NHL Metropolitan Race Heating Up

The race for the top three spots in the Metropolitan Division is heating up.

The Carolina Hurricanes sit comfortably atop the Metro with a eight-point gap over the second-place Islanders. The Islanders trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by a single point as they occupy the final playoff spot in the division.

The Atlantic Division, meanwhile, is occupying the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference, making the path to the playoffs even harder for the remaining teams battling for position. After the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline came and went, it became clear that the Penguins, Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets are all-in on trying to claim just two guaranteed spots in the postseason

Islanders, Penguins Acquire Postseason Players

The Islanders have had a magical season. With rookie defender Matthew Schaefer having arguably the best rookie season ever by an NHL defenseman, the Isles are surprisingly in a playoff position.

Needing forward depth, the Islanders acquired St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn, giving the team a new number two center behind Bo Horvat. Not only did they add a player with eight 20-goal seasons, they also added one with championship experience. Schenn won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, and he brings valuable leadership to a team trying to continue their unlikely run.

The Penguins took on another reclamation project in Elmer Soderblom. Sending a third-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings, the Pens are hoping to get a bit more out of the 6'8" forward at the NHL level as they try to keep pace with the Islanders and Hurricanes while fending off another rising team in the division. If things go anything like they have for Egor Chinakhov in Pittsburgh, Soderblom could become a key contributor on a playoff squad.

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer and forward Bo Horvat — Mar 7, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) celebrates with defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) and right wing Simon Holmstrom (92) after scoring the game-winning goal against the San Jose Sharks during the overtime period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Believing Blue Jackets

Right now, it's the Hurricanes, Islanders, and Penguins holding playoff spots in the Metro, but there's a fourth team pounding on the door. The Blue Jackets revamped their roster heading into this season, and it's led them to an improved record. As a reward, the Blue Jackets' management brought in another top-six forward in Conor Garland.

There's a belief in the locker room that they can claim one of those playoff spots, and there's a mounting belief from their fanbase in Columbus. Head coach Rick Bowness described how much the Nationwide Arena crowd energized the team after their most recent overtime loss.

"That crowd is loud. It's been like that for 25 years that I've been coming in here," he said. "So we needed to hear that cannon one more time, but the crowd was fantastic. You could hear it on the bench, you could feel it on the bench, and the guys responded."

Don't Count Out the Flyers or Capitals

The Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals are lurking on the playoff bubble, and they cannot be ruled out as the season continues. Both the Capitals and Flyers are eight points back of the Islanders in the division and seven points back of the final Wild Card spot in the East.

The Capitals were one of the more intriguing sellers at the Deadline, but don't forget that they also added Timothy Liljegren to fill out their blue line. The Flyers also brought in an intriguing defensive player that could improve their defense this season and in the future. They are on the outside looking in, but they could still make some noise with around 20 games left in the regular season.

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