In both the Eastern and Western Conferences, the wild card races are not only as tight as ever, but several teams remain in range past the halfway mark of the season.
The compressed NHL schedule due to the Olympic break has created a tighter-than-usual race for the eight playoff spots in the Eastern and Western Conferences.
The reason for that is that teams are being tested by increased fatigue and their ability to weather significant injuries. Only those with strong organizational depth and who get their lineup to perform consistently have been able to thrive.
The Eastern Conference had been remarkably tight for most of the first half, and only after Christmas have we begun to see some clubs fall back. Currently, the two wildcard spots are occupied by the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals, who are tied with 52 points. The Sabres were in last place in early December, but have been the hottest club in the NHL, going 13-1 in the last 14 games.
The Capitals have been in a playoff position for most of the first half, drifting between the top three in the Metropolitan Division and a wild card spot. Washington has been the more consistent of the two clubs, and the Olympic break could be a significant factor for them, as it will give key players like Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson a break before the stretch drive.
Everything has gone right for Buffalo over the last month, from getting injured players like Josh Norris and Jason Zucker back in the lineup, getting a career offensive year from defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, to getting excellent goaltending from Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen during the stretch.
It is unreasonable to expect the Sabres to maintain this level of performance. However, there still has to be some skepticism about what they will do after they cool off and of the two clubs, they are the more likely to fall back and allow teams on their heels, like Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boston and Florida, to move into a playoff spot.
Tage Thompson and Auston Matthews (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)In the West, the red-hot Seattle Kraken and the Los Angeles Kings are even with 48 points, just one point behind San Jose for third spot in the Pacific and four points behind first-place Vegas.
The Kraken have emulated Buffalo, posting only one loss in the last 10 games and receiving excellent goaltending from Philipp Grubauer. At the same time, both clubs are very similar in that they are in playoff spots despite being in the bottom five of the league in offence.
It is very possible that both the Kraken and Kings cannot maintain their positions, with three clubs that have significant cap space and draft capital (Utah, Chicago, and Anaheim) right on their heels. Another factor could be the Kraken having four veterans – Jordan Eberle, Jaden Schwartz, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jamie Oleksiak in the final year of their contracts. If they fall out of a playoff spot, GM Jason Botterill could become a seller in a market short of sellers.
Utah Mammoth owner Ryan Smith, especially, will be motivated to get his club into a postseason in their second year in Salt Lake and could be especially bold before the March 6 trade deadline. The Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks might be more cautious, but playoff experience would benefit their young core, and their management teams have over $22 million in cap room to play with.
Although the West has the three best records at the top of the Central Division. The Pacific is still up for grabs, as are the wildcard spots in the East and the West.
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