Vancouver Canucks v New Jersey Devils — 5 biggest NHL playoff pretenders at the halfway point of the 2023/24 season ft. New Jersey Devils

5 biggest NHL playoff pretenders at the halfway point of the 2023/24 season ft. New Jersey Devils

Modified Jan 14, 2024 14:58 GMT

The 2022-23 NHL playoffs were a magical time, with the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup in just their sixth season, while the Florida Panthers defied all the odds and played in the final despite qualifying for the playoffs on the last day of the regular season.

The 2023-24 season is shaping to be another special time for NHL fans. As each club approaches the halfway mark of their respective schedules, the wild-card race in each conference has just begun.

Although a handful of the teams on the bubble had lofty expectations to begin the season, it is fair to say most, if not all of these outsiders, will fail to meet their goals and miss out on the postseason.

However, some NHL teams are performing above what the experts projected, which leads us to an interesting discussion: which playoff-contending franchises are just pretenders?

5 biggest NHL playoff pretenders at the halfway point of the 2023/24 season

#5. Detroit Red Wings

On paper, the Detroit Red Wings are ahead of their rebuild plans, thanks partly to the acquisition of Alex DeBrincat (39 points) and the addition of future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane, who is almost scoring at a point-per-game after hip surgery.

At the halfway mark, the Red Wings are just a point out of the wild-card race and are one of eight teams battling for those last two playoff spots. Realistically, if the franchise fails to advance for the eighth consecutive season, there have been plenty of positives this year, which means their time is coming, and their fans must patiently keep waiting.

#4. Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators continue to occupy a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Still, even after management retooled the lineup last summer, the Predators are struggling to stay ahead of the competition despite adding veteran players like former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O'Reilly.

Roman Josi, Ryan O'Reilly, and Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators

Although the offense isn't the main problem in Nashville, most of the blame for the team's underperformance falls on goaltender Juuse Saros, who is on track to have one of the worst statistical seasons of his career. Like the Eastern Conference, there are seven clubs within five points of one another, with Nashville unable to break free from the pack.

#3. Calgary Flames

After a poor start, many Calgary Flames fans hoped the team would kick start a rebuild by trading its veteran core, acquiring assets and giving the kids a chance to play. Although they waited all season for Jonathan Huberdeau to get going, the Flames have survived by the brilliant play of Jacob Markstrom.

Whether or not Calgary claims a playoff spot, this season will always be remembered for what could have and should have happened. With a handful of pending free agents in the lineup, this club could look completely different next season, which makes the Flames one of the most interesting teams to follow at the NHL trade deadline, whether they keep winning or not.

#2. New York Islanders

Out of the 16 NHL teams in a playoff spot, the New York Islanders have the worst goal differential (minus-13) than any other franchise that may qualify. Initially, many insiders felt that this year's Islanders would struggle to score goals and would rely on their netminders to keep them in the hunt.

However, one of the most significant setbacks this season has been the play of netminder Ilya Sorokin. Once projected to be a Vezina Trophy finalist, he's sporting a 3.15 goals against average and .909 save percentage, the worst numbers of his NHL career. If New York considers itself a serious contender, it must right a few wrongs to go on a deep run.

#1. New Jersey Devils

At the beginning of the year, the New Jersey Devils were one of the best teams, and Jack Hughes looked like he would run away with the Art Ross Trophy with 20 points in just 10 games. However, things have taken a drastic turn in New Jersey, with Hughes out for an extended time and the team tumbling down the standings.

Ultimately, one of the Devil's biggest concerns is goaltending, with their three netminders combining for a .889 save percentage while surrendering 3.24 goals a game. Offensively, the Devils have one of the top lineups in the NHL, but on the back end, without Dougie Hamilton and solid goaltending, they will struggle to make the playoffs.