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 it’s 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 isn’t yet a problem– Carolina has the sixth ranked powerplay with a 26.7% success rate– but it’s definitely cause for concern. Let’s 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 haven’t been the most relevant franchise in the past, but it’s time to get with the times.
The Blue Jackets are fun. They’re 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. They’ve 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 they’ve 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 aren’t a particularly good team. They’re 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 they’ve 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 doesn’t exactly offset their putrid powerplay, because, wouldn’t you know it, their 64.3% penalty kill is dead last in the league, too!
I’m not sure that the Islanders want to sell– I can’t remember a time that General Manager Lou Lamoriello’s team was a true seller– but it’s 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, it’s because the Rangers aren’t 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 he’s 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, he’s gone cold. He’s 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, they’d 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. They’re at .500, which means they’re not out of the postseason race– especially not with this below-average Eastern Conference– but sneaking into the playoffs isn’t 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 weren’t looking great, but after a four-point night last Thursday, he’s back to a point-per-game. Should he keep up this play, he’ll bump Gretzky down and have sole possession of the record. That’s what the Penguins want for Christmas.
Washington Capitals
The Penguins aren’t 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 won’t play until after the holiday break, but he’s 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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