Sporting News' hockey experts , and predicted the final standings forthe 2017-18 NHL season. The figures below reflect the averagefinish for each team based on their combined projections. To win the Presidents' Trophy is both a ble sing and a curse. Just ask the Capitals. A meaningle s honor, outside ensuring home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, the regular season champion is historically almost equally likely to exit in the first round as they are to win the Stanley Cup. So the Penguins likely are reluctant recipients of this award, keeping it in the Metro for a fourth consecutive season. Simply, though, the Penguins are the best team in hockey until someone else proves otherwise, which hasn't been the case in the 478 days since they unseated the Blackhawks in 2016. This year, the Metro looks as competitive as ever,so there may be asurprise or two when it comes time to sorting out playoff contenders. MORE PICKS: | Metropolitan | | | Metropolitan Division: 2017-18 predictions Carolina Hurricanes No one will be surprised if the Hurricanes are the team to disrupt the order. Our projections have them finishing a few points shy of a playoff berth, but there's a lot to like on this roster, from ma s point collectorsJeff Skinner and Justin Faulk, rising stars Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin, to Mr. Game 7 himself, Justin Williams. The 'Canes are complete with a healthy mix of youth and veterans Joe Snively Jersey plenty capable of challenginghockey's best any given night. Cerny: 90 points, sixth in Metro Schlager: 90 points, fifthin Metro Sporer: 92 points, fifth in Metro PREVIEW: Columbus Blue Jackets A 32-point swing from 2015-16 to 2016-17 made the Blue Jacketslast year's biggest surprise. No one will be surprised this year, but a more potent offense should help keep JohnTortorella'steam toward the top of the standings. Regre sion, while po sible, shouldn't be expected. Cerny: 106 points, second in Metro Schlager: 96 points, third in Metro Sporer: 102 points, second in Metro PREVIEW: New Jersey Devils Nico Hischierwill be thrown into the fire immediately, which should ultimately project well for his future and the Devils'. But that's about all New Jersey has to look forward to this season, which will be entirely about acclimatingprospects to the NHL with the hope to ice a competitive roster in2018-19. Cerny: 77 points, eighth in Metro Schlager: 70 points, eighth in Metro Sporer: 71 points, eighth in Metro PREVIEW: New York Islanders With all looking ahead to a new arena and , it's easy to forget the Islanders have a season to play. How much the off-ice chatter about John Tavares' free agency and future of the franchise, both intrinsically linked,affects the team's performance remains to be seen. Our projections have the Isles finishing all over the board. Cerny: 96 points, fifth in Metro Schlager: 80 points, seventh in Metro Sporer: 74 points, seventh in Metro PREVIEW: New York Rangers Just when it seemedthe Rangers were ready to cut bait on mi sed opportunities and usher in the future, they signed the biggest free agent, hometown boy Kevin Shattenkirk, breathing life into what will be . Expect the Blueshirtsto be in the mix once again. Cerny: 99 points, fourth in Metro Schlager: 95 points, fourth in Metro Sporer: 97 points, fourth in Metro PREVIEW: Philadelphia Flyers One of the NHL's most enigmatic teams can't seem to decide on a direction. The Flyers have alternated between trips to the playoffs and golf courseeach of the last five Aprils, and their roster this year is the poster child for mediocrity once again. At least there are some young players (Nolan Patrick,Shayne Gostisbehere,Ivan Provorov) who . Cerny: 89 points, seventh in Metro Schlager: 84 points, sixth in Metro Sporer: 82 points, sixth in Metro PREVIEW: Pittsburgh Penguins All eyes are on the Penguins, who can become the first team since the 1980-83 Islanders to string together three straight Stanley Cup titles, a feat unprecedented in the NHL's salary cap era. Depth concernsin the bottom six and on defense could sneak up on the Pens if not addre sed eventually, but the chance at making history is real. Cerny: 110 points, first in Metro Schlager: 116 points, first in Metro Sporer: 112 points, first in Metro PREVIEW: Washington Capitals The lonely feeling of winning back-to-back Presidents' Trophies with little else to show for sheer dominanceis starting to take its toll on the Capitals, physically and emotionally. Everyone on this roster feels the pre sure to win now, not least among them the polarizing captain Alex Ovechkin, who just turned 32.They had to make some difficult decisions in the offseason, but the Capitals' roster still has plenty of firepower to be taken seriously. Cerny: 102 points, third in Metro Schlager: 107 points, second in Metro Sporer: 99 points, third in Metro PREVIEW: MetropolitanDivision: 2017-18 picks 1. Pittsburgh Penguins (112.6 points)* 2. Washington Capitals (102.6 points)* 3. Columbus Blue Jackets (101.3 points)* 4. New York Rangers (97 points)* 5. Carolina Hurricanes (90.6 points) 6. Philadelphia Flyers (85 points) 7. New York Islanders (83.3 points) 8. New Jersey Devils (72.6 points) *Qualify for playoffs Reed Larson Jersey