Hope springs everlasting in the summertime for NHL followers who final watched their group play in early April.
Might 2024-25 be the season that one of many non-playoff groups from 2023-24 make the postseason?
In a four-part sequence, we look at the non-playoff groups from final season and whether or not they have improved sufficient to provide their followers hope they will play past early April.
We have divided the 16 groups into 4 tiers: the “Lengthy Nationwide Nightmare” division, the “Groundhog Day” division, the “Scratch-off” division,” and the “Puh-leeze” division, which is our backside tier.
This is an evaluation of groups within the second tier from the underside, the “Scratch-Off Division.”
The ‘Scratch-off’ division
In our Scratch-off Division, the groups are the equal of a scratch-off lottery ticket. The chances of profitable massive (making the playoffs) are slim.
12. Anaheim Geese | 27-50-5, 59 factors, thirtieth within the NHL final season
The Geese are betting that younger gamers progress into stars sooner than veteran assist gamers turn out to be liabilities. Anaheim’s additions have been virtually completely around the margins (defenseman Brian Dumoulin, ahead Robby Fabbri and winger Brock McGinn).
The group has massive inquiries to reply: Can the blue-chip prospects Anaheim has spent six years gathering take that next step? Will ahead Trevor Zegras be part of the brand new Geese or a trade chip to bolster the brand new Geese?
Facilities Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, winger Cutter Gauthier, goaltender Lukas Dostal and defensemen Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger look poised to play huge roles. 2024 third-overall decide Beckett Sennecke might additionally be part of them on the wing.
11. Montreal Canadiens | 30-36-16, 76 factors, twenty eighth
The Canadiens are banking on inside progress.
Montreal and Anaheim are principally interchangeable. The place the Canadiens might have the slight edge is their core, which is additional developed. Forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, goaltender Cayden Primeau and defenseman Kaiden Guhle are anticipated to hold the subsequent period of Canadiens hockey together with rising 20-year-old star Juraj Slafkovsky, the primary general draft decide in 2021.
