Noah Pedrazzoli follows up his season previews with a mid-season checkup on the Metropolitan Division teams.
As Expected
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are in an interesting spot. On one hand, they are full of young prospects still finding their way in the NHL, but on the other they have a few regulars keeping them afloat such as Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier.
The Flyers are in the middle of the pack, which is where they were predicted to be, not too good but not too bad. They sit 5th in the Metropolitan Division, two point behind a Wild Card spot held by Ottawa.
They have questions that need to be answered on the back-end regarding their defense and their goaltending, but they have the scoring touch they need from Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett. Konecny leads the team with 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points while Tippett has 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points.
A player that has certainly caused waves amongst prospects is Matvei Michkov, who is demonstrating that he is more than capable of keeping up with the stars in the league.
His overall trajectory depends on how the team chooses to deploy him in his development, but he is a promising young player that only has upside. Michkov currently has 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 on the season which puts him second in points behind Konecny.
In the meantime, the Flyers will need to consider how to build around Michkov and Travis Konecny who are clearly the future of this franchise.
MATVEI MICHKOV AGAIN!!! 💪
— NHL (@NHL) December 1, 2024
The rookie scores his third @Energizer overtime winner of the season to give the @NHLFlyers two points! pic.twitter.com/vbm6ibjPS0
Matvei Michkov scores a thrilling OT winner vs St. Louis
Pittsburgh Penguins
After signing a two-year extension with the Penguins, Crosby will continue to lead a team trying to build around him as Kyle Dubas continues its re-tool on the fly. With the additions of Philip Tomasino, Cody Glass, and Rutger McGroarty; Kyle Dubas continues to tweak the Penguins, making them younger and faster.
The veteran-heavy top-six has been given ample cushioning with a younger bottom-six better suited for the current state of the league. The Penguins have put together a string of wins that demonstrate their ability to score and showcase their young yet experienced team.
Depth scoring from players such as Michael Bunting (11 goals, 10 assists), and former Islander Anthony Beauvillier (9 goals, 3 assists), are providing essential scoring support.
Sydney Crosby has had a historic and legendary career, and thanks to the roster flexibility provided by Dubas, the pressure to carry the offense as in previous years has been reduced.. Crosby had 42 goals and 52 assists for 94 points last season.
The Penguins are currently 4th in the Metropolitan Division and only a point out of a Wild Card spot.
"AND SIDNEY STANDS ALONE!" 🐧
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 29, 2024
What a moment for Sidney Crosby as he tallies the franchise-leading assist #1,034 pic.twitter.com/gmdWBjqnjB
Crosby tallies his franchise leading 1,034th assist vs Islanders
“The Islanders need to recover their structure and improve their special teams…or they could find themselves selling at the upcoming trade deadline.”
Underachievers
New York Islanders
While the Islanders had numerous injuries hindering their campaign, they still managed to rack up points while awaiting the returns of Mat Barzal, Anthony Duclair, and Adam Pelech.
Now that they have returned and after suffering a massive defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, snapping the Sabres’ 13-game losing streak, the Islanders are back on the hot seat.
Patrick Roy has done a respectable job keeping this team afloat, but even with a healthy lineup, the Islanders are having trouble stringing together wins.
Then of course, there are the historically bad power play and penalty kill. Both are ranked last in the league and heavily responsible for the team’s slide to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.
And the defensive structure of the team has once again come under scrutiny as Ilya Sorokin continues to be bombarded with shots dropping his save percentage to .900.
Since their decisive victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 21st, the Islanders are 1-4-0 in their last fiver games. It’s that level of inconsistency that is preventing the Islanders from making a convincing push to climb the standings.
The Islanders need to recover their structure and improve their special teams to start meeting their expectations or they could find themselves selling at the upcoming trade deadline.
Palmieri ➡️ Duclair ➡️ Net pic.twitter.com/4VbsPakced
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 29, 2024
Anthony Duclair scores vs Penguins
New York Rangers
The Blueshirts have been under the microscope since their defeat in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers.
One name that is now a household name across the league is former captain Jacob Trouba. Now a member of the Anaheim Ducks, Trouba was on the Rangers’ trade block due to his massive contract that hindered the Rangers from making any significant moves.
To add to the fire, the Rangers also moved on from their 2019 second overall pick, Kappo Kakko, which adds to the scrutiny of their prospect development.They are also facing a scoring drought from recently extended Alexis Lafranière, who has had a mere 5 goals and 9 assists since his contract extension.
The Rangers are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games andcurrently share last place in the Metropolitan Division with the Islanders at 35 points. If they’re unable to dig themselves out of this hole, they could find themselves in another rebuild.
The Rangers are missing this version of Alexis Lafranière from last season
Be sure to join our new Patreon here! Members can receive exclusive content such as Q & A’s, columns, videos, behind-the-scenes, merch, partner discounts, and even an invitation to hang out at Floored Media (located in Rockville Center) during the live airing of a show! An HNiNY newsletter is also on the way! Sign up at hockeynightny.com.
Hockey Night in New York has returned to cover the New York Islanders all season long! Join hosts Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner live from Floored Media in Rockville Centre Sundays at 8PM ET at your favorite streaming platforms! (available at YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook)