The NHL is at an interesting place as we start the New Year, with four divisions split cleanly into two categories. Neither the Metropolitan nor the Central division has a single team below .500, while the Atlantic and Pacific hold the two best teams in the league.
The Metro is led once again by the Washington Capitals despite many believing they’d take a step backwards this year, and then contains seven more legitimate playoff contenders. Elliotte Friedman was on Sportsnet radio recently, and mentioned that there could be three teams in the Metro who miss the playoffs despite records that would earn them a spot anywhere else. It looks like both Eastern wildcard spots will come out of this division, and it will be a dogfight right until the end.
The Atlantic though houses the league’s best team overall, which could be interpreted as a qualification for being the toughest group in the league. Tampa Bay leads the entire NHL with 60 points through their first 39 games, and have gone 8-2 in their last ten. Steven Stamkos looks like he’ll be named an All-Star captain later today, while Nikita Kucherov is perhaps the league’s best offensive player currently.
In the West, the Pacific takes on the mantle of having the top team. The Vegas Golden Knights, a surprise to all, now have 56 points through 38 games and have shown they’re more than just a flash in the pan. The Golden Knights have been on a tear recently, beating those same league-leading Lightning, along with the Capitals, Ducks, Kings, Maple Leafs and Predators, all of whom sit in playoff spots at the moment.
The Central though is the West’s version of the Metro, with seven teams above .500 that all carry positive goal differentials. While the Winnipeg Jets currently lead the group with 53 points in 41 games, the last place Chicago Blackhawks trail the final wildcard spot (Anaheim) by only four points with three games in hand. Any one of the Central teams could be in a playoff position by the end of next week, and could be Stanley Cup contenders—yes, even the Colorado Avalanche—before long.
So what makes the toughest division? Is it the powerful, almost unbeatable juggernauts at the top? Or is it the division-wide depth and uncertainty on any given night? Vote below and explain what you think makes up the strength of a division.
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If the Bruins keep playing like they have as of late, the Atlantic becomes a formidable division. Toronto has room to grow still, so the Atlantic isn’t as bad as everyone thinks.