Three likely NHL playoff contenders potential to miss the 2024-25 postseason
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Edmonton Oilers star center Connor McDavid remains a standout performer, but with Edmonton's lack of depth and 27th-ranked save percentage, the Oilers risk missing the playoffs despite his brilliance.
With the 2024-25 National Hockey League (NHL) season rounding its quarter mark, some teams are performing better than expected, and other teams are performing less than. That being said, three teams in the NHL have been consistent playoff teams, and if some changes are not made, they will most likely miss the mark this off-season.
Starting with the New York Rangers: This team barely holds on to the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They were on a five-game losing streak until their game against the Montreal Canadiens, resulting in a 4-3 win. By far, the biggest issue for the Rangers right now is their lack of core. With center Mika Zibanejad and winger Chris Kreider’s performances this season being underwhelming compared to their usual star power, this aspect of the team has been left to an unfortunate wayside.
In an attempt to fix this situation, the Rangers have cycled through a list of players since 2021, including right-wing Patrick Kane, and all that has proved is that none of those changes were a permanent solution. Also, recently drafted wingers Vitali Kravtsov and Kaapo Kakko have not met expectations, highlighting the mismanagement of resources and an inability to address deeper lineup issues effectively. Acquiring these players cost the team valuable draft picks and prospects, so it was all for what?
Moving onto another usual playoff team that may just narrowly make it into the postseason is the Boston Bruins. Everyone always assumes that the coach is to blame for a team’s lack of success, which is what Boston’s front office did a couple of weeks ago when they fired Jack Adams-winning coach Jim Montgomery. Montgomery’s separation from the Bruins organization marked the third time that the franchise had let go of a coach known to the rest of the league as one of the best, which rang true when, five days after being fired, Montgomery was picked up by the St. Louis Blues.
The main problems that the Bruins should focus on are their second-worst-ranked power play in the league and their goal differential of negative 19. Also, their usual number-one scorer, right wing David Pastrnak, is currently tied for forty-third in the league for points, with just 23; the worst part is that no one else on the team is even close to him in scoring totals. If the Bruins do not clean things up, their possible playoff berth could be seriously jeopardized.
Lastly, the Edmonton Oilers were just one game away from winning the Stanley Cup last season, falling short to the Florida Panthers in the final round. They have two of the best players in the league, centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl, and one of the league’s best defensive pairs in Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. Beyond that, the rest of the Oilers’ roster has nothing to offer, resulting in their spot on this list.
Only three players on their roster, McDavid, Draisatl, and left-wing Mattias Janmark, have at least 10 points so far this season. Pair the poor offensive output with their twenty-seventh-ranked save percentage due to poor goaltending from Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. The Oilers are just digging their grave at this point.
These three consistent NHL playoff contenders are at risk of falling short this season, much to fans’ frustration. Issues include lineup struggles, declining player performance, and poor team depth. To remain competitive, these teams must address critical flaws promptly or risk losing their postseason spots.