What every NHL team wants for Christmas: Metropolitan Division | Sporting News

There is snow on the ground, the fire is burning low, and the holiday roster freeze is in place.

That means Christmas is right around the corner, which means everyone has a list of what they want and this includes NHL teams.

I started with what every team in the Atlantic Division wants for Christmas , so now its time for the Metropolitan Division.

Carolina Hurricanes The Hurricanes have a problem: it seems that none of their stars can score at even strength.

This isnt yet a problem Carolina has the sixth ranked powerplay with a 26.7% success rate but its definitely cause for concern.

Lets look at their top four scorers.

Martin Necas has 44 points in 33 games, but just 22 of those are from 5-on-5 play .

Sebastian Aho has 35 points in 33 games, but just 12 at 5-on-5.

Andrei Svechnikov has 26 points in 33 games, but just seven at 5-on-5.

And Shayne Gostisbehere has 27 points in 33 games...

but just six at 5-on-5.

So, for Christmas, the Carolina Hurricanes would like some top-six scoring at 5-on-5, pretty please, with a cherry on top.

Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus has been the laughingstock of the league for far too long.

The first outdoor regular season game was played in 2003, and the Blue Jackets are finally set to play in their first on March 1st, 2025.

They havent been the most relevant franchise in the past, but its time to get with the times.

The Blue Jackets are fun.

Theyre young, fast, and can score goals.

Columbus is tenth in the league in goals scored per game with 3.26 .

Their 111 goals scored on the season is good for ninth in the league.

Theyve got young, talented stars Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger, and Kent Johnson, to name a few and a loyal fanbase.

So, what do the Blue Jackets want? Easy.

Aretha Franklin said it best: they just want a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

BONUS: an Adam Fantili breakout year would be just fine, too.

New Jersey Devils This itineration of the New Jersey Devils has no weakness.

Their .906 average SV% is tied for eighth-best in the league .

Their 2.53 GAA is second-best in the league .

They have the second-best powerplay in the league with a 29.5% success rate , and their 81.8% penalty kill is just out of the top ten .

New Jersey is even playing good defense, as theyve allowed the third-fewest shots against per game with 25.3 .

So, what do the Devils want for Christmas? They want to avoid the injury bug.

A healthy version of this Devils team is a true Stanley Cup contender.

New York Islanders The Islanders arent a particularly good team.

Theyre just five points out of a playoff spot , but they lack offensive talent.

The Islanders average 2.65 goals per game, which is 26th in the league , and theyve scored just 90 goals in 34 games.

Their powerplay is dead last in the league , and is firing at just a 12.1% success rate.

Their penalty kill doesnt exactly offset their putrid powerplay, because, wouldnt you know it, their 64.3% penalty kill is dead last in the league , too! Im not sure that the Islanders want to sell I cant remember a time that General Manager Lou Lamoriellos team was a true seller but its time.

The Islanders should sell, and their Christmas wish should be for good returns on those pieces.

New York Rangers The season so far has been a bit of a roller coaster for the Rangers.

They started the season 8-2-1, but are 4-12 in their last 16 games.

They traded their captain.

They traded their second-overall pick in 2019 .

Unsurprisingly, none of this has worked.

Their 16-16-1 record puts them at exactly .500.

How can this be? They have the best penalty kill in the league ! Their not-yet $11.5 million goaltender Igor Shesterkin is having another good year, with a .913 SV% and a 2.91 GAA...

and yet, he has a record of just 11-13-1.

Why is that? Well, its because the Rangers arent getting consistently good play from anyone not named Igor Shesterkin.

They want some of that for Christmas.

Philadelphia Flyers Rookie phenom Matvei Michkov just turned 20, but hes already making his presence felt.

He has 11 goals three of those goals were game winners in overtime and 27 points in 32 NHL games.

Unfortunately, hes gone cold.

Hes gone pointless in five straight games, which is a dangerous thing to do when John Tortorella is your head coach .

Michkov has already been healthy scratched twice .

So, what do the Flyers want for Christmas? Well, theyd like Michkov to break out of his slump, and return to form as the rookie scoring race continues to heat up.

No Flyer has ever won the Calder Trophy , and Philadelphia would love Michkov to be the first.

Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins are in the middle of an underwhelming season.

Theyre at .500, which means theyre not out of the postseason race especially not with this below-average Eastern Conference but sneaking into the playoffs isnt important enough to waste their Christmas wish on.

Last season, longtime Captain Sidney Crosby recorded his 19th consecutive point-per-game season, tying the legendary Wayne Gretzky .

Things werent looking great, but after a four-point night last Thursday, hes back to a point-per-game.

Should he keep up this play, hell bump Gretzky down and have sole possession of the record.

Thats what the Penguins want for Christmas.

Washington Capitals The Penguins arent the only team with a star looking to surpass Gretzky.

Alex Ovechkin needs just 27 goals to claim the all-time goal scoring record .

He started the year hot, and scored 15 goals in 18 games.

And then, on November 18th after scoring five goals in two games, by the way he went down with a knee injury.

Ovechkin wont play until after the holiday break , but hes close to a return.

What the Capitals want for Christmas is for Ovechkin to come back from injury without missing a beat, and score goals at a pace that only he can..

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