Old North Banter
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Predicting the 2019-2020 Metropolitan Standings

By Ryan Henkel

SAN JOSE, CA - JANUARY 26: The Metropolitan Division All-Stars pose after winning the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game at SAP Center on January 26, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA - JANUARY 26: The Metropolitan Division All-Stars pose after winning the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game at SAP Center on January 26, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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6. New York Rangers

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrates his game winning shoot-out goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden on September 26, 2019 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Flyers 2-1 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrates his game winning shoot-out goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden on September 26, 2019 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Flyers 2-1 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

This one is difficult to rationalize due to the same level of offseason progress that they made. The Rangers drafted Kappo Kakko, have Vitali Kravtsov ready to play, have signed Artemi Panarin, and traded Niel Pionk for Jacob Trouba and acquired Adam Fox from Carolina. The Rangers have improved nearly every aspect of their team but I still don’t see them as a playoff contender yet.

For one, past Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers lack talented centers to play with their high-caliber wingers. Also, the blueline past Trouba and Fox is not great and the Rangers really don’t have a number one proven defenseman. Additionally, I don’t see the team having a true identity or direction under head coach David Quinn either. The former Boston University coach is heading into only his second year as an NHL head coach and as such haven’t seen anything to convince me otherwise.

Finally, goaltending is a facet that I don’t see the Rangers coming up great in. Henrik Lundqvist is 37 and will turn 38 midway through the season and with how much he has been worked by the Rangers in his fourteen seasons with the team, it is only a matter of time before the inevitability of time catches up to him. Alexander Georgiev is not the answer on the backend yet either. With so many new faces in New York, it is a question of is it enough and can what has been added mesh?

Notable Additions: Kappo Kakko, Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, Adam Fox, Greg McKegg

Notable Losses: Jimmy Vesey, Kevin Shattenkirk

7. New York Islanders

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Semyon Varlamov #40 of the New York Islanders tends net against the Detroit Red Wings at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on September 23, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Semyon Varlamov #40 of the New York Islanders tends net against the Detroit Red Wings at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on September 23, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Another difficult rationalization, the Islanders are a team I don’t see repeating the success they had last year. The Islanders were not an impressive offensive team last year by any means and I don’t see that changing this year either.

While Matt Barzal is becoming a top player in the league, he can’t solely run a team, i.e. Connor McDavid. Head coach Barry Trotz was the reason the Islanders found any success due to the defensive nature of his system shutting down most teams offenses, but will the system work for new goalie Semyon Varlamov as well as it did with Robin Lehner? Jordan Eberle and Anthony Beauvillier are two other players who had big years for the Islanders and if they can replicate, maybe the Islanders move back up to bubble potential.

With how much other teams in the division improved compared to the very little the Islanders did, I see them definitely having a fall-off year. With last season more than likely being an overachievement, it may show that the Islanders have a lot more work to do, which maybe should have been addressed in the offseason.

Notable Additions: Semyon Varlamov

Notable Losses: Robin Lehner, Valtteri Filppula

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