Are the Boys in Union Blue still the team that no one wants to play from the end of last season? With the Columbus Blue Jackets set to open training camp this week and the club moving to the Eastern Conference, a preview of what to expect might be in order.
The Blue Jackets are part of the newly-formed Metropolitan Division. This division includes the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals. The old Central Division of the Western Conference, of which Columbus was a part, was arguably the toughest division in the NHL. Could the new Metropolitan Division rival that? Let’s take a look at the new divisional rivals of the Blue Jackets.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes finished last season 13th in the Eastern Conference, going 19-25-4 for 42 points. Head coach Kirk Muller begins his first full season behind the bench since taking over for Paul Maurice in November 2011. Their major acquisitions this summer were the addition of defenseman Mike Komisarek and a backup goaltender for Cam Ward in Anton Khudobin. While they are a formidable team, with the likes of Eric and Jrdan Staal, Alexander Semin and Jeff Skinner, the key for Carolina is to stay healthy. Look for them to bounce back in 2013-2014.
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey finished last season 11th in the East, going 19-19-10 for 48 points. With goaltender Martin Brodeur entering the twilight of his career, the Devils acquired on NHL draft day Cory Schneider as the heir-apparent. Also this summer, they added Jaromir Jagr, Ryan Clowe and Michael Ryder to the roster. With veteran Patrick Elias re-signed for three more years, they have taken the steps to move on from the much-publicized departure of Ilya Kovalchuk to the KHL. With the Devils under new ownership, and with new faces in the line-up, look for them come out strong in 2013-2014.
New York Islanders
The Islanders finished last season 8th in the East, going 24-17-7 for 55 points, bowing out to Pittsburgh in the Eastern quarterfinals of the playoffs. The Isles were one of the surprise teams of last year, while still developing as a consistent club. Their young core is stepping up, and with the offseason signings of Cal Clutterbuck and Pierre-Mark Brouchard, this is a team on the rise. Under the leadership of head coach Jack Capuono and newly-named captain John Tavares, look for the Islanders to have a strong showing as the 2013-2014 season unfolds.
New York Rangers
The Rangers finished last season 6th in the East, going 26-18-4 for 56 points, being eliminated by Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Columbus and the Rangers have some history with the amount of player trades going both ways. They are a powerhouse in the Metro Division, backstopped by one of the best goalies in the league, Henrik Lunqvist. Under new head coach Alain Vigneault, they hope to increase their scoring production in the post-season. Look for the Rangers to make yet another run for the Stanley Cup in 2013-2014.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers finished last season 10th in the East, going 23-22-3 for 49 points. Under head coach Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia looks to rebound from a disappointing 2013 season. While at times their roster has seemed like a revolving door, GM Paul Holmgren stayed true to form and brought in Mark Streit, Vincent Lecavlier and Ray Emery to backstop goaltender Steve Mason. If they sort their goaltending and defensive issues, they could (and should) be a force to be reckoned with in the Metro Division in 2013-2014. Can they recapture the “Broad Street Bullies” style of play from yesteryear?
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins finished last season 1st in the East, going 36-12-0 for 72 points, before being eliminated by Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. Under head coach Dan Bylsma and captained by NHL poster-boy Sidney Crosby, they look to be the cream of the division again in 2013-2014. With the acquisition of Rob Scuderi and returning players Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz, the hope is that the chemistry is in place for another run at the Stanley Cup. The one thing that could trip up their plans on Metro Division domination is goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun need to be consistent for another Cup run.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals finished last season 3rd in the East, going 27-18-3 for 57 points, before being bounced by the New York Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs. They were the bee’s knees of the old Southeast Division. They will find that it’s a much tougher row to hoe in the newly-formed Metropolitan Division. Under head coach Adam Oates and led by Captain Alexander Ovechkin, Washington has the offensive firepower to compete game to game. What will trip them up is defense and secondary scoring. Look for them to make a playoff push, again, in 2013-2014.
That leaves us with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Where do they fit into the Metro Division?
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets finished last season tied for 8th in the West (losing a tie-breaker to the Minnesota Wild), going 24-17-7 for 55 points. Under head coach Todd Richards (and a new-look Front Office staff), Columbus hopes to expand on the run that they finished the 2013 season with. The major acquisition this summer was coveted free agent Nathan Horton. Although he had surgery this summer and won’t enter the line-up until December-January, look for him to bring a scoring touch that the club has been lacking. This is a contract year for Marian Gaborik, so he should be sufficiently emboldened to put up points.
With a young core that is developing well and a depth to the roster that makes it easy to slot players in, this is a club on the rise. Backstopped by the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, they are a defensively sound team. With a full training camp and full season for the chemistry to grow, look for Columbus to start the season strong. What will hold them back from advancing is scoring. Last season it was scoring by committee. This season, they need players such as RJ Umberger, Marian Gaborik and Nathan Horton, to rekindle that scoring touch and put points on the board. With good goaltending, a solid defense and a scoring touch, look for the Blue Jackets to make the Metro Division sit up and take notice of them.
The new Metropolitan Division looks to be just as tough, if not tougher, than the old central Division. And yet, there is no more flying under the radar for this club. The bricks have been laid. Their time is now.
