6 NHL Teams With Long Overdue Playoff Possibilities

Looking to end a seven-year playoff drought, the Ducks are a young and talented team. They currently stand second in the Pacific Division and in a solid playoff position. After a strong start, they have faltered to a 4-5-1 record over their last 10 games. The Ducks have numerous budding stars. Leo Carlsson (17-G, 24-A) leads the team and is an offensive catalyst. They also have Cutter Gauthier (18-G, 18-A) and Troy Terry (10-G, 25-A). The downfall for the Ducks may be their weak defense, which is last in the NHL. They allow 3.47 goals a game. If they can clean that up, they have a shot at making the postseason.

According to hockeyreference.com, the Ducks are predicted to finish with 93 points, giving them a 74.5 percent chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are attempting to regain their relevance. They haven’t participated in the playoffs for 14 years. Enough was enough, and they fired their general manager, Kevyn Adams, on December 14th. They immediately announced his replacement. Jarmo Kekalainen took over the next day, and the results have been staggering. The Buffalo club has won five straight games since Kekalainen’s appointment. Tage Thompson leads the team with 18 goals and 16 assists. Will this success last? It’s the Sabres, so who knows?

The Sabres are predicted to finish with 92 points and a 45.5 percent shot at the playoffs. It would certainly do the franchise good to finally get that monkey off their back.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets haven’t made the playoffs for five seasons and look to get there this season. They may be last in the Eastern Conference, but they are only six points out of a wild-card spot. They just acquired Mason Marchment, who is 6′-5″, 212 pounds. He has had two 20-goal seasons and could help the Columbus team to the postseason.

The Blue Jackets are predicted to finish with 85 points and just an 11.8 percent chance of making the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings

Here is a team that has surprised many experts with their performance thus far this season. They are experiencing a nine-year drought of participating in the playoffs. The Wings are holding down first place in the Atlantic Division with Tampa Bay breathing down their neck. While their goaltending has improved with the addition of John Gibson and Cam Tambot backing him up, they still only combine for a .889 save percentage and a 3.04 goals-against average.

The Red Wings are predicted to finish with 93 points and possess a 54.7 per cent chance of getting to the postseason.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks, much like the Ducks, have some inspiring young players who are getting the job done. They are holding down the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with the Utah Mammoth right behind them. Macklin Celebrini is having an amazing season and has already collected 120 points in 108 NHL games. He is a gem. Will Smith is another talented young prospect with 29 points in 33 games.

The Sharks may add 87 points by the season’s end, with a 36 per cent chance of a playoff berth, their first since the 2018-19 season.

Utah Mammoth

Last but not least, the newest NHL franchise, the Utah Mammoth, is trying to make the playoffs after narrowly missing last season. They are gifted with young players like Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and J.J. Perteka. Logan Cooley was on a hot streak before he was injured, crashing into a goalpost. His return won’t be until after the Olympic break depending on his recovery timeline. The Mammoth need some consistency and have lost six of their last 10 games. They are hurting (no pun intended) without the services of Cooley. The club really needs to investigate adding another center to the roster to help their missing offense from Cooley.

The Mammoth is predicted to finish with 88 points and have a 49.5 per cent chance of participating in the playoffs.

End Of My 6 NHL Teams With Long Overdue Playoff Possibilities

Every NHL team begins a rebuild or retool with the intention of getting it done quickly. Unfortunately, it takes longer than expected. While this writer is not a Buffalo Sabres fan, it is hoped that they can end their long-awaited playoff appearance. While the change in the front office has shaken things up, time will tell if it was effective. I can imagine being a Coyotes fan for years; missing the playoffs is a heartbreaking occurrence for the fans to endure.

As far as other teams are concerned, I think Detroit, Anaheim, and Utah will make the playoffs.
Let the second half of the season begin!