miller is best suited for a second-pairing spot. There's also Shayne Gostisbehere on the third pairing as a power-play specialist who will have the largest fantasy impact on this blue line. With just two right-shot blueliners on the roster (Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker), the Hurricanes will need someone to play their off side, which could be Reilly. Alexander Nikishin is also in the mix for minutes, though he may need to be sheltered at first as he has just four playoff games to his name. He's a high-level prospect, but time in the AHL may still be necessary, though the Hurricanes have enough cap space to carry him on the roster. In goal, Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen are back for another year, both on budget-friendly deals. Kochetkov has had to step as a No. 1 at times due to Andersen's myriad of injuries and issues over the years, so Primeau can be penciled in for more action than the typical No. 3 goalie would receive.
Overall, the Hurricanes are talented and should be able to improve on the 3.24 goals per game they scored last year, which had them ranked ninth in the league. They may take a step back defensively, but there's little reason to worry with a talented goalie tandem. They'll be hard to play against, but the natural growth of younger players should create some improvement from within as they look to position themselves for a deeper playoff run.
Washington Capitals
A team making a lot of offseason moves isn't typically a surprise. There are always spots to fill in years when a lot of players leave. The surprising part is when all of those moves pay off. The Capitals had a tight-knit team last year that sat atop the Eastern Conference for the regular season. Repeating that feat will be tough, but this is a team brimming with veterans who know how to lead.
This summer started with a couple of depth moves, as the Capitals traded for and signed forward Justin Sourdif and defenseman Declan Chisholm. Free agency saw the departures of Andrew Mangiapane (Oilers), Taylor Raddysh (Rangers), Lars Eller (Senators) and Alexander Alexeyev (Penguins). Anthony Beauvillier re-signed after taking on a stable middle-six role last year, but the Capitals made no other signings for sure-fire NHL players. The pseudo-additions to the roster include getting Martin Fehervary (knee) and Sonny Milano (upper body) back from injuries. It's not the first time a team has opted to make minimal moves after a successful season, but the Capitals also shot a league-high 12.6 percent last year, a number that's virtually guaranteed to come down.
It's always a good start when you can pencil in the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer on the top line. Alex Ovechkin returns in a contract year, with the 900-goal milestone right in front of him. He's been limited by a lower-body injury in camp. Last year's theme was about his chase to break Wayne Gretzky's regular-season record, but 2025-26 will see how much farther Ovechkin can raise his total. Dylan Strome was his main center last year and returns to that role. Also in the top six are Aliaksei Protas, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson. Beauvillier is in contention for a top-six job spot, but it could go to a younger player like Ryan Leonard, Hendrix Lapierre or Ivan Miroshnichenko, who are competing for prominent roles in camp. Connor McMichael could be a third-line center or join the mix for the second-line spot. Lower in the lineup, Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime should be regulars in the lineup, while Sourdif, Milano and Ethen Frank will look to make the Opening Night roster. It's not a particularly flashy forward group, but the core of it remains intact from last year when the Capitals averaged 3.49 goals per game, second-best in the NHL.
The defense is among the best of any contender in terms of offensive production, though it was a group that allowed 27.2 shots per game last year, good for the 11th-best mark in the league. John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun offer the most scoring upside on the blue line as the power-play defensemen. Chychrun could be shuffled into a smaller role overall, as there's also Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin and Matt Roy as top-four-caliber defensemen. Trevor van Riemsdyk is the leading candidate to fill out the defense, but Dylan McIlrath, Vincent Iorio or Chisholm could also be in the mix whenever injuries arise. The defense is largely unchanged, and that familiarity should be a good thing for the returning goaltending duo of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren. Both Thompson and Lindgren inked new deals, with Thompson signing for six years and Lindgren getting a three-year extension. Thompson has more upside between the two, but when both were healthy, the Capitals kept the playing time fairly even between the two during the regular season. Fantasy managers can monitor the Capitals' netminders throughout the season with RotoWire's NHL Starting Goalies page. It's unlikely Washington will produce a Vezina or Norris candidate, but it's a solid and steady group that should keep games close at worst.
The Capitals remain committed to being contenders as long as they have No. 8 suiting up. With only one or two 23-and-under players likely to be in the lineup regularly, they have a veteran team with talent at all positions that can carry the load until more prospects are NHL ready. However, regression will likely cut into Washington's luck from last season, leaving a team that should make the playoffs even if it doesn't lead the division wire-to-wire.
New Jersey Devils
Inconvenient injuries took the wind out of the Devils' sails just before the playoffs, leading to a quick exit. It's a recurring theme for this team that's overflowing with talent and bandages. The questions will linger with the Devils until their first big playoff run, but they'll need everything to go right for that to happen.
The Devils made a quick salary dump to begin the offseason, sending Erik Haula to the Predators to free up a little over $3 million in space. An exodus of bottom-six forwards followed when free agency started, as Justin Dowling, Curtis Lazar, Nathan Bastian and Daniel Sprong were allowed to walk, as was defenseman Brian Dumoulin. Jake Allen was re-signed to a five-year deal, which is a pretty good length for a backup goalie, while Marc McLaughlin (undisclosed) is back as a depth forward. The Devils replenished their forward depth by signing Evgenii Dadonov, Connor Brown, Angus Crookshank and Thomas Bordeleau, and prospect Arseni Gritsyuk is on an entry-level deal to compete for a spot this season. Forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dennis Cholowski were also re-signed after finishing last year with New Jersey. The Devils also signed veteran fourth-liners Luke Glendening and Kevin Rooney to tryout agreements, which could give the bottom six a more experienced look if they make a good impression in camp.
Few teams have center depth as strong as Jack Hughes (shoulder) -- who is a Top 10 player in RotoWire's fantasy hockey rankings -- along with Nico Hischier (lower body) and Dawson Mercer on the first three lines. Mercer could be moved to a wing to have Glass on the third line depending on how the tryout players shake out. That valuable center depth is enviable, but the wings aren't quite as good. Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are locks for top-six jobs, but there's not a ton of upside beyond that. Ondrej Palat, Stefan Noesen (groin), Gritsyuk, Brown, Dadonov and Paul Cotter appear most likely to fill out the lineup, while McLaughlin and Kurtis MacDermid are also in the mix. With both Noesen and McLaughlin dealing with injuries, that could make the path easier for Glendening or Rooney to get a contract. The Devils have enough cap space to make a splash to improve their wing depth, which could also help relieve a logjam on defense eventually.
Speaking of the defense, there's a lot to like about this group -- assuming they stay healthy. Johnny Kovacevic (knee) will miss the start of the year, opening the door for Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey (lower body) to make a good impression. Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon (neck) also dealt with injuries late in the year, but both are expected to be ready to begin the season. Hughes ended a contract dispute with a seven-year contract, and while he missed a large portion of camp, it shouldn't take him long to get up to speed. Dougie Hamilton and Hughes are the top power-play options, though Nemec could get a look there as well if he's in the lineup. The Devils also boast a pair of steady blueliners in Jonas Siegenthaler and Brett Pesce, who can fill in anywhere on the blue line. Cholowski is an ideal seventh defenseman who may begin the season with the team. This is a group with plenty of experience and talent, as evidenced by the Devils allowing just 26.4 shots per game last year, sixth-best in the league. Jacob Markstrom remains a high-end goalie in the starting role, supplemented by Allen as the backup and Nico Daws as the No. 3 should injuries arise. Age and injury risk limits the potential for the Devils' defensive structure and goaltending, but when healthy, this is a team that should shut things down at the back.
Having talent in key places is a major part of success in the NHL. The Devils can check off center, defense and goalie as strong areas, but there's still something missing from the mix for them to be a top-tier contender. Whether that comes from internal growth or a blockbuster trade to shake things up, the Devils should still have a relatively easy path into the playoffs in a division with more question marks than answers.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets showed great strength and resolve in 2024-25, knocking on the door of the playoffs after beginning the season in the face of a tragedy. After a year of bonding, healing and growth, this young team is poised to prove their flirtation with a playoff spot was not a fluke. Young talent makes Columbus exciting for fantasy managers, who should be able to find a few sleepers or diamonds in the rough if the team takes another step forward.
Before free agency, the Blue Jackets shipped Daniil Tarasov to the Panthers and acquired forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from the Avalanche. There were plenty of departures from free agents, with forwards James van Riemsdyk (Detroit), Justin Danforth (Buffalo), Sean Kuraly (Boston) and Christian Fischer (retired) all leaving, joined by defensemen Jack Johnson (Minnesota, PTO) and Jordan Harris (Boston). Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro re-signed on a long-term extension before free agency, and Isac Lundestrom and Hudson Fasching were the biggest free-agent moves aside from signing a handful of restricted free agents. The Blue Jackets had plenty of players at the end of 2024-25 due to their ample cap space, and that's still present, so there shouldn't be any tough financial decisions in camp.
Breakouts from Kirill Marchenko (undisclosed), Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson helped the Blue Jackets rank tied for seventh with 3.26 goals per game last season. All three should reprise top-six roles, along with veteran forwards Sean Monahan, who had a strong year of his own, and Boone Jenner, who impressed after a lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery. Dmitri Voronkov or Cole Sillinger should also see chances on the second line, and both are young enough to have breakouts of their own in 2025-26. The trade additions of Coyle, Wood and Brendan Gaunce will supplement the bottom six, with Coyle and Wood virtual locks to be in the lineup. Ultra-physical winger Mathieu Olivier will also play regularly after signing a six-year extension in March. Lundestrom, Zach Aston-Reese and Fasching are fourth-line candidates. Yegor Chinakhov is a wild card here, as he has requested a trade, but he has softened his stance and could still play in Columbus. Chinakhov commands at least a middle-six job if he begins the year with the Blue Jackets, but his eventual departure could open the door for Mikael Pyyhtia or Luca Del Bel Belluz to get a look. Columbus doesn't have an abundance of forward prospects waiting in the wings, but they've got enough options at AHL Cleveland to push some of the veterans on the fringe for their roster spots.
Keeping Provorov and Fabbro means the Blue Jackets' top four from last year should be unchanged. Both play a decent shutdown game, and Fabbro's strong play led to a mutually beneficial partnership with All-Star-caliber blueliner Zach Werenski on the top pairing. Provorov will likely remain on the second pairing and could provide a quality veteran presence to mentor Denton Mateychuk, who looks NHL-ready at 21 years old. Damon Severson and Erik Gudbranson are the top candidates for the third pairing, while Jake Christiansen and Daemon Hunt appear likely to fill depth roles, with neither one guaranteed much playing time. Columbus was fifth-worst in the NHL by allowing 29.9 shots per game last season, and Elvis Merzlikins largely struggled to handle such a heavy workload. Merzlikins enters the season as the Blue Jackets' top goalie, but it's quite possible Jet Greaves, who impressed in the AHL and in a late-season NHL audition, could quickly take over the top job. Greaves is among the top breakout options among goalies in fantasy, as AHL veteran Zach Sawchenko likely won't put up much of a battle for the backup job.
The Blue Jackets still have a lot to prove, but it's not hard to see that this is a team on the rise. Progress can be uneven -- they're just as likely to take a step back as they are to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Repeating last year's collective breakout will be tough, but there are enough young players in key positions for one or two more to take another big stride in 2025-26.
New York Rangers
Everything was fine until it wasn't for the Rangers, who were excellent in October and inept every month after that. Gone are veteran players that were deemed expendable, as well as a head coach that wasn't able to guide the ship back on course. However, new head coach Mike Sullivan struggled in recent years with the Penguins, and the Rangers don't have the same level of generational talent, so a bounce-back year may have more to do with a reversal of fortune than a new system.
The big moves of the offseason were a pair of trades, one to send Chris Kreider to the Ducks and the other swapping K'Andre Miller to the Hurricanes for Scott Morrow. The Rangers then lost forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Minnesota), Zac Jones (Buffalo) and Arthur Kaliyev (Senators) in free agency, while defenseman Calvin de Haan signed in Sweden after a frustrating final quarter of the season. The Rangers' remodeling of the defense was given a boost by signing Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency, while Derrick Pouliot was also brought aboard for depth. Forwards Justin Dowling and Taylor Raddysh are also new to the team, as are depth signings Trey Fix-Wolansky and Brendan Brisson. Conor Sheary is also looking to keep his career going while in camp on a professional tryout, which has gone fairly well so far.
With the departure of Kreider, the Rangers' forward group will look meaningfully different this season. J.T. Miller (lower body) and Vincent Trocheck will center the first two lines, while Mika Zibanejad, coming off of a rough year, will either be on the third line as a center or playing on the wing in the top six. Zibanejad and Miller showed promise together in the latter half of 2024-25, giving new coach Sullivan some varied looks to play with. Artemi Panarin (lower body) and Alexis Lafreniere should easily maintain top-six roles, but the depth thins out from there. Will Cuylle should get the first look at a top-six job after his breakout last season, while Gabe Perreault and Brett Berard should also get some chances to impress. Juuso Parssinen, Sam Carrick and Dowling will contend for center spots in the bottom six. Raddysh, Adam Edstrom, Jonny Brodzinski, Matt Rempe and Brennan Othmann are also candidates for the Opening Night roster, but there are cuts to be made, with Perreault, Berard and Othmann all possibilities to begin 2025-26 with AHL Hartford. The Rangers have also had an unexpected performance from center Noah Laba in camp, which will make the cuts at forward a little tougher. A lot will depend on which players are down the middle and who plays well on their wings.
On defense, Adam Fox continues to be Broadway's star, while getting an effective shutdown partner in Gavrikov should take his game to new heights. Morrow is also interesting as a potential second power-play unit candidate. Carson Soucy and Will Borgen are stay-at-home defenders who could form a shutdown pair, while Braden Schneider (shoulder) is the top option for a third-pairing spot if healthy, slotting in above Urho Vaakanainen and Matthew Robertson. It'll be a tough, physically imposing and flexible group that could lead to lots of mixing and matching, but the Rangers will likely miss some of the experience that left the roster. Luckily, the best chance of them having a rebound season will come in goal, as Igor Shesterkin remains a top-tier goalie and Jonathan Quick has been among the better backups in the league during his time with the Blueshirts. Both goalies took a step back amid the team's struggles last year, with Shesterkin's .905 save percentage being a career-low mark. Assuming that's his floor, he'll likely be available at a relative bargain in fantasy drafts.
With a big shake-up throughout the organization, the Rangers' veterans that remain need to prove last year's issues were a one-off. With four forwards and eight total players signed through at least 2028-29, there is an obvious core that offers little potential for change. It's also Panarin's contract year -- he has a no-movement clause, but the Rangers may still look to see if he's open to a trade if they struggle again. It's a team that should have playoff-level aspirations, but there are plenty of questions about their ability to live up to expectations.
New York Islanders
The Islanders made a change at general manager and a huge trade to pave the way for a future franchise star. They started to shed the "boring" label last year, but it's still a workmanlike team that has seen a few good players go elsewhere. There's enough experience for the Islanders to be a tough team to beat, but they may not make winning easy since they still need to score by committee.
The big move of the offseason came on draft day, with Noah Dobson sent to Montreal for Emil Heineman, clearing the way for Matthew Schaefer to play a big role after being drafted No. 1 overall. The Islanders also parted ways with Hudson Fasching (Columbus), Mike Reilly (Carolina) and Scott Perunovich (Utah), with the latter two further clearing up a crowded blue line. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo was re-signed and Ethan Bear was added on defense on the first day of free agency. Further additions came at forward with the signings of Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov, while David Rittich was signed to compete for the backup role in goal. Matthew Highmore and Cole McWard are also new to the team on two-way deals and could play a part during 2025-26.
The top-six forward locks are Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee, Kyle Palmieri and Drouin. Simon Holmstrom, Anthony Duclair, Heineman and Shabanov figure to compete for the last wing spot in the top six, with two of them being set for third-line duties alongside do-it-all center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The fourth line has undergone changes and will be younger than in previous years, with Casey Cizikas likely to center some combination of Maxim Tsyplakov, Kyle MacLean, Marc Gatcomb and Pierre Engvall. The Islanders were tied for fifth-worst in goals last season, averaging 2.71 per game, so expect scoring growth to come from Drouin and Shabanov. It's still a team with a few too many middle-six-ceiling players, and the lack of a true star forward is discouraging, though Horvat or Barzal could approach a point-per-game pace if they can avoid injuries in 2025-26.
Defensively, there's plenty of name recognition but not enough reliability. DeAngelo and Schaefer are likely to get first crack at the power-play minutes this year, and both should occupy top-four roles. The rest of the blue line is filled out by shutdown defenders in Alexander Romanov, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield. They are all fine at the role they play, but it's not particularly useful in fantasy if they can't get above the 25-to-30-point range. Unfortunately, having a crop of effective shot-blockers that don't move the puck as well will make it a tough job for Ilya Sorokin, who gave up nine fewer goals in five more games for a 2.71 GAA and a .907 save percentage last year. That's still in the No. 2 goalie range for fantasy rather than the clear No. 1 level he played at in his first three campaigns. Semyon Varlamov's (knee) status remains in flux, as he's resumed skating this summer but may not be ready for the start of the season. Enter Rittich, who spent time behind the defensive juggernaut that was the Los Angeles blue line last year and still struggled. A healthy Varlamov, even at 37 years old, should be the backup to Sorokin, though the Islanders could opt to carry three netminders even though Marcus Hogberg cleared waivers to get to AHL Bridgeport.
Overall, the Islanders are rarely a fantasy goldmine. A new organizational direction should help, and Schaefer is definitely worth a look, as is any first-overall pick. The Islanders don't have the talent to stack up with other teams in the Metro, but they could have the work rate to keep pace for much of the year.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers aren't ready to be a contender yet with too many weaknesses on the roster, but they took a big swing this offseason. They're seeing the first blossoms of their rebuild with more to come, but another year or two on the outside of the playoff picture could test this group's resolve. However, with a new coach in Rick Tocchet, the attitude should be much better compared to the John Tortorella era.
The Flyers' offseason wasn't all that busy, but they made a notable trade to acquire Trevor Zegras from the Ducks for Ryan Poehling. That's a big move for a team that's not in contention, as they picked up a true top-six forward and gave up a bottom-six center in the process. They also opted to part ways with Jakob Pelletier in free agency, and he went to the Lightning. The Flyers then signed Christian Dvorak, Noah Juulsen, Dan Vladar, Lane Pederson and Dennis Gilbert in free agency, adding some thump to the blue line as well as another contender for starts in goal. A September trade saw Ivan Fedotov shipped to Columbus to clear the logjam in goal. The low number of moves indicates Philadelphia's approach this season will lean on prospects filling the gaps, not that there were many to plug up.
For years to come, the star of the show for the Flyers is Matvei Michkov. He was electrifying as a rookie with 26 goals and 63 points in 80 games, despite a couple of healthy scratches under Tortorella. He'll be joined in the top six by Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett and Zegras. There's plenty of talent in that group, though Foerster comes into camp recovering from an infection in his elbow sustained during the IIHF World Championship. Noah Cates and Bobby Brink should begin 2025-26 on the third line after finding success in the middle six last year. Dvorak is an option as the third-line center but could also play on the fourth line, while the rest of the forward group will come down to Nicolas Deslauriers, Garnet Hathaway, Rodrigo Abols and Pederson. There's also prospects to consider, as Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin have hung around late into the preseason. With a pretty clear divide in talent between the top six and bottom six, expect consistent lines to develop when everyone's healthy.
Defensively, the Flyers still have work to do. Travis Sanheim is a good all-around blueliner and should see the leading share of ice time. He could also get power-play looks, while Jamie Drysdale and Cam York could contend there as well. Rasmus Ristolainen (triceps) will be in the top-four mix as well once he recovers from his injury, which is expected to cost him at least a couple of weeks of the regular season. The rest of the blue line will be filled out by Egor Zamula, Adam Ginning, Gilbert and Juulsen. Zamula has upside as a younger option, but Gilbert and Juulsen are high-physicality defensemen who may be useful to the Flyers as imposing presences. In the crease, Vladar could be the favorite for starts. Samuel Ersson is also in contention, while Kolosov is set to begin the year with AHL Lehigh Valley. The Flyers carried three goalies for much of last season, but it doesn't look like that will happen this year. Regardless, fantasy managers shouldn't be counting on any of these goalies on a full-time basis -- they can be streamed in favorable matchups but none have a strong track record.
The Flyers will have a decent offense with their top six, but the rest of the lineup will be exposed for a lack of depth if injuries pile up. Fantasy managers shouldn't count on a breakout candidate anywhere, as the team has enough players rostered to keep a prospect like Denver Barkey away from the worst of the rebuilding years as he continues to develop in junior hockey.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins may have bottomed out as much as they can as long as Sidney Crosby is still in their lineup. Being loyal to their franchise icons has delayed the rebuilding process, but it hasn't stopped the team's decline. While the Metro isn't exactly stacked, the Penguins don't have the depth or talent to get on a playoff pace.
The Penguins got a head start on revamping their defense by trading Conor Timmins for Connor Clifton in a swap with the Sabres, and then followed that up by sending Vladislav Kolyachonok to the Stars for Matt Dumba. Also leaving the blue line are Matt Grzelcyk and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and forward Matt Nieto (undisclosed) also remains an unsigned free agent. The Penguins let Philip Tomasino and Connor Dewar briefly reach free agency before getting them back under contract and added to their haul on the open market by bringing on Parker Wotherspoon, Justin Brazeau, Caleb Jones, Alexander Alexeyev, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Anthony Mantha throughout the summer. Things will also look different in goal, as Alex Nedeljkovic was dealt to the Sharks and Arturs Silovs was acquired from the Canucks. That made for a busy offseason, but not one that leaves the Penguins in a better position than the one they were in to close out 2024-25.
As mentioned above, Crosby is still the centerpiece of the offense, and he's coming off a third straight year with 90-plus points. At 38 years old, he's still excellent and capable of leading the Penguins' offense. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust (lower body) are also still with the team and should be power-play fixtures even if the top two lines get mixed up, though Rust will miss a couple of weeks to begin the year. Evgeni Malkin will try to stave off Father Time in a second-line role, but his offense has declined in back-to-back seasons. Mantha can fill a top-six role, but coming off a season mostly lost to an ACL injury, it remains to be seen how long he'll need to get up to speed this year. Thomas Novak, Tomasino, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty (upper body) and Kevin Hayes (upper body) should compete for middle-six roles, and they'll also battle with Dewar, Brazeau, Danton Heinen and Noel Acciari for the last forward spots in the lineup. While some of these players have upside, namely younger players like Koivunen and McGroarty, the lack of proven scoring depth throughout the lineup underscores the Penguins' primary cause for concern this year. The Penguins have made few cuts in camp, leaving the competition wide open into the final weekend of the preseason.
Things aren't much brighter on defense. Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang can still pile up points, but Letang's age showed in his defense last year. He's also coming off a heart procedure, though he should be fine to begin 2025-26. Ryan Shea took advantage of his opportunity to play regularly in 2024-25 and enters this year as a top-four option. Clifton and Dumba should also get top-four chances, while Ryan Graves, Alexeyev and Wotherspoon are the veteran options to fill out the defense. The Penguins could also opt to go young with Owen Pickering or Harrison Brunicke, but they're both better suited dominating lower levels of competition than struggling with the big club this year. Tristan Jarry remains as the No. 1 goalie, but he was waived and spent time in the AHL last year, so he doesn't exactly have a strong grip on the job. Silovs was good in the AHL but struggled with the Canucks at the NHL level last year, and he'll compete for the backup job with Joel Blomqvist (lower body), who had a similar story in the Penguins' organization. Given the state of Pittsburgh's defense, none of their goalies are strong fantasy options.
The Penguins are a case of things getting worse before they get better. For the long-term future, it's best the team continues to struggle and stockpile talent, which could help them pivot quickly once the Crosby/Malkin/Letang era comes to a close. Keep your fantasy investments in this team to the top three or four players and nothing more until later in the season if a prospect gets a chance.
With that, we've taken a look at every team across the league. The regular season is less than a week away, and I'm excited to be part of the team bringing you fantasy hockey strategy throughout the campaign. Good luck this year!
