Three NHL Teams Who Could Fall Out Of Playoffs

These three NHL teams could be due for regression next season.

Jan 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) warms up before a game against the Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Every year, there are NHL teams who exceed expectations and those who fall short of them. In the case of the latter, it usually comes involves missing the playoffs after making them a year before.

Last season, three teams fell victim to such a fate, namely the New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken. That was a relatively small turnover in terms of playoff teams, so it's fair to expect three or more teams to suffer the same fate in 2025.

Without further ado, here are three playoff teams from last season in danger of falling out this season.

Vegas Golden Knights

Let's get the bold prediction out of the way first. Yes, the Golden Knights, who have missed the playoffs just once in their existence and are just over a year removed from their first Stanley Cup, could be in danger of missing the dance again next season.

It may be easy to forget, but Vegas was the last team in the Western Conference to qualify for a playoff spot. They started off the postseason well by taking a 2-0 series lead over the Dallas Stars, but dropped four of the next five to lose the series in seven games.

This offseason, the Golden Knights suffered some major losses that will prove very difficult to make up for. No loss hurts more than that of Jonathan Marchessault - the franchise's all-time leader in games played, goals and assists and last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner - but other departures such as Anthony Mantha, William Carrier, Alec Martinez and Logan Thompson loom large as well. Meanwhile, other teams in the conference such as the Kraken, Nashville Predators and Utah Hockey Club, have only gotten better.

Perhaps the Golden Knights will be just fine and add at the deadline once again when Mark Stone goes on LTIR with his yearly injury (joking), but on paper, this seems like the weakest Vegas team in quite some time.

New York Islanders

Credit where it's due, the Islanders made one notable free agency signing by adding forward Anthony Duclair. That's more than Lou Lamoriello usually does in free agency.

Jokes aside, this is largely the same team that squeaked into the playoffs with 94 points, 16 of which came from overtime/shootout losses. While extra experience would be good for a younger team, the Islanders are one of the oldest teams in the league with several players on the wrong side of 30. Just to name a few, Semyon Varlamov is 36, Anders Lee is 34, and Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas are all 33.

Additionally, the Metropolitan division is looking to be much tougher than it was last season. The Devils are looking to rebound from an immensely-disappointing season, the Washington Capitals look like a better team after some big additions, and even the Pennsylvania teams could make noise.

There is reason for some optimism on Long Island as the team played much better under Patrick Roy, but continuing that level of play over an entire season will be critical to get back to the playoffs.

Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles claimed the third seed in the Pacific division, again, only to lose in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers, again. From a hot start to the season to a miserable stretch in January that led to Todd McLellan's firing, it was an absolute roller coaster of a season for the Kings.

L.A.'s moves this offseason have been a mixed bag, but with more bad than good. On one hand, the Kings freed themselves from the anchor of the Pierre-Luc Dubois contract, even if the trade to acquire him looks even worse after just one year. They also added Warren Foegle, Tanner Jeannot and Joel Edmundson, which should make them a slightly tougher team to play against.

On the other hand, the Kings lost key players such as Matt Roy and Viktor Arvidsson, even if the latter missed most of last season with injuries. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, cornerstones of L.A.'s two Stanley Cup teams in the early 2010s, aren't getting any younger at 36 and 34, respectively. Finally, the Kings' goalie situation is still full of question marks, and with the addition of Darcy Kuemper, whom they acquired from the Capitals in the Dubois trade, it's now an even more expensive group.

With all the questionable moves Kings general manager Rob Blake has made over the past few years, falling out of the playoffs could very well cost him his job.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

• Avalanche Hire Former Players to Front Office
• Former Owner Gives Up Coyotes Rights
• Three NHL Teams Who Could Make Next Big Move
• Blue Jackets Narrow Head Coaching Search
• Canadiens Solidify Big 3 With Key Extension