Yesterday we asked which non-playoff team would end up in the postseason tournament in 2019, and the St. Louis Blues have received a huge amount of support. After some big moves this offseason including acquiring Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak and David Perron, the Blues are leading the poll with almost 30% of the vote. That’s more than 700 votes ahead of the Ottawa Senators, who are bringing up the rear with just 0.82% of voters thinking they’ll make it back. St. Louis is certainly a good candidate to make it back to the postseason, but the second place team might be an even more interesting case.
The Buffalo Sabres finished dead last in 2017-18 and were lucky enough to win the rights to draft defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, and yet sit second in our poll of teams who could make the jump to the postseason. One would think it’s not often that teams go from dead last in the NHL to the playoffs in one season, but it has actually happened the past two years. The Toronto Maple Leafs rode a rookie wave led by Auston Matthews to sneak into the playoffs in 2016-17, and the Colorado Avalanche found incredible success on the back of Nathan MacKinnon last year. Can the Sabres make it a three-peat of teams going from prison-to-playoffs?
If the Sabres or Blues are to make it into the postseason in 2018-19, someone else will have to drop out. Today we ask you to predict what team that will be, given their offseason and situation heading into next year. Will a superstar-driven team experience a drop like the Edmonton Oilers did last season, when even Connor McDavid’s second consecutive Ted Lindsay Award wasn’t enough to get them to the playoffs? Which team will blow it up at the deadline and admit they can’t truly contend for the Stanley Cup like the New York Rangers did earlier this year? Who will be the biggest disappointment and miss the playoffs entirely despite loading up this summer?
Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your reasoning in the comment section!
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Minnesota has been a playoff team since 2013 and their core is getting older. Have to think this is the year they dont reach the playoffs in that tough division.
The capitals won’t make the playoffs because Ovi is old and slow, and they don’t have enough money to make a big splash at the trade deadline.
Go talk to your client …..Berooooock Lesnar