The most intriguing players in the Metro Division - Part 1

In the first part of this mini-series, I highlight four players worth closely monitoring in 2025-26.

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Every August I like to focus on Metro Division content since a) the New Jersey Devils see more of these teams than anybody else and; b) the playoff format makes it very worthwhile to know the ins and outs of the division.

This year I’m adding a fresh topic to the mix, picking the most intriguing player to follow on each team and explaining my rationale.

I’ll be breaking this into a two-part mini-series and going alphabetical order. Let’s get into it.

Carolina Hurricanes: Nik Ehlers

One thing that’s prevented the Hurricanes from truly contending in recent years is, at times, they’ve struggled converting their edges in shots, chances, and expected goals into results on the scoreboard.

Ehlers will really help in that regard – perhaps more than most realize.

He has been an extremely efficient point producer in recent years, ranking 15th in 5v5 points/60 over the last three seasons.

Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, William Nylander, and Kirill Kaprizov are just a few of the many truly elite weapons who’ve been out-paced by Ehlers in that span.

His usage hasn’t reflected his worth, with Ehlers slotting 194th among forwards in 5v5 ice per game. For perspective, he ranks just ahead of Anthony Beauvillier, Andrew Mangiapane, and Yegor Sharangovich.

Simply put, Ehlers has produced at an elite rate yet not been deployed like a needle mover. That’ll change in Carolina.

With more ice time and a bigger role as a focal point of the offense, Ehlers could produce unlike ever before.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Adam Fantilli