New York Rangers: ranking the Metro division defenses
8. New Jersey Devils
To begin the Metropolitan division defensive rankings, we welcome the New Jersey Devils. Last season, the Devils were among the worst defensively in the NHL. Coming into the 2017-18 season there is no reason to believe they will be any better.
New Jersey has been without a top defenseman since making the trade that brought in forward Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. Now, the leader of that group is captain Andy Greene. However, this year, arguably the team’s most reliable defenseman will be ex-Ranger John Moore.
Outside of Greene, Moore, and Ben Lovejoy, the Devils will be rostering a young defensive group. Damon Severson, Steven Santini and Michael Kapla are all 22 years old. Santini and Kapla experienced their first taste of NHL action last season.
Severson is the only one of the group that seems ready to break out. In 2016-17, he recorded a career-high 31 points. However, a testament to his team’s awful play around him was his -31 plus/minus.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers will come into the 2017-18 season with a favorable lead over New Jersey in defensive rankings. That is all due in part to Shayne Gostisbehere. The 24-year old phenom represents all that is good in the future of NHL defenseman.
In his second season, Gostisbehere experienced a minor form of the sophomore slump. After recording 46 points and 17 goals in 64 games his first season, his point totals regressed to 39 and 7 over 76 games this past season.
The Flyers have another young, intriguing defenseman in Ivan Provorov. The 20-year old Russian prospect burst onto the NHL scene with 30 points, and eight goals, in a full 82-game season.
Outside of those two high-upside players, the Flyers’ defense is full of anchor defenseman. Andrew MacDonald continues to be a thorn in their side, while Radko Gudas will spend another season bruising opponents in Flyers orange.
With so much uncertainty surrounding this group in Philadelphia, don’t be surprised to see them miss the postseason again in 2018.
6. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a team that are on the verge of finding their stride. Following an up-and-down 2016-17 season, the Hurricanes will look to make their move in a stacked Metro division.
Their defensive group returns one of the league’s best power-play scoring defenseman in Justin Faulk. The 25-year old, right-handed defenseman is just a season removed from scoring 12 times with the man-advantage. Moreover, Faulk has increased his goal totals for three straight seasons.
Behind Faulk is another young man waiting to put the NHL on notice in Noah Hanifin. The 20-year old will be a building block for a young Carolina team for many years to come.
The Hurricanes did get some help through the trade market this offseason. Following the NHL Expansion Draft, Carolina received Trevor van Riemsdyk, formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks, from the Vegas Golden Knights.
Those top three options are formidable, and represent a strong start for a developing team. However, there is not enough depth and stability to claim the Hurricanes are among the Metro’s best defenses.
5. Washington Capitals
The two-time reigning President’s Trophy winning Washington Capitals will again boast one of the better defenses in the Metropolitan division. However, this year’s group should experience a regression that will make their opponents rather happy.
Of course, the Capitals group is led by the big American, John Carlson, who led their team with 22:43ATOI. Carlson’s style of play has put him in harm’s way the last two seasons, shortening his time available to the Capitals.
The 27-year old will be paired alongside Brooks Orpik. Orpik is among those who should see his game come crashing back to Earth next season.
To round out Washington’s top-four is Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov. Niskanen is a solid defender, who has recorded no less than 31 points in the last four seasons. Meanwhile, Orlov’s continued upward trend paved the way for his recent six-year extension.
Outside of that top-four, the Capitals roster is surrounded with defensive question marks. With Alexander Ovechkin continuing to occupy a large portion of Washington’s cap space, changes may be hard to come by for the team.
4. New York Islanders
Unfortunately, the New York Islanders rank rather high on our list. The Rangers crosstown rivals have acquired and developed a strong foundation on their back-end over the last few seasons.
The Islanders first pairing boasts two hard to play against defenders. Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy are among the league’s hardest working pairs, benefiting their team at both ends of the ice. The biggest sticking point in considering this an elite pairing has been their inability to stay healthy simultaneously over the course of an entire season.
The team’s second pair will undergo a rather dramatic change with the departure of Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames. Now, Thomas Hickey and Dennis Seidenberg are the elder members of their defensive group. With their abilities lacking, and in Seidenberg’s case declining rapidly, others must step.
Calvin de Haan will be asked to elevate his game again in order to propel the Islanders’ otherwise young defense. Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and Scott Mayfield are all competing for a full-time roster spot. Meanwhile Sebastian Aho has Islanders’ fans clamoring for an extended look.
The future may be bright for this Islanders group. However, they must prove that they can succeed with such youth in a tough Metro division.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins ranking on this list has much more to do with respect than actual ability. After achieving the ultimate goal, raising the Stanley Cup, the Penguins defensive group is due praise.
Atop the Penguins’ defensive depth chart is Kris Letang. The often-injured lefty is among the best playmaking defenseman in the NHL. However, it has been six seasons since Letang appeared in a full 82-game slate.
Outside of Letang, the Penguins top-four is rounded out by Justin Schultz, Olli Maata, and Brian Dumoulin. None of them dazzle, but each has played a vital role in helping a Stanley cup winning roster.
The biggest key to this defensive group’s success has been their cohesion and ability to make the most of their opportunities. As they continue to grow as a unit, those attributes only stand to become more complete.
Every season it feels like the rest of the NHL is waiting for the Penguins defense to fall off. Perhaps this will be the year that their league average defenders begin to show holes in their game. If that becomes the case, expect the Penguins to bring in reinforcements mid-season.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
The John Tortorella-led Columbus Blue Jackets have something to be excited for in the upcoming 2017-18 season. It was an inspiring 2016-17 season for the Blue Jackets. One that saw them claim the third seed in the Metropolitan division, only to be ousted by the eventual cup-winning Penguins.
However, their defense is going to allow them to continue an upward trend in today’s evolving NHL. Headlined by former number four overall pick Seth Jones, the Blue Jackets boast one of the Metro’s strongest defensive groups.
Jones broke out in a big way in his first full season in Columbus, recording a career-high 42 points, including 12 goals. His pairing-mate is another young phenom, Zach Werenski. At 19 years old, Werenski put the NHL on notice. He recorded 47 points, including 11 goals and 21 power-play points.
The Blue Jacket second pairing consists of a combination of veterans David Savard and Jack Johnson, and the ever-improving Ryan Murray. The team would be smartest to limit Johnson’s minutes, who is prone to anchor productive players around him.
Much like the Rangers, the Blue Jackets have several deserving, young players waiting at a chance to compete at the NHL level. Their final pairing will most likely consist of Finland-native Markus Nutivaara, and former first-rounder Gabriel Carlsson.
1. New York Rangers
Would you look at that, it’s the New York Rangers atop the Metro division defensive rankings. It has been a long and tumultuous journey, but finally, the Rangers have revamped their aging defensive corps. Heading into the 2017-18 season, the outlook is bright for this group.
Of course, the headlining move of this defensive overhaul was the signing of Kevin Shattenkirk. He figures to immediately slot alongside captain Ryan McDonagh. The second pairing will return homegrown star Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith. That top-four ranks among not just the best in the Metro, but the best in the NHL.
Much like the rest of the Metro, the Rangers’ final pairing will have question marks for most of the season. Unless one or both of Marc Staal or Nick Holden get moved, worthy prospects will be forced to wait in the wings.
Alexei Bereglazov figures to be a front-runner to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. A clause in his contract would allow him to return to the KHL otherwise. However, recently acquired Anthony DeAngelo has first-round upside, and Ryan Graves has done just about all you can do in the AHL.
Next: New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist primed for big year with improved defense
One thing is certain, this is not the New York Rangers defense of the past. We will be experiencing something much more special in the 2017-18 season