The USA took home the Olympic gold medal early Sunday morning, but there is still plenty to be excited for as the 32 teams in the NHL race for the Stanley Cup. So buckle up, everyone, we are in for a wild second half of hockey!
Metropolitan Division Race
The Metropolitan Division is a very open division this year. In the Metro, we see the Hurricanes, Penguins and Islanders in the top three spots. I believe the Hurricanes are the clear-cut favorite to get the No. 1 spot in the Metro. The Penguins and Islanders don't have the firepower to keep up with a team like Carolina. While I feel like second and third are still up for grabs, we don’t know the long-term effects of Sidney Crosby’s injury yet, and how that could play a part in the rest of the Penguins’ season. The Penguins have looked to goalie Artūrs Šliovs to be their No. 1 guy this season.
To make the playoffs, the Pens need to lean on their veterans to carry the load. In third place sit the Islanders, who are a very good young team that have shocked a lot of people in the first half of the season. They are led by Calder favorite Matthew Schaefer, who has brought new energy to Long Island fans.
The best thing for the Islanders and Penguins was the break, due to the fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets were on an absolute tear. I expect the Blue Jackets to continue with their amazing play after the break and end up catching either the Penguins or the Islanders for a playoff spot. The Capitals are also just four points behind the Islanders, but I would be shocked if we saw them playing in April.
The Capitals just don’t have the depth in their forward core that the teams in front of them have. Even with some teams in the Metropolitan Division not looking like playoff contenders (the Flyers, Rangers and Devils), I still see this division being a fun one to watch down the stretch, just because of how close teams are separated.
Atlantic Division Race
The Atlantic Division, on the other hand, is the best in the NHL. At the start of the Olympic break, the top three are the Lightning (78 points), Canadiens (72 points), and Red Wings (72 points), with the Sabres (70 points) and the Bruins (69 points) holding onto wildcard spots. Tampa Bay has shown no sign of slowing down from its elite start anytime soon, with its amazing core and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy leading the way.
The Canadiens had a very strong first half with contributions from guys like Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Cole Caulfield. Montreal is getting Patrik Laine back from a core muscle injury, who will significantly improve their forward core.
The Red Wings were another shocking team this year for some NHL fans. They had an amazing first half of the season, which sees them in third place. The Wings are led by forwards Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat. If goalie John Gibson continues his amazing play, the Red Wings will be a playoff team.
Now, let's go to the team that I did not expect to be in a playoff spot in February, that being the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have a 14-year playoff drought staring them right in the face. I believe this is the year the Sabres end the drought. Tage Thompson is returning for the second half with Olympic experience and is ready to lead his team to the promised land. Buffalo will be relying heavily on goalies Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen, who both had an amazing first half of the season.
Now, in the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, are the Boston Bruins. The Bruins enter the second half with a top 3 powerplay unit led by David Pastrnak. Morgan Geekie has been red hot, with 32 goals so far. That puts Geekie top 3 in the NHL in goals. If the Bruins want to keep their spot, they will look to Vezina candidate, Jeremy Swayman.
I don’t think the Ottawa Senators have the talent to fight for a playoff spot. The Sens’ young core can give fans hope for the future, but playoffs seem very unlikely at the moment. The Toronto Maple Leafs, on the other hand, have the offensive core that can go on a run for that final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They will look towards superstar Auston Matthews to play a huge role in that playoff push after his lackluster first half.
Finally, in last place in the Atlantic, you see the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Even though they are only 8 points out of the last wild-card spot, they are a long way out of a playoff spot if captain Aleksander Barkov doesn’t return soon. The Atlantic Division should be an absolute thriller to watch, and it should be very competitive come April.
Central Division Race
The Central Division is very top-loaded, with a significant drop-off in the middle. In first, we see the Colorado Avalanche (83 points). Right now, they are in first place in the whole NHL and are the most complete team top to bottom. Superstar Nathan MacKinnon and Norris contender Cale Makar lead them. They have a stacked goalie duo with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, both having amazing years. The Avalanche is a team that doesn’t have many weaknesses and will be a tough matchup for anyone come April.
In second place, we see the Minnesota Wild (78 points). Just before the new year, we saw the Wild pair their young all-star defenseman, Brock Faber, with an elite defenseman in Quinn Hughes. The Wild’s main form of scoring comes from Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. They also have an amazing goalie duo with Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. The Wild have a good roster that should not be taken lightly by the Avalanche.
In third place, we have the Dallas Stars. Going into the year, the Dallas Stars were my Stanley Cup pick, and I truly believe that the Stars have the talent to go out and play for a Stanley Cup. Scoring-wise, they have a lot of depth, but their top line does most of the heavy lifting, featuring Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnson, and Mikko Rantanen. They also have a lot of veteran presence on that forward core with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. The Stars are a very good team, but in this top-heavy Central Division, it is going to be a dog fight to see who reaches the Western Conference finals.
The Utah Mammoth are in fourth place, and at the moment, they hold the first wild card spot in the West. Utah has a very young roster with loads of talent. In the offseason, they added to their core by trading for JJ Peterka. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz lead this young team, with Karel Vejmeika doing an amazing job between the pipes. Unfortunately for Utah, they are in the Central division, which gives them a very slim chance of catching one of the top three. Now, for the teams that are not in a playoff spot at the moment.
The Nashville Predators are in fifth place at the break. Nashville has a very talented roster on paper and just hasn't seen the results. Ryan O’Reilly looks like he found his old self again as he is playing at a point-per-game pace right now. However, goalie Juuse Saros has underperformed to his expectations. If the Predators want to turn it around and fight for a playoff spot, he needs to turn back into the Saros of years past.
The Blackhawks are next up in the Central. They had a very strong start to the season with their young core looking like they found their footing early. Then Connor Bedard went down with an injury that sent the Blackhawks down to sixth in their division. The future is bright for this Chicago team, and they will be making a playoff appearance in the next couple of years.
Now, for the biggest fall off of the season, we see the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets pretty much ran it back from last year, where they won the President's trophy. A reason for the fall off could be because of Connor Hellebuyck being out for some time due to an injury. Another reason is the lack of scoring they have received from their big-name players. I just don’t think there is enough time to turn this season around for the Jets, but the fans should be looking forward to a top draft pick this season.
In last place, we see the St. Louis Blues. So far this season, the Blues don’t have a scorer over 35 points. Goalie Joel Hofer has done a nice job stepping up while starter Jordan Binnington is having a down year for the Blues. The main problem the Blues have dealt with this season is injuries and not finding production from any of their lines. Be on the lookout for these top dogs to be fighting for a championship come June.
Pacific Division Race
The Pacific Division has a big disadvantage compared to the other divisions in the NHL. In the first place, we see the Vegas Golden Knights. After acquiring Mitch Marner this offseason to boost their stacked forward core, Vegas is looking to get back to its championship form from 2023 with some of the same guys still on the roster. Their offensive production mainly comes from Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. Vegas has had a lot of injury problems in net this year; they have started four different goalies this year.
Second are the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers are looking to make it to the Stanley Cup finals for the third year in a row. They have a surplus of offense, which is led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers have dealt with some injuries so far this year, like Zach Hyman. In net, the Oilers have been relying on Stuart Skinner, but shipped him off to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry.
In third, we see the Kraken, who have had a very surprising season so far. They have struggled to find scoring but have looked very strong defensively. They also have a very strong goalie duo of Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer.
The Kraken are in third, but they are tied with the fourth-place team, the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have a very young core, which has done an amazing job this season. They have also seen a lot of veteran production from their older guys. In net is where they really lack. Lukas Dostal has had an average season, and if they want to make the playoffs, he is going to have to step up. This Ducks team was very fun to watch in the first half, and I am excited to watch them fight for a playoff spot later in the season.
In fifth place, we have the LA Kings. The break started on a high note for the Kings, acquiring one of the biggest trade pieces at the deadline, Artemi Panarin. The break then took a downturn for the Kings when they saw their star player, Kevin Fiala, go down with an injury that will see him sidelined for the rest of the season. So now the Kings will be relying on a depleted forward core to carry them to the playoffs. The Kings' offense was already having a lackluster season, as their powerplay is at the bottom of the league. The Kings have a lot of work to do if they want to reach the playoffs again.
In sixth place, we see the San Jose Sharks, who, like the Blackhawks, have a very young and exciting core that will be fun to watch for years to come. Macklin Celebrini is only 19 years old and has already shown flashes of being a generational player. He ranks fourth in points in the NHL with some elite company in front of him. So if you are a Sharks fan, you should be very pumped for the years coming up.
In seventh place, the Calgary Flames. They have had a really lackluster season, as they have really struggled to put the puck in the net. Flames fans may see some light at the end of the tunnel, as a new core is blossoming in the forms of forwards Matt Coronato and Morgan Frost.
In eighth place sit the Vancouver Canucks. Elias Pettersson has had a really down year compared to years past, and the Canucks have also seen a struggle in net with Thatcher Demko having a poor season. The future for Vancouver is bright, and if they get a top-five pick in this year's draft, that will help that future become a lot brighter. The Pacific Division is definitely not as strong as the Central, but if Vegas or Edmonton get hot in April, they can definitely play for a Stanley Cup.
