It happens every year. The same teams will not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs every season in the NHL and this upcoming season is no different.
The NHL is composed of two seasons: the regular season, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While the regular season is great, it is the Stanley Cup Playoffs that teams strive to be a part of.
Last season the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers all made the jump to the playoffs after missing previously. To do that, the Jets, Golden Knights, Islanders and Canadiens all had to be dethroned as playoff teams.
The same 16 teams will never make the playoffs year in and year out. While the Eastern Conference was decided by December last season, there is a strong chance that the group will not have the same eight teams in the postseason.
So, before we jump in with three teams that could miss the playoffs, we have to know who made the postseason in 2021-22.
The 16-playoff last season were the Rangers, Kings, Stars, Penguins, Predators, Capitals, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Lightning, Hurricanes, Wild, Flames, Panthers, Oilers and Blues.
Some of those teams have impressive playoff streaks going. The Penguins have made the playoffs the past 16 seasons if you include the qualifying round in 2020. The Predators and Capitals also have long streaks of eight seasons dating back to 2015.
The top three teams that could fall out of the playoffs in 2022
The Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are riding an eight-year playoff streak, including their championship in 2018. While the Capitals will keep working on getting Alex Ovechkin to his goal record, I don’t think they will be back in the playoffs this year. Points will be harder to come by this year, plain and simple.
In the Metropolitan Division, the Blue Jackets and Devils are both more competitive, as are the Senators and Red Wings in the Atlantic. While the Capitals have been one of the most successful teams of the past decade, it might be time that they finally dip out of the playoff picture in 2023.
The Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are keeping the band together entering the 2022-23 NHL season. Patrice Bergeron is back, and while there are a lot of players on expiring deals, this team still has a competitive group for the upcoming season.
While the Bruins have kept the band together, some teams behind them in the Atlantic like Ottawa and Detroit will be working to surpass them in the standings this season. If this team is not in a playoff spot come December, there could be changes coming in Boston with all the uncertainty around guys like Pastrnak, Zacha, and basically every forward. The Bruins only have four forwards signed after this season.
The Dallas Stars
With the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes both in full tank mode, I think it might be time to say that the Pacific Division could be tougher than the Central. The Stars have brought pack Pavelski on a one-year deal worth 5.5 million, and they still have star goaltender Jake Oettinger, yet I have a hard time seeing this team getting in as a wild card team in 2023.
The season is under a week away, are you excited yet?