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Snapshots: Islanders’ Trade Deadline, Byron, Elliott, Crawford

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The New York Islanders are expecting to get back two significant players from injury in the next few days as defenseman Thomas Hickey and winger Andrew Ladd took part in the Islanders’ optional morning skate Saturday in non-contact jerseys, according to New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis. Hickey has been out with a concussion since Dec. 17, while Ladd has been out since Nov. 13 with a lower-body injury.

However, while many people look at their eventual returns as like picking up a couple of deadline acquisitions, Cyrgalis writes that Hickey and Ladd won’t stop general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz from going out and adding to the team at the trade deadline.

“We sat down and talked about where we are, our chemistry, our team. We’ve discussed maybe some of the areas we could improve,” Trotz said. “Lou is as diligent as anyone you’re ever going to meet in terms of making calls and seeing what’s out there. And if he’s going to do anything, it’s going to be in the best interest of the New York Islanders. He’s not going to do anything that’s — he’s looking to improve us all the time, either internally or externally.”

With the team in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 66 points, four points in front of both Washington and Pittsburgh, the Islanders are in a position to be buyers and have plenty of roster flexibility and cap space to make the right deals for the team. The team has a number of players on expiring deals, including Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and goaltender Robin Lehner, but it doesn’t make any sense for the team to move them if their goal is to bulk up for the playoffs. So while many don’t know what to expect, Lamoriello is well known for pulling off some big moves at the deadline.

  • It’s a season to forget for Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron. Already having made a six-month recovery from offseason surgery on his right shoulder, Byron went down again Sunday after getting his left shoulder jammed after taking a hit from Edmonton’s Matt Benning. The forward was ruled out of the game Sunday, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, and was steaming mad on his way off the ice. The 29-year-old has only appeared in 36 games. He has 10 goals and 19 points in that span. No word on how serious the injury to Byron was.
  • Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reports that Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott is making progress. The veteran goaltender practiced with the team Sunday, but there remains no timetable for his return, but could be back within two weeks. Elliott has been out of the lineup since Nov. 15. No word on whether he will go to Lehigh Valley on a conditioning stint, but early rumors suggest that Philadelphia will likely keep three goaltenders once he returns.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that while Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton said he didn’t have an update on injured goaltender Corey Crawford, he does expect Crawford to return this season. The veteran goalie has been out since Dec. 16 with a concussion. He already missed the second half of the 2017-18 season as well as the start of this season with a concussion.

Trade Rumors: Boyle, Seabrook, Petan

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Interest in veteran forward Brian Boyle is increasing and the New Jersey Devils may be forced to move the respected two-way veteran. Boyle, 34, is an impending free agent and the Devils have expressed a desire to re-sign him, but with the postseason out of reach they could feel pressured to capitalize on his trade value. Boyle is not without protection, though. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the specifics of Boyle’s Limited No-Trade Clause are that he may submit a list of eight teams that he may not be traded to. That would hypothetically leave New Jersey with 23 other suitors, but if Boyle’s list includes mostly deadline buyers, the options could be much more limited. Seravalli adds that Boyle’s preference is also to remain in New Jersey, so he could seek to make it difficult for the Devils to move him. Boyle is currently on pace for 22 goals and 32 points on the year, which would rival his 2010-11 season for the best offensive campaign of his career. Meanwhile, he continues to excel as a defensive forward, leading all Devils forwards in blocked shots and trailing only Blake Coleman for the team lead in hits. The all-around impact on the ice coupled with the experience and locker room leadership that Boyle brings will continue to make him a talked-about deadline target.

  • Brent Seabrook may be immovable for a number of reasons, but the Chicago Blackhawks are going to do their best. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Blackhawks have asked Seabrook to waive his No-Movement Clause. Friedman then adds that, so far, Seabrook has declined. The veteran defenseman is in a steep decline, but apparently is content to ride it out in the city and with the teammates that he has played his entire career, rather than trying to rejuvenate his game with a change of scenery. That’s Seabrook’s prerogative, but meanwhile his cap hit of $6.875MM will continue to cripple Chicago’s attempts to improve and it will likely only get worse each year. For that reason, it comes as little surprise that Friedman notes the Blackhawks plan to keep shopping Seabrook despite the trade protection in hopes that they can find a taker in the market that Seabrook would accept a trade to. It’s a lofty expectation, but if any GM has proven that he can find someone to take expensive contracts off his hands, it’s Chicago’s Stan Bowman.
  • There are no guarantees at the NHL Trade Deadline, but the one player who is looking almost certain to be on the move is young Winnipeg Jets forward Nic Petan. Petan, 23, was a highly-touted second-round pick back in 2013, but has been unable to carve out a full-time role for himself in Winnipeg. Petan played a career-high 54 games in 2016-17, recording 13 points, but that number dropped to just 15 games last year and 13 games so far this year. The jury is still out when it comes to whether or not Petan can be an impact player at the NHL level, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to get the chance to prove it with the Jets anyway. As such, Winnipeg is shopping Petan in their pursuit of help up front, writes Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press. Bell goes so far as to say that the team will not play Petan, in fear of injury or simply because he is not trusted, until after the deadline or longer. The Jets are all-out buyers this season and selling off a young depth forward is not something that they will rule out if it helps to land a top-six forward. However, Bell says that the team is not keen to move Jack Roslovic, rejecting several offers including the budding forward so far; Petan appears to be the go-to “young roster player” that the Jets are willing to give up. For his part, Petan did a good job of treading carefully around questions from The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe about his frustrating season and needing a fresh start, but did admit that he’s looking forward to his “next opportunity”. Reading between the lines, it seems pretty clear that Petan is as eager to get out of Winnipeg as the Jets are to trade him.

Minor Transactions: 02/01/19

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Finally a full slate of games is on deck for the NHL tonight, with eight matches taking place mostly in Eastern Conference cities. The Dallas Stars are the only Western team to host a matchup as they welcome the Minnesota Wild in for a game that will determine who sits in third place in the Central Division tomorrow morning. The Stars and Wild have both teetered on the edge of the playoffs this season, but will try to start a pursuit of Nashville and Winnipeg tonight.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Haydn Fleury back down, continuing his yo-yo season between the NHL and AHL. The young defenseman is still waiting for a full-time opportunity on the Carolina blue line, one that might come if the team decides to move one of their veteran names at the deadline.
  • Henri Jokiharju was sent down this week by the Chicago Blackhawks, and now we know who he was making room for. The team has activated Gustav Forsling off injured reserve. Forsling hasn’t played a game for the Blackhawks in almost a month as he was dealing with an upper-body injury.

Duncan Keith Will Decide His Fate At Deadline

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The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to sell off some of their expiring assets, making names like Chris Kunitz and Marcus Kruger available. But if they expect to effect real change on the roster moving forward they may have to move some of their more popular players. While it still seems like Brent Seabrook’s contract would prevent him from going anywhere, it’s a different story for Duncan Keith. Even at 35 and with four year remaining on his deal, there would likely be interest in the defenseman. To that end, the Blackhawks will go to Keith at the deadline and ask him what he what he wants to do according to Pierre LeBrun on last night’s Insider Trading for TSN.

Keith’s contract includes a full no-movement clause, but even more than that his status as a historic player for the Chicago organization will afford him the ability to decide his future. If he wants to stay with the Blackhawks through the end of his career that is his prerogative, but the team will see if he would rather go compete for another Stanley Cup instead.

That kind of reverence is expected when dealing with a player of Keith’s stature. The veteran was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players when the league released a ranking a few years ago, and certainly holds that honor with the Blackhawks organization as well. A two-time Norris Trophy winner as the league’s best defenseman, Keith also took home a Conn Smythe in 2015 when he led Chicago to a third Stanley Cup. In 126 playoff games with the Blackhawks he has averaged more than 28 minutes a night of rock solid defensive work, and earned Norris votes in ten consecutive seasons prior to last year.

Still, with the amount left on his contract there is risk involved in a Keith trade. Not only could the acquiring team be stuck with a declining asset for several more years, but the Blackhawks could very well have to sell him for an extremely underwhelming return. In this case the decision is up to him, but it might be a sad day in Chicago if one of the greatest players in team history is given away for a few draft picks or prospects.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

John Hayden Drawing Trade Interest

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The Chicago Blackhawks have already told other NHL teams that they’re open to moving rentals like Chris Kunitz and Marcus Kruger, but now another forward might be available. John Hayden, who signed a two-year extension with the Blackhawks last June, is receiving interest from around the league according to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). Powers’ source believes that Chicago is seeking a prospect or draft pick for the young forward, which makes sense given their struggles this season and eye on the future.

Still, it’s somewhat surprising that they would want to move a 23-year old forward signed for just $750K in the first place. Hayden obviously hasn’t brought much in the way of offense since debuting with the Blackhawks in 2016-17—he has 20 points in 94 games including just three this season—but he also doesn’t hurt a cap situation that is always of concern for the team. In fact his $750K cap hit will be just $50K more than the league minimum salary next season after it increases to $700K for NHL players. If the Blackhawks believe in Hayden’s ability to be an effective bottom-six contributor (something that is far from certain) he would be the perfect inexpensive option.

Perhaps the team is hoping to get something of real value out of the young forward though, knowing that they are not likely to go to arbitration with him following the 2019-20 season when he will become a restricted free agent once again. If someone is willing to part with an asset at this point, the Blackhawks can use every little bit of help moving forward as they try to build up the next wave talent. Hayden is also waiver eligible, meaning if they want to give any other young players an opportunity down the stretch they could potentially lose him for nothing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Henri Jokiharju Assigned To AHL

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In a somewhat surprising move, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to assign Henri Jokiharju to the minor leagues. The young defenseman will be joining the Rockford IceHogs for the time being, wearing number 14 and continuing his development in the AHL.

At times this season Jokiharju has been the best defenseman on the ice for the Blackhawks, but since returning from a gold medal performance at the World Juniors has looked a little out of sorts. His ice time has been curtailed in recent games, a good sign that Chicago was considering a change for the young defenseman. There’s no doubt that Jokiharju has shown enough to prove he is already an NHL-caliber player, but seeing 12 minutes a night for the Blackhawks wasn’t going to cut it for his development. If the team believes they have a potential top-pairing defenseman, he needs to be seeing as much ice time as possible.

That doesn’t mean he won’t be back, but there is also another consideration for the Blackhawks if they do recall Jokiharju at some point. The 19-year old has played 37 games in the NHL, meaning this season would not count towards the seven required for free agency down the line. Chicago might very well be thinking big picture given their place outside the playoff race, and thinking that another year of restricted free agency with their prized prospect is worth more than his impact on the ice right now.

Deadline Primer: Chicago Blackhawks

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Chicago Blackhawks.

After missing the playoffs last season, the expectation in Chicago was that they’d turn it around this season.  A slow start cost Joel Quenneville his job but it didn’t help their fortunes any.  As a result, the goal now is simply avoiding finishing dead last in the Central Division for the second straight year which likely isn’t going to make for a particularly exciting few weeks leading up to next month’s trade deadline.

Record

18-24-7, seventh in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$20.919MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: CHI 1st, CHI 2nd, BOS 4th, CHI 5th, TB 5th, CHI 6th, ANA 7th
2020: CHI 1st, CHI 2nd, CHI 3rd, CHI 4th, CHI 5th, CHI 6th, CHI 7th

Trade Chips

The thought surrounding the Blackhawks is that they’re probably going to try to make a splash in free agency this coming summer and take one more shot with this core.  If that is indeed the plan, Chicago will be limited to primarily looking to move rental players.

Of those, center Marcus Kruger is probably the most notable.  He isn’t the impact third line center he was during his first stint with them but teams are always looking to shore up their depth down the middle and their penalty kill and he could potentially help in both categories.  He also has plenty of playoff experience which may interest some teams.  Veteran goalie Cam Ward has a no-move clause but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try to convince him to waive it for a shot at another playoff run.  Winger Chris Kunitz has been speculated as a depth winger for a few teams already and like Kruger, he has considerable postseason experience under his belt.  Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, none of these players are likely to bring back a return of any consequence.  Instead, they’ll probably only yield a late-round draft pick or comparable prospect.

In terms of non-rentals, depth players are likely the only ones they’ll be looking to move at this time.  Forward John Hayden is believed to have drawn some interest but given his struggles this season, any return would likely be negligible.

Five Players To Watch For: F John Hayden, F Marcus Kruger, F Chris Kunitz, F Brendan Perlini, G Cam Ward

Team Needs

1) Stockpile Younger Assets: While the Blackhawks have done well the last couple of years in terms of bringing some quality prospects into the fold, this is still not a particularly deep group.  If they do indeed want to make a run at a top free agent (Artemi Panarin is sure to garner consideration if he indeed makes it to the open market), they’ll need some young and cheap talent to fill out their roster.  If they’re looking for shorter-term help, taking players currently in the minors instead of late draft picks back for their rentals may be Bowman’s preferred approach.

2) Find A Goalie Of The Future: The concussion issues for Corey Crawford have basically ruled him out as a long-term solution between the pipes beyond his current deal that expires next season.  He’s going to be a significant injury risk whenever he makes it back on the ice.  Ward isn’t the solution either.  Collin Delia may have some upside but he’s a safer bet as a backup than a starter and the same can be said for Anton Forsberg.  They don’t really have a starter in the making in their system.  There may be a young goalie or two that becomes available between now and the deadline and if that does happen, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chicago go after them.  At the very least, it’s insurance for Crawford but they will need a replacement for him in the fairly near future as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Artemi Panarin Will Not Negotiate Extension With Columbus This Season

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As much as Columbus Blue Jackets fans may want to be critical of star forward Artemi Panarin for his reluctance to sign a contract extension, at least give him credit for being honest and forthcoming in the process. Panarin has been consistent and open in his feelings about in-season negotiations and his impending free agency and again re-iterated his point today. Agent Dan Milstein released this statement on Panarin’s behalf:

We have informed the team that we are willing to discuss Artemi’s future after the season. Our priority now is to focus on the rest of the season, trying to win a Stanley Cup for the Columbus Blue Jackets and their fans.

Milstein added that there will be no further comment from the player’s side on negotiations this season, as they have made the definitive call to leave contract talks for the off-season. Panarin is well within his rights to want to solely focus on his game and the Blue Jackets’ stretch run this season and previous comments have made it clear that he does enjoy playing for Columbus and is determined to help the team succeed in the postseason. However, it may be difficult for him to accomplish that if he is traded to a different team. That is the risk that he has taken and the choice the team must evaluate over the next month leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. Although the Blue Jackets look to be playoff-bound again, the idea of both Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky walking in free agency and leaving Columbus with nothing to show for it is daunting for GM Jarmo Kekalainen and company. Kekalainen declined to comment on Panarin’s announcement this evening, but is likely to speak about the topic soon. It would not be a surprise to see the Blue Jackets at least listen to offers for Panarin, but they face a tough decision of whether to sell off their top scorer and virtually sabotage their own title hopes or potentially lose him in the off-season.

For what it’s worth, Panarin’s statement tonight nor any of his previous remarks ever expressed that he was unwilling to re-sign in Columbus. He reportedly has been happy during his time with the team and has exceeded his production from his Chicago Blackhawks days. Panarin set a career high with 82 points last season and is currently on pace for 95 points this season. Panarin has previously stated that he enjoys playing with several of his teammates, namely young center Pierre-Luc Dubois, and feels that Columbus is built to last. Despite rumors that he is focused on larger, coastal cities, the Blue Jackets are a young, talented team that has just as good a chance of signing Panarin this summer as anyone. Columbus also has the cap space moving forward to meet the market demands for Panarin, the enormity of which could rule out many other suitors. Panarin’s stance of not negotiating in-season should still leave weeks for exclusive negotiation following Columbus’ postseason exit as well, that is unless he succeeds in his goal of leading the team to the Stanley Cup final.

Panarin, PHR’s No. 2-ranked free agent, will be a hot commodity if he hits the open market and the Blue Jackets know that they would hardly be the only team in pursuit. The question now is whether they think they can re-sign him after the season or whether they want to try to win without him during the season. Today’s announcement certainly doesn’t help the odds that Panarin remains with Columbus, but until a decision is actually made by one side or the other, he remains in the Blue Jackets’ plans this year and beyond.

Trade Rumors: Duchene, Lightning, Bargains

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Seemingly every year, there is speculation that a prominent impending free agent could be the one to finally bring the “sign and trade” back to the NHL. The sign and trade is relatively self explanatory; a player re-signs with his current team to a contract negotiated with a second team that he is subsequently traded to. In the current structure of the NHL, the sign and trade could hypothetically be used to add an eighth year to a contact, as free agents are limited to a cap of seven years when negotiating with a team other than their current club. This season, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has reopened the sign and trade discussions, this time in regards to Ottawa Senators forward Matt Duchene. LeBrun speculates that Duchene has approximately two weeks to work out an extension with the Senators before the team will be forced to shop him. Ottawa has reportedly already made an initial offer of eight years and $64MM, but Duchene is likely to be eyeing an AAV closer to $9MM per year instead of $8MM. If that counter is too rich for Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and company, the team could not afford to miss out on a the potential return for Duchene at the trade deadline.

When it comes to a sign-and-trade, things get tricky for the player, which could explain why it remains such an infrequently used device in the NHL. While the eighth year is enticing for Duchene, especially at his desired salary, signing that long-term deal means a) getting another team to first agree to that contract and b) trusting the future plans for that franchise. The last time Duchene was traded, from the Colorado Avalanche to the Senators early last season, it didn’t work out so well. Duchene may be hesitant to sign with a team for eight years simply because they can afford to acquire him this season. A sign and trade also eliminates Duchene’s opportunity to test the free agent market and potentially maximize his market value. Duchene will undoubtedly be the top center on the UFA market this summer and may wish to weigh his options rather as a first-time free agent rather than commit to another team so soon before seeing what else is out there. A sign and trade works out nicely for the Senators, as they would surely receive a better return, but finding a trade partner could be difficult and getting Duchene to go along with the plan may not happen. For these reasons, a sign and trade remains an unlikely result to the ongoing Duchene saga.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have all the makings of a true trade deadline buyer this season: they are the first-place team in the league by a considerable margin, will have upwards of $8MM in cap space by the deadline, and are facing an impending cap crunch that could begin to dismantle their roster as early as this off-season. The Lightning are in win-now mode and, with excellent odds of winning the Stanley Cup, will look to add the best reinforcements they can ahead of the deadline. However, the Lightning may struggle to make the trades typically seen by a true buyer. Tampa Bay currently has 49 players signed to professional contracts against a cap of 50, per CapFriendly. The team probably doesn’t want to hit that 50-contract mark either, as it would take them out of the college and junior free agent market this spring. This means that the Bolts cannot simply trade picks and prospects for rental players. Instead, GM Julien BriseBois will have to get creative with sending under-contract players the other way. Only two of Tampa’s 49 “pro” players are in juniors, meaning that any trades will likely send current AHL contributors to sellers and the team will effort to do so without hurting their postseason depth. At the end of the day, Tampa Bay’s trades at the deadline may end up looking more like hockey trades – player-for-player talent swaps – than you would typically see from a deadline buyer.
  • Sportsnet’s Andrew Berkshire believes that there is great long-term value to be found in the current buyer’s market. Berkshire writes that the Los Angeles Kings’ Tyler Toffoli, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Brandon Saad, and the Florida Panthers’ Evgeni Dadonov are among the best bargains potentially available on the market due to their recent struggles and/or under-the-radar trade status. Berkshire states that Toffoli’s value is at a career-low given his current 33-point pace for the down-and-out Kings. However, Toffoli notched 47 points just last year and has 20+ goals in three of the past four seasons. The two-way forward also has a palatable $4.6MM cap hit and could be a buy-low candidate that blows up with a change of scenery. Similarly, Berkshire believes that Saad’s value is still low after bottoming out last season. He has rebounded this season, but is still on pace to fall short of the 50+ points that used to come consistently for him. At $6MM AAV for two more years, Saad’s contract isn’t egregious but is a strain for the cap-strapped Blackhawks. They could be enticed to sell low on the power forward and could very well end up on the wrong side of a Saad trade for the third time. Conversely, Berkshire believes that the Panthers are happy with Dadonov and would be reluctant to move him, but may feel pressured to sell at the deadline despite few obvious rental pieces. The play-making winger is quietly on his way to another 65-point season or better and with one year left on his contract at just $4MM, is already a bargain and could be even better elsewhere. Florida won’t give him up easily, but considering the upside that Dadonov has shown, he could still prove to be a steal even with ample trade capital going the other way.

Poll: Which Team Is Under The Most Pressure To Make The Playoffs?

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When the NHL’s unofficial second half kicks off this week, there will be substantially fewer teams with playoff hopes than when the first half began back in October. Of course, no team has been statistically eliminated yet, but a quick look at the standings can help to rule out more than a handful of the league’s bottom-dwellers. In fact, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn had seven teams with less than a 5% chance of reaching the playoffs in his latest model: the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, and Philadelphia Flyers.

On the other hand, there are also quite a few teams whose first-half success has given them near certainty of playing beyond the regular season this year. Luszczszyn’s projections give eleven teams an 85% chance or better of qualifying for the postseason: the Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders.

This leaves 13 clubs remaining – the “fringe” teams – who are vying for a possible five playoff spots. Eight of these teams will miss out. Who least wants to be part of that group?

Well, the team who has been a member of the early off-season club the longest would certainly like to change things up. The Carolina Hurricanes have gone nine seasons since making a postseason appearance and have come close the last few years but fallen short. The team could crack 90 points this season for the first time in eight years, but it might not be enough in the tight Eastern Conference wild card race. The two other teams who are desperate to get back to the playoffs are the Buffalo Sabres, who are on a seven-year drought, and the Arizona Coyotes, who are six years out from a postseason appearance. The Sabres got off to a hot start this season and looked to be a surprise playoff team, but have regressed recently, with three wins in their past then games, and are now tied with Carolina for ninth place in the East. The Coyotes have been resilient in the deep Western Conference wild card race, battling injuries and inconsistency to stay in the mix, but Arizona has their work cut out for them the rest of the way.

Then there are the teams who have made the playoffs recently but not performed. The Blue Jackets – who have never won a playoff series in franchise history – will almost certainly have another shot this year, but what about the Florida Panthers? Many have dismissed the team this season, but the Panthers have plenty of talent and have fallen short of expectations until recently. They face an uphill battle to make the postseason but if they do, the team would have a chance to snap the league’s longest streak without a playoff series win. Florida has not won a round since 1996, a whopping 21 seasons without postseason success and longer than the Blue Jackets have even existed. That’s a substantial mark on the franchise. It’s been a decade now since the Colorado Avalanche have won a postseason series as well and now that they are armed with one of the league’s best forward lines, have a chance against anyone if they can win a spot. The Avs looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender early this season and with some trade deadline reinforcements could be a factor this spring. However, recent struggles have plummeted them into the thick of the wild card race in the West and they are in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.

Then, there are teams that simply entered the 2018-19 campaign with high expectations and need to meet them. The defending champion Washington Capitals are of course part of this group. Among the most likely fringe teams to make the postseason, it is nevertheless hard to ignore the disastrous play of the Capitals of late. Three wins in their past ten games, including a number of blowout losses, has begun “Stanley Cup hangover” talk and has legitimately injured Washington’s playoff odds. The team needs to right the ship soon or risk falling out of the current playoff picture. A team on the opposite trajectory are the Minnesota Wild, who have improved their play of late and have pulled away in the race for the final Central Division berth. Minnesota is another team that entered the season with high expectations and are still searching for the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup final appearance. With hopes reaching new highs this season, a collapse for the Wild would be devastating.

Unlike the Capitals and Wild, there are also teams with high expectations who don’t have promising playoff outlooks right now. The Edmonton Oilers and the league’s best player, Connor McDavid, sit atop that list. Edmonton is currently in 13th in the Western Conference and in danger of dropping out of the playoff conversation sooner than any fringe team. The organization has already fired their head coach and general manager this season amid another year of disappointing results and face slim odds that this campaign will end any differently. McDavid and company maintain that the Oilers are a playoff-caliber team, but something has to change with this team down the stretch for that that hypothesis to be tested this postseason. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars certainly look like playoff teams on paper, but both have been mediocre at best this season. The Blues, a popular dark horse Stanley Cup pick before the season, have been disappointing in every regard and there has been talk that the team could blow it up this season. A recent improvement paired with the struggles of others in the Western Conference playoff race have revived postseason hopes, but few expected that making the playoffs would be this difficult for St. Louis this season. The same goes for Dallas, who has had highly-publicized feuds between ownership, coaches, and players alike this year as the team continues to fall short of expectations. The Stars currently hold the top spot in the wild card race, but a recent history of late season collapses casts doubt over their ability to hold on to that spot.

There are still many teams whose playoff futures this season remain in question. These franchises all have varying degrees of desperation based on history and expectations. Of the 13 “fringe” teams, which team is under the most pressure to make the playoffs?

Mobile users, click here to vote.

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