The NHL has historically seen teams make the playoffs after finishing 10 points out the previous year. These teams have the best shot of doing that this season.

Each spring, hockey fans see many of the same names among the 16 playoff teams that get to contend for the Stanley Cup. 

Because of the parity in the NHL, a few new names get mixed in every year — and they’re not necessarily the teams that had been knocking at the door.

Since the NHL introduced the current wild-card system in 2013-14, at least one team has made the playoffs after finishing at least 10 points out in the previous season — except for the two playoffs during the pandemic when different playoff formats were used.

Last year, one squad from each conference overcame at least an 11-point deficit to get in.

In the East, the Washington Capitals went from 80 points to 91 to capture the second wild-card spot. And in the West, the Vancouver Canucks climbed from 83 points all the way to 109, grabbing first place in the Pacific Division.

What's on tap this year? 

In 2023-24, 11 teams finished at least 10 points out of a playoff spot:

Eastern Conference (91 points required)

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Western Conference (98 points required)

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Here are the five NHL teams most likely to keep the trend alive in 2024-25.

1. New Jersey Devils

After a 112-point breakout campaign and a first-round win over the Rangers in 2022-23, nothing went right for the Devils last season. 

Having Dougie Hamilton back and healthy will help this fall, while veterans Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon should also assist in stabilizing the blueline.

Most importantly, the tandem of Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen will give New Jersey its most robust goaltending since the Cory Schneider era.

New Jersey should be right back in the mix in the Metro this fall.

2. Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have made just one conference final appearance in their franchise’s history. But they usually get to the dance: last year was just their second miss in the last 12 years. 

After a terrible start, Minnesota was 5-10-4 when Dean Evason was ousted on Nov. 28, 2023. Under John Hynes, the Wild went 34-24-5. That's the equivalent of a 95-point pace over a full season, which typically puts a team in the mix for a playoff spot.

The Wild remain hampered by more than $14 million in dead cap space from their buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter for one more year. But GM Bill Guerin hasn't let that be an excuse as his team moves forward. Having Brock Faber playing out the last year of his entry-level contract is also an excellent counterbalance, as one of the best bargains in the league.

Add in captain Jared Spurgeon, whose injuries limited him to just 16 games last season, and the Wild should be able to build on last year’s second-half success to put themselves back in the playoff mix as Marc-Andre Fleury takes his farewell tour around the league

3. Utah Hockey Club

Is untapped potential about to be unlocked? If poor behind-the-scenes standards of player support and their tiny fan base were holding back the Arizona Coyotes, they could catapult into contention in the Central in their first season in Utah.

The Coyotes have a good coach in Andre Tourigny. Their roster is well-balanced, goaltending is solid and quite a few players are young enough that they still have significant upside, including star scorer Clayton Keller.

And they actually weren't bad last year — other than the 14-game losing streak that started in late January, when relocation rumors began to pick up steam. On Dec. 21, 2023, two days before the Christmas break, the Coyotes were sitting in the second wild-card spot in the West with a record of 17-13-2.

The NHL's recent expansion teams in Vegas and Seattle were well-stocked with talent when they made their debuts, putting them one step ahead of their predecessors. Starting with a fully formed team, Utah may have another leg up.

4. Ottawa Senators

Senators fans hoped that the arrival of new owner Michael Andlauer in 2023 would instantly improve their team’s fortunes. Instead, the challenges kept on coming, including Shane Pinto’s gambling suspension, the loss of a first-round pick from the Evgenii Dadonov no-trade-list fiasco, goaltending challenges and — still — no progress on the downtown arena project.

With Steve Staios now installed as GM, Travis Green preaching structure and work ethic as coach, and Linus Ullmark set to stabilize the crease, the Senators will try to go about their business in a quieter fashion this year.

The on-ice talent is there. If the results follow accordingly, perhaps Andlauer will enjoy playoff games — and the accompanying revenue — in Year 2 of his tenure.

5. Seattle Kraken

On July 1, the Kraken were widely criticized for their big-money acquisitions of free agents Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson. But as Seattle heads into Year 4 of operation after a lackluster followup to the organization’s first playoff appearance, big changes were needed to re-engage the fan base.

Both recent Stanley Cup winners, Montour and Stephenson should help pump up the Kraken’s dressing-room culture and improve the pace of play on the ice. 

Add in new coach Dan Bylsma, a Cup-winner himself who’s coming off two strong seasons with AHL Coachella Valley, and the Kraken should be more exciting and more successful in 2024-25.

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