What teams that didn't make the playoffs this year will be expected to next year?

Now that we know everyone who's made it and who hasn't, who has The biggest expectations going into next year that didn't make the cut?
Boston will get their top 2 Ds back, should be a big boost.

Give them Misa and boom, it could go fast retool.
 
The biggest difference between Montreal and Columbus is cap space. The Jackets have the most in the league. The Habs have the 4th LEAST amount of cap space. If Waddell plays it right, they could make a huge upgrade this off-season.
If they
1. Sure up the goalie
2. Swap Provorov and Severson for upgrades
Then they will make a push for the playoffs.

All of this is assuming that their young players do not regress or that they are not decimated with injuries, but that is the same for everyone.

Yeah cap space can be helpful for sure. I'll stand by my initial assessment though that Columbus is not expected to make the playoffs next year as of now. But this can definitely change in the off-season if they somehow make some really big moves, so we'll see.
 
Curious what you think a realistic playoff-bound Bruins forward depth chart will look like next season. Not even trolling.

The current one would've made the playoffs if not for the D getting gutted by the injury bug and Swayman simply plays average

It's as simple as adding Frondell/Hagens/Desnoyers with the Top 5 pick and not having McAvoy and Lindholm miss a combined 100 games.
 
The Flyers will expect themselves to. Whether they're right or not comes down to whether they hire a coach with a clue and if they can figure out why none of their goalies would have started for the 74-75 Capitals.
 
Nothing spells losing culture more than making a push for the playoffs after your best player dies in a horrible tragedy and having constant long term injuries to your best forwards all year long.
They lost a bunch of games in a critical phase of the season giving the Habs a chance to control their own destiny and hilariously ending up looking like a bunch of muppets after Laine called them out.

But i guess there is some sort of progress there. They didnt fizzle out in december as they use to do.
 
I know as a die hard jackets fan, I sure expect them to come out hungry and make the playoffs.

I don’t think i’m just ‘wishful thinking’ either.
I think it is very realistic especially with as much cap space as we have. I have full
trust in Don Waddell and Dean Evason.
I really hope that Lindstrom comes back at full strength. I'm not sure he's make the team after missing a full year of development, but the league would be the better for it. Perhaps if he is put on the wing?
 
I think everyone knows that the Jackets aint making the playoffs with that loser-culture they have ingrained in their organization.

Detroit, Utah, Calgary and the Rangers makes it next year.
I don't know how you exclude one and include the other? That organization has sucked ass for the better part of 2 decades. Outside of perhaps Buffalo, they're the most pathetic franchise in the league.
 
There is so much parity in the league that a whole bunch of teams can make it. The only sure things to make it are....

Eastern

- Florida
- Tampa
- Carolina
- Toronto

**I thought Washington was a huge surprise so for me they are a maybe**

Western

- Avs
- Stars
- Oilers
- Vegas
- Jets

The teams I think have no chance next year

Eastern

- Pens
- Flyers

Western

- Chicago
- San Jose
- Nashville

Everyone else is in the running as far as I am concerned
 
Curious what you think a realistic playoff-bound Bruins forward depth chart will look like next season. Not even trolling.
Having $28M in money to spend in free agency helps their forward group a ton.

Full healthy defense will be key, and obviously Swayman remembering he's not playing dodgeball in net.
 
Before today I would have said the Rangers

But yeah, I think that franchise is in for some long years coming up
 
Vancouver should have made it this year and will definitely make it next year, barring another wackadoo set of circumstances.

Demko, EP and Chytil are all healthy going into the summer, they have over 20 million in cap and picks and prospects, the latter can help or be traded for help.

I get people love seeing nuck fans suffer for some reason but the optics are pretty funny considering all the doom and gloom yet it took our #1 goalie being out for 60 games, our star C not healthy until game 70 only to get hurt again, losing JT numerous injuries to key players with only Debrusk and Blueger playing all 82.

On a positive note our Dcorp was transformed, our goalie tandem should be damn good and guys like Raty, Lekkerimakki and EP2 all showed promise.
After the cluster**** that this year turned out to be, they still weren’t too far off making the playoffs. Not saying they’re contenders, but I think we’ll see marked improvement next year (barring further massive injury issues).
 
They won’t necessarily be expected to, but I think the Ducks get in or at least will be very close. I expect the Hockey Club to be in as well.
 
I know as a die hard jackets fan, I sure expect them to come out hungry and make the playoffs.

I don’t think i’m just ‘wishful thinking’ either.
I think it is very realistic especially with as much cap space as we have. I have full
trust in Don Waddell and Dean Evason.
Who will they knock out?
 
Wishful thinking lol

Toronto out, Columbus in.
Regardless of how you feel about their playoff performances, it seems virtually impossible for them to miss with that forward corps in their primes. Maybe Marner leaves but I doubt it
 
Toronto: consecutively makes the playoffs 9 seasons in a row

Montreal: consecutively finishes at the bottom of the league 3 seasons in a row

Nice try though!
Yeah yeah I've heard the same thing about Boston last summer.

Toronto is out next year, book it.
 
Regardless of how you feel about their playoff performances, it seems virtually impossible for them to miss with that forward corps in their primes. Maybe Marner leaves but I doubt it
Maybe Marner leaves and signs in Columbus

Habs & Leafs out, Columbus & (?) in.
 

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