2025 Playoff Picture: Eastern Conference Fog Edition

[VivaLasVegas]

In recent years, the EC has mostly sorted itself out by this point in the season. This time, however, there is only a 6-point spread between who would be WC2 (41 points) and the bottom team (35 points), which means that basically every team in the conference still has a reasonable shot at a WC berth as things sit today, albeit some have a steeper hill to climb.

Who does your OUIJA board say will get in, and who will be on the golf course early?

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[TheDoldrums]

 

[Bouboumaster]

Habs are going full speed for the playoffs this year

The rebuild is almost complete

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

The metro and bottom half of the east overall is so bad. Pens have no business being in the playoff race.

 

[habamillions]

The metro and bottom half of the east overall is so bad. Pens have no business being in the playoff race.

Pretty crazy how they dominated mtl all 3 games they played.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Any of those teams in the wildcard have a chance to upset any of the top 2 seeds. Toronto and Washington are unproven. NJ too, if they end up winning the Metro. It’s wide open.

 

[alphafox]

Blue Jackets should know if they are in or out of the race by end of month. We are missing 2 forwards and have the pieces to make some additions if we actually are a legit contender by the end of the month. The Jackets are in a much different place than anyone expected and appear to be playing with house money so its really a question of if competing is realistic without sacrificing much in the term of future assets.

 

[Zalos]

I have a very good feeling about the Columbus Blue Jackets. I thought they'd be awful this year, but many of their players are having insane seasons. I can imagine them getting a WC spot and causing some surprises in the playoffs. The death of Johnny (RIP) would be a huge motivation for that group to go on a Cinderella run if they made it in.

So yea, unless some other teams go on crazy winning streaks in the second half of the season, I think the Jackets get in.

As for the other spots, I think it's pretty certain at this point that Toronto, Florida, Washington, New Jersey, and Carolina make it. So that's five slots filled. Only two remaining. The rest of the teams will fight for those.

 

[K1984]

Hard to say, I'll bet we have a repeat of last year's stretch drive where 4-5 teams would randomly go on winning streaks to get into the race only to follow it up with an equivalent losing streak to give it all back.

The number of times I thought a team was toast only for them to all of a sudden be back in it a week later was insane, and it was for multiple teams.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Atlantic Locks: Florida and Toronto
Metro Locks: Capitals, NJ and Carolina

I think Tampa makes it, Boston does just enough to get in and the last spot goes to Ottawa or Philadelphia.

 

[wetcoast]

I have a very good feeling about the Columbus Blue Jackets. I thought they'd be awful this year, but many of their players are having insane seasons. I can imagine them getting a WC spot and causing some surprises in the playoffs. The death of Johnny (RIP) would be a huge motivation for that group to go on a Cinderella run if they made it in.

So yea, unless some other teams go on crazy winning streaks in the second half of the season, I think the Jackets get in.

As for the other spots, I think it's pretty certain at this point that Toronto, Florida, Washington, New Jersey, and Carolina make it. So that's five slots filled. Only two remaining. The rest of the teams will fight for those.

Came here to say something like this.

sometimes a team with zero expectations can go on a run like this and Columbus despite some setbacks with Jircek and Lindstrom have defeitneyl been the surprise team of the year so far.

I think that 5 of the 6 teams are set and wonder how Boston will fare down the stretch.

Maybe we know more in a month, maybe it's still a cluster, who knows.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Hard to say, I'll bet we have a repeat of last year's stretch drive where 4-5 teams would randomly go on winning streaks to get into the race only to follow it up with an equivalent losing streak to give it all back.

The number of times I thought a team was toast only for them to all of a sudden be back in it a week later was insane, and it was for multiple teams.

Exactly. I think ultimately this will come down to who wants it more. Some of these teams have been down for a long time and are obviously hungry to get back in it, while other teams have faded quite a bit from previous years yet still have enough pride to be hungry enough to want back in one more year before they start their rebuilds.

Would not surprise me if the Rangers get their act back together and go on a heater.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Rangers will still make the playoffs but it would be hilaroous if they dont

 

[K1984]

Exactly. I think ultimately this will come down to who wants it more. Some of these teams have been down for a long time and are obviously hungry to get back in it, while other teams have faded quite a bit from previous years yet still have enough pride to be hungry enough to want back in one more year before they start their rebuilds.

Would not surprise me if the Rangers get their act back together and go on a heater.

Insanely, it's still right there for them if they find a way to take it.

 

[Xirik]

Any of those teams in the wildcard have a chance to upset any of the top 2 seeds. Toronto and Washington are unproven. NJ too, if they end up winning the Metro. It’s wide open.

Perhaps Tampa could but any of the other Wildcard teams would probably end up getting swept like the Capitals last year.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I wanna see a Habs vs Leafs rematch in the first round

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Insanely, it's still right there for them if they find a way to take it.

Heck, if the Sabres had not had just a couple of last-minute collapses, they'd be right in the thick of things too -- and they're still close enough to make a run at a WC spot. Crazy year in the East.

 

[syz]

It's actually crazy to me that after so many years of "maybe next year" out of teams like Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit, and Buffalo, none of them have managed to step up and definitively fill a spot in a perennially dogshit bottom half of the eastern conference.

I feel like the safe money is on Boston/Tampa and NYR because it wouldn't surprise me to see the other teams continue to be sellers (or at the very least they won't be "buyers") at the trade deadline even if they're still in spitting distance of a wild card to try and continue to build instead of sneaking into the playoffs just to get destroyed in the 1st round.

 

[Schennanigans]

Might make for a snooze fest at the deadline for trades. I still say the Rangers get in.

 

[syz]

Also no matter what happens they're never topping the Red Wings/Flyers/Capitals thing from last year anyways.

 

[WatchfulElm]

I feel like this is a transition year in the East and I think the transition will be official by the end of the season.

Many teams that have been playoffs fixture are showing clear signs of decline. That includes Boston, Tampa and the Rangers, but we could add Pittsburgh and the Islanders in a later stage of their decline, and I would also add the Canes and the Capitals who might be on the wrong side of their prime.

On the other hand, you have the Devils who might be a new playoffs fixture, and a bunch of rising/rebuilding teams who are ready to make noise.

My prediction : the Bruins won't make it. Rangers will miss. Tampa will have to fight to make it but might still be too talented to miss. At least one team, maybe 2 between the Jackets, the Habs, the Sens, the Flyers and the Wings will qualify.

 

[Schennanigans]

I don’t understand how Buffalo is not completely out of it. It’s not looking good for them but you’d think the team in the basement who also lost like 13 in a row at one point would be behind in double digits.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

I don’t understand how Buffalo is not completely out of it. It’s not looking good for them but you’d think the team in the basement who also lost like 13 in a row at one point would be behind in double digits.

Yeah, that's what is crazy. A little run and they would be right in the middle of this scrum.

 

[Lshap]

I wanna see a Habs vs Leafs rematch in the first round

So would I.

The other 31 fanbases.... not so much.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Boston could very easily slide into the bubble crowd.