The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled the last three seasons and, therefore, have missed the playoffs in all those campaigns. Unfortunately, if you are a Penguins fan, it is very unlikely that the team from the Steel City will reach the postseason this season either. Even worse, the Penguins are widely considered front-runners for the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes in the 2026 Draft and maybe even the worst overall team in the league. While the Penguins are undoubtedly entering a rebuild, will they be the worst team in the league? This article will examine how they compare to the rest of the league and theorize where they will finish in the standings.
The Metropolitan Division
The Penguins finished seventh in the Metro last season with 80 points, four ahead of the last-place Philadelphia Flyers and two points behind the New York Islanders for sixth. For this upcoming season, it is more likely that Pirmanti Bros closes all their locations in Pittsburgh than the Penguins coming in the top three in the Metro and guaranteeing themselves a playoff berth. The division-winning Washington Capitals did not make any significant moves other than re-signing defenseman Martin Fehervary to a seven-year deal, but they did not have to. The Capitals may not have gotten better, but they also did not get any worse and seem poised to contend for another division title.
The team that made the most noise in the division this offseason was the Carolina Hurricanes. First, they traded for defender K’Andre Miller and extended the former New York Ranger for eight years. Next, they signed arguably the most prized unrestricted free agent, winger Nikolaj Ehlers, for six years with a cap hit of $8.5 million. The Hurricanes also have over $10 million in available cap space if they wanted to make a significant move at the deadline. As for the team the Hurricanes defeated in the first round, the New Jersey Devils will have a fully healthy Jack Hughes. After the star center went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, the Devils’ promising season was derailed. Assuming Hughes stays healthy, the Devils will be a lock for the postseason.
Related: How the NHL’s Metropolitan Division Became the Worst
As for the teams that did not make the playoffs from the Metro, the Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed defenders Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro, and they also acquired Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from…
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