Free washer | Everyone is in the “mix” in the East

Fortunately, there are the Bills to save Buffalo’s honor. The Sabers woke up Monday morning to a sad feat: they are the only team in the Eastern Conference to be left out of the mix.

There are the top six clubs, Toronto, Florida, Tampa, Washington, New Jersey and Carolina. After them, six points separate nine teams, including the Canadian: Boston, first of the two teams drafted, and Philadelphia, penultimate, with two games in hand for the Flyers.

The ranking imagined by the Bettman clan is brilliant. By allowing the losing club in overtime to collect one point and by not granting more than two points for the winner in overtime or shootout, and with the salary cap in addition, we allow a maximum of clubs to hope for a place in series.

We will never have had a more beautiful expression of it than this season. The nine clubs in the “mix,” or rather in the race for a playoff spot, all have more losses than wins.

It’s less obvious in the West. Anaheim, Seattle, Nashville, San Jose and Chicago are thinking more about the lottery than whether they qualify. The Canadian’s opponent on Tuesday evening, the Utah club, after a good start to the season, is in disarray and now finds itself five points behind the Canucks and the last place giving access to the playoffs.

In this heterogeneous group we find two clubs in decline, two disappointing teams and five rebuilders.

Teams in decline

Pittsburgh Penguins

With a core of four players – Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson – whose average age stands at 36.5, the Penguins missed the playoffs the previous two seasons and have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since. 2018. But we cling to a utopian hope of recreating past glory. Sidney Crosby is still productive, with 48 points in 45 games, Rickard Rakell is reborn, with 22 goals, but Evgeni Malkin, after another amazing start, has slowed down terribly, as has Kristopher Letang. With three games less to play than Montreal, Detroit and Ottawa, all ahead of it in the standings, Pittsburgh will have to light up the lanterns…

Islanders de New York

Octogenarian Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello built his team for short-term success and never hesitated to trade away prospects and draft picks in favor of more experienced players. The recipe worked in 2020 and 2021, with two aces. But the Islanders never had a great club. They participated in the playoffs the previous two years, without reaching the 95-point mark. Their first four counters are all 30 years old and over. This aging club is going in circles and Patrick Roy is doing what he can with the tools at his disposal. The fall could be long and brutal.

The disappointments

Rangers de New York

After seasons of 114, 107 and 110 points, a core still in its prime and a goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, among the NHL’s elite, the Rangers were still a Stanley Cup contender this season, especially after reaching the final four last year. The threat to trade two veterans and pillars in the locker room, Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider, several weeks ago, announced an internal malaise. Every player, with the possible exception of young Will Cuylle, underperforms. Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, Kaapo Kakko to Seattle, where he has already collected 8 points in 11 games. Other departures are expected. New York has nevertheless just won two games in a row.

Bruins de Boston

However, we had added important pieces on the free agent market with center Elias Lindholm and defender Nikita Zadorov. Most of the important players – David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Brandon Carlo and Jeremy Swayman – were under 30, or barely. Perhaps the loss of the other goaltender, Linus Ullmark, and the impact of difficult contract negotiations with Swayman were underestimated. Coach Jim Montgomery was the first casualty of the Boston debacle. Brad Marchand has vehemently denied in recent days rumors of a disagreement with Pastrnak, his best friend, he insists. Despite three wins in their last ten games, the Bruins are not dead, however.

The reconstructors

Montreal Canadiens

The CH is undoubtedly the club whose reconstruction is the most recent with that of the Philadelphia Flyers. Those of Detroit, Ottawa and Columbus date back a few years earlier. Thus, with an irresistible push since December 17, a 9-2-1 record, the best in the NHL, Montreal is back in the race for the playoffs without counting on its best assets for the future, Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, Michael Hage and Jacob Fowler. His first four scorers, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky, are all 25 and under – Hutson and Slafkovsky are only 20. CH still has two first-round picks, two second-round picks and three third-round picks in 2025. Very encouraging.

Blue Jackets de Columbus

Columbus got a facelift this season, replacing general manager Jarmo Kekalainen with Don Waddell. He appointed a new coach to succeed Pascal Vincent, Dean Evason. The tragic death of star Johnny Gaudreau shook the organization. And it certainly serves as motivation for the group, dedicated to honoring the memory of the teammate. Sean Monahan, who came to Columbus as an unrestricted free agent to join his former friend from the Flames, is experiencing his best first half of the season since 2018 at age 30 with 41 points in as many games, at the center of two young Russian sensations, Kirill Marchenko and Dmitry Voronkov. Defenseman Zach Werenski is having his best career moments. Columbus also has several very young players on its roster: Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, Adam Fantilli and Denton Mateychuk.

Ottawa Senators

Finally a little hope in Ottawa, after seven consecutive exclusions from the playoffs. The arrival of goaltender Linus Ullmark brought a lot of stability, even if Ottawa managed to win its last two games without him. The young core of Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Josh Norris and Jake Sanderson is interesting. However, he is not powerful enough to aspire to the Stanley Cup, and since we have wasted several high draft picks in recent years, the Senators’ ceiling is probably lower than that of the Canadiens or the Blue Jackets.

Red Wings de Detroit

The dismissal of head coach Derek Lalonde and the arrival of Todd McLellan energized this club. The Red Wings have won seven straight games to put themselves back in the race. But aside from Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, and to some extent Simon Edvinsson, this club is driven primarily by veterans, Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, JT Compher, Andrew Copp, Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry and Cam Talbot . We will eventually have to see if the other prospects, Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, Axel Sandin-Pellika, Sebastian Cossa and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, will be talented enough to make Detroit a top club when the older ones are gone.

Philadelphia Flyers

After flirting with a playoff spot last year, the Flyers are further away this winter. They remain competitive thanks to an iron-fisted coach, John Tortorella. On what pillars does the future of the Flyers rest? Matvei Michkov, of course, astonishing at the start of the season with 27 points in as many games, but only 3 in his last 14 (and a record of -17 during this period). There is also defender Jamie Drysdale, 22 years old, obtained for Cutter Gauthier, and still looking for his bearings in Philadelphia, Cam York, 24 years old, another defender, a little less transcendent than the previous season, Tyson Foerster, a 22-year-old power winger on his way to another twenty-goal season. Also, two members of the Canadian junior team at the most recent World Junior Championship, Jett Luchanko and Oliver Bonk, two good young players, but not considered elite level. A home run in the next draft (for now, Philadelphia would draft sixth) wouldn’t hurt.