The stakes are too high for some of the NHL’s top playoff teams to go home early.

A handful of perennial NHL playoff clubs have had nothing to show for their success in recent seasons. Some of them can’t make it past the first or second round, while others haven’t made the final or gotten the job done when they did make it.

In alphabetical order, let’s look at six NHL teams that cannot afford to lose in the first round and what the expectations are for them in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have been Stanley Cup contenders for years, but in four of the last six seasons, they haven’t made it beyond the second round. In the other two seasons, they were swept in the Eastern Conference final. A first-round exit would be a major step backward for this franchise.

The Hurricanes will face the New Jersey Devils in the first round, and the Devils are also under pressure to get well past the opening round. 

The stakes will be extremely high right away. Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour isn’t going anywhere, but an early exit could trigger significant roster changes for the Hurricanes. GM Eric Tulsky already demonstrated a willingness to shake things up with the Martin Necas and Mikko Rantanen blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche. A first-round exit may give Tulsky all the rationale for doing more roster surgery with eight pending UFAs. 

To avoid that fate, Carolina’s current players must demonstrate they’re worth the investment the team has made in them. That means at least winning games in the Eastern Conference final.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are nearly locked in as the Central Division’s second-place team, likely setting them up to face the Avalanche in the first round. 

Dallas made it to the Cup final in 2019-20, and in the past two seasons, they’ve got to the Western Conference final before losing both times in six games. It will be a colossal battle for the Stars against the stacked Avs, and if they do get to the second round, they will square off against either the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild or St. Louis Blues. Dallas’ toughest test may come in Round 1.

In any case, Dallas’ season won’t be considered a success unless the team gets to the Cup final. They loaded up with the acquisition of Rantanen, and they’re built to win now. An opening-round loss would be especially devastating for them.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers came within one win of a Cup last season. This year, they’re only third in the Pacific Division. Edmonton is almost certainly headed for another first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, the team the Oilers beat in each of the last three playoffs. This time around, though, the Kings will likely have home-ice advantage.

Needless to say, the Oilers would be crushed by a first-round defeat this year – or by a defeat in any round, for that matter. 

Edmonton has two of the greatest players in the NHL in superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but many believe its goaltending will let the squad down this time. If that proves to be the case, you can be sure Oilers management will go out this summer and acquire a proven winner in net. 

For now, the Oilers will roll the dice with their lineup. If they get past the Kings, their path to the Cup final could be easier than the road many other teams face.

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Los Angeles Kings

Having home-ice advantage is crucial for the Kings, which have an impressive home record of 30-5-4 this season. This is their biggest opportunity in recent years to break through and defeat the Oilers – their virtually guaranteed opponent.

Losing to Edmonton would almost assuredly lead to major changes, including (but not limited to) replacing GM Rob Blake.

That’s the potentially negative consequence that would come with the Kings losing once again to Edmonton. But on the bright side, beating the Oilers in the first round would be a tremendous confidence-builder for L.A. The Kings would be in a position where Blake & Co. would be rewarded and kept together for future playoff runs. Getting out of the first round is paramount to showing the team is getting somewhere.

Toronto Maple Leafs

We’ve heard it all year long – the Maple Leafs will be judged solely on their playoff performance this season. It’s true – if Toronto crumbles in Round 1 or gets stomped in the second round, there will be widespread changes for the Original Six franchise. 

Team president Brendan Shanahan could be replaced after an early-round loss, and star forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares could be sent packing.

No matter who the Leafs get in the opening round – be it the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning – there will be massive pressure on them right away. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Buds, and there are plenty of skeptics out there who believe Toronto doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to succeed when games matter most.

The Leafs’ defense corps and goaltending have never been better in their competitive window, and they’ve also got terrific depth up front. So it’s entirely possible Toronto will finally figure out how to win multiple rounds for once.

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Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are on track to win the Presidents’ Trophy, but they haven’t accomplished much in the playoffs. After finishing fourth overall last season, the Jets lost in five games to the Avalanche. They lost in five games the year before that, were swept in the second round in 2021 and had two more early exits after a Western Conference final appearance in 2018. 

The Jets will likely face either the Blues or Wild in the first round. Despite the Blues being the hottest team in the NHL since the trade deadline, the Jets would be the favorites no matter who they face. 

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has doubled down on his core of talent for many years now, but another first-round exit would be unacceptable. Winnipeg fans have been crestfallen too many times to tolerate a team that lets them down time and again in the playoffs. They need a long playoff run, and while the Jets know they have their work cut out for them, the ramifications of a first- or second-round defeat could change the makeup of Winnipeg’s lineup for many years to come.

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