The Vegas Golden Knights gained the Stanley Cup in 2023 after lacking the playoffs within the 2021-22 season. In any other case, it’s a rarity for a workforce to overlook the playoffs one season and hoist Lord Stanley’s Mug the following. The one different time prior to now decade a workforce gained all of it after lacking the playoffs was in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues (who additionally had been in final place midway by that season).
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There are many groups that missed the playoffs final season that look to make the playoffs this time round. Nevertheless, which groups can go even additional and win the Stanley Cup this season? Non-playoff groups have a handful of query marks, and Cup groups examine off plenty of packing containers; the groups on this listing have their flaws however loads going for them that make them intriguing picks to win all of it.
Ottawa Senators
There’s the trio of the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Crimson Wings, and Ottawa Senators to select from as three rebuilding groups that missed the playoffs final season with good arguments to compete shifting ahead. All three even have obvious weaknesses that may possible hold them out of the playoffs. The Sabres and Crimson Wings each lack depth and have questions within the web (with neither workforce possessing a confirmed beginning goaltender.) The Senators, in the meantime, have a brand new head coach and normal supervisor (GM), took an enormous step again final season, and, for the time being, lack an id. So, why are they the workforce that may go from lacking the playoffs to profitable the Cup?
The very first thing working of their favor is the core they’ve in place. Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Thomas Chabot are cornerstones to construct round. Tkachuk is an influence ahead who performs a novel model whereas Stutzle is a fast-paced playmaking ahead however each are getting into the primes of their careers and look to guide an offense that has loads of complementary skaters in it. These skaters embody Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson, Ridley Greig, and Shane Pinto, all of whom give the Senators an excellent ahead unit.
There have been additionally the offseason additions that addressed the massive wants on the roster. The Senators wanted depth, in order that they added David Perron, Michael Amadio, and Nick Jensen. They wanted a dependable starter, in order that they acquired Linus Ullmark in a commerce with the Boston Bruins. They wanted a head coach who might work with each the celebrities and position gamers, in order that they employed Travis Inexperienced, a task participant himself again in his enjoying days who has labored with star energy in his earlier stops.
The Senators appear to be a playoff workforce heading into the season. On prime of that, if they’ll get into the playoffs, they’ll make some noise as effectively partially due to their roster construct. They’ve forwards who can pivot and win each high-scoring and low-scoring contests whereas additionally possessing a dependable goaltender who may help them put collectively a deep playoff run. The Senators are referred to as a snake-bitten franchise however don’t sleep on them heading into the brand new season.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a workforce that may go in plenty of instructions this season. That is their fourth season within the NHL and it’s laborious for the informal fan to know if they’re good, dangerous, or title 5 gamers on their roster. Just like the Anaheim Geese, they’ve turn into one of many groups out west that except they overachieve are an invisible franchise. That’s why they had been one of the vital lively groups within the offseason, making a training change and including elite expertise to make them related this season.
They missed the playoffs final season however with three underrated models, the Kraken look to make some noise. The ahead group doesn’t have an elite skater however Chandler Stephenson is a dependable two-way heart who will take it to the following stage. The protection was already a energy with Vince Dunn, Jamie Oleksiak, and Adam Larsson main it however in addition they signed Brandon Montour to close opposing offenses down and open up the offense from the purpose. Sure, Philipp Grubauer is inconsistent within the web because the starter however Joey Daccord proved he can break up begins and provides the workforce a dependable tandem.
Pair the good roster with a head coach who has loads of expertise on the American Hockey League (AHL) and NHL ranges in Dan Bylsma and this workforce has all of the components for a Cup run. Positive, the Kraken might miss the playoffs once more and so they lack the star energy to hold them in a playoff collection however they may take the league by storm.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild haven’t gained a playoff collection in a decade with their final collection victory coming in 2015. Additionally they have by no means gained a title, this goes again to each their inception in 2000 and their days because the North Stars. Let’s ignore the many years value of heartbreak for the State of Hockey and deal with this workforce.
Final season was a bump within the highway for the Wild as they by no means recovered from a sluggish begin and fired head coach Dean Evason due to it. With John Hynes behind the bench, they may have a balanced roster as their head coach focuses on protection and construction whereas the celebrities take over video games on offense.
Talking of the celebrities, that’s the massive motive the Wild can contend for the Cup. Kirill Kaprizov is likely one of the finest wingers within the NHL and Brock Faber proved at 21 years previous that he’s probably the greatest defensemen within the sport, ending in second place within the Calder Trophy voting. It’s not simply Kaprizov and Faber: the Wild even have Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, and Ryan Hartman to take them to the following stage.
The catch shall be how Hynes and his model works with the Wild and the roster in place. The opposite impediment is goaltending as Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t the identical elite goaltender he was a couple of years again (to be honest, he’s 39) and Filip Gustavsson isn’t somebody they’ll lean on for a playoff run. In any other case, the Wild can’t solely make the playoffs however deliver the workforce’s first Cup title in franchise historical past.
New Jersey Devils
There are two methods to have a look at final season for the New Jersey Devils. Both it was a bump within the highway and they’re an excellent workforce that appears to be aggressive for the foreseeable future. Or, they’ve lingering points — notably that they’ll’t recuperate when a key participant goes right down to harm (like Dougie Hamilton final season), and due to that they may at all times be a step behind within the standings. The latter choice is a risk however contemplating how the Devils appeared in 2022-23 and the star energy they’ve, they appear to be a workforce poised to bounce again and compete for a Cup not simply this season, however throughout the subsequent 5 seasons.
All of it begins with Jack Hughes, one of many sport’s most-dynamic forwards who can exploit any workforce on the frenzy but in addition create scoring probabilities within the offensive zone. Together with Hughes, there’s a younger core that’s solely getting higher with Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier rounding out the ahead unit and Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec anchoring the protection. Granted the protection gained’t have Hughes to start out the season, which can result in a sluggish begin, however the different skaters are there to hold them by the primary few months.
What makes this season completely different from final season is that GM Tom Fitzgerald overhauled the roster, notably the protection and goaltending to verify each models don’t let the Devils down. Within the offseason, they acquired Johnathan Kovacevic, Brenden Dillon, and Brett Pesce to repair a protection that struggled outdoors of the highest pair. Likewise, they acquired Jake Allen on the 2024 Commerce Deadline however discovered their starter within the offseason once they acquired Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames. Each the protection and goaltending models had been improved and can look higher with Sheldon Keefe as the pinnacle coach: he leads balanced groups that play effectively iin the defensive finish.
The Devils are anticipated to be within the playoffs once more. The query is what is going to separate them within the playoffs in opposition to groups just like the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Florida Panthers? They is perhaps uncovered when the sport slows down and if their expert forwards are requested to play bodily however these are minor points that may be addressed each all through the season and on the 2025 Commerce Deadline.
Different Non-Playoff Groups That Can Make a Cup Run
The Crimson Wings and Sabres are in the identical dialog because the Senators as a borderline playoff workforce however they’ve completely different attributes that may make them Cup contenders. The Crimson Wings will turn into an elite workforce if the younger skaters, notably Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, proceed to enhance to take them to the following stage. The Sabres in the meantime shall be a dominant workforce with their protection main the best way and making an impression on each ends of the ice.
The 4 last-place groups from 2023-24 are lengthy photographs to make the playoffs, a lot much less an extended playoff run, however the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens are the 2 groups that may do it. Why? They’ve the elite younger expertise to get them over the hump. The Blackhawks have Connor Bedard getting into his second season and seeking to set up himself as probably the greatest within the league whereas the Canadiens have an excellent core with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, and Juraj Slafkovsky main the best way.
For a workforce to overlook the playoffs one season and win the Cup the following is a script that film makers dream of. It’s a rarity however not out of the query, particularly contemplating the elite gamers a number of the groups that missed the playoffs final season have.
