When we talk about NHL teams that almost certainly are going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, there are two distinct kinds of teams. There are squads that look like they’re going to be dynamic powerhouses – think of Florida, Washington, Winnipeg, Dallas, Vegas and Colorado – but there are also playoff-bound teams trending downward. And in this column, we will identify three squads trending downward – the New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers.

The Devils have been waylaid by major injuries to crucial stars Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, but the truth is, they’ve been a disappointing bunch for months now. For example, since Dec. 27, the Devils have been able to string together three wins in a row just once – in their current three-game win streak. But since Jan. 11, New Jersey has gone 11-10-2. There’s been no extended stretch of excellence to point to with the Devils. Once again, they’re the epitome of mediocrity.

It’s no wonder, then, that Devils fans are worried that New Jersey could fall out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and wind up in a wild-card spot squaring off against elite teams like the Capitals or Panthers in the first round. Would anyone other than Devils diehards bet on New Jersey to make it to the second round of the post-season? We sincerely doubt it. And even when New Jersey was at full strength, they weren’t contending for top spot in the Metro, so it’s hard to envision them doing any damage in the playoffs without Hughes and Hamilton. It’s a bleak picture for the Devils, but it’s an accurate one.

#NJDevils Jack Hughes down the tunnel after crashing into the end wall 😬 pic.twitter.com/9GHvOHDh6s

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) March 3, 2025

Similarly, in the extremely competitive Central Division, the Wild have tumbled out of third place and are now in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Earlier this season, the Wild were second in the Central, but like the Devils, Minnesota has also had significant injuries to key players, including superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov, center Joel Eriksson Ek, and defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. And their downward trend is visible in the results of their recent schedule.

To wit: since Jan. 11, the Wild have gone 11-12-1 – and since Jan. 30, they’ve gone 7-7-1. So we’re not talking about one or two bad weeks with this team. We’re talking about sustained mediocrity, and Minnesota is now in a standings position where they’d be playing against the Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets or Dallas Stars in the first round. And like the Devils, the Wild are going to be underdogs no matter which of those teams they face in the post-season.

Finally, the Oilers are struggling without any major injuries like the Devils and Wild have had to deal with. Instead, it’s Edmonton’s goaltending and recent all-around funk that is cause for concern for them heading into the playoffs. Since Jan. 27, the Oilers have gone 7-9-1, and after challenging for top spot in the Pacific Division earlier in the season, the Oilers sit just one point ahead of the L.A. Kings for second place in the division.

The Oilers may not fall any further than third in the Pacific, as they’re currently nine points ahead of the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, but you never know – another couple weeks of disappointing hockey could allow the Flames or Canucks to slip by the Oilers and put Edmonton in a wild-card spot. That would’ve been unthinkable early in the year, but the sub-par play of Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner – who had an .867 save percentage in February and an .876 SP thus far in March – has created uncertainty and doubt in the mind of Oilers fans.

Tough play for Stuart Skinner as Tage Thompson could have gone high glove first but uses his pterodactyl reach to go stick side.

Brilliant move can make a goalie look bad pic.twitter.com/SW8rkQBOHk

— David Staples (@dstaples) March 13, 2025

There’s still time for the Oilers, Wild and Devils to turn things around and salvage their season, but there’s not much time – just about one month on the dot. And it’s important to bear in mind that those three teams aren’t playing in a vacuum. Because of their recent struggles, New Jersey, Edmonton and Minnesota essentially have had control of their destiny taken out of their hands. Not only do they now have to improve significantly, but they have to hope the teams ahead of them or just behind them in the standings - in New Jersey’s case, Carolina and Columbus, in Minnesota’s case, Colorado and Dallas, and in Edmonton’s case, the Kings, Flames and Canucks – wind up struggling the rest of the season.

For those reasons, we’re not feeling confident in the Oilers, Devils or Wild this year. Their faults have come to light, and there’s no easy fix for them. And if they do fall easily in the playoffs, no one will be able to say they never saw it coming.

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Just being an NHL player requires pushing through the bumps and bruises that come in an 82-game season. But playing some teams, in particular, takes a physical toll.

As the season unfolds, it’s becoming increasingly clear which division champion will be beaten up the most by the conference finals – and that’s whoever makes it out of the Atlantic Division.

As it stands, the Atlantic-leading Florida Panthers lead the NHL in hitting, with an average of 28.38 hits per 60 minutes. The Ottawa Senators are fourth at 25.57, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are ninth at 23.76. That doesn’t include the third-place Boston Bruins (26.21) and seventh-place Montreal Canadiens (24.23), which are currently out of a playoff spot. Clearly, the Atlantic’s teams will punish each other physically.

What we saw from Thursday night’s clash between the Panthers and Leafs indicated what we’ll likely see in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Florida out-hit Toronto 40-24, and Nate Schmidt and Max Domi decided to fight early in the game as well. That’s no walk in the park.

Maple Leafs And Panthers' Clash Is A Sign Things Are Getting RealFlorida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has noticed something interesting of late ahead of Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Thursday’s tilt looked like a playoff game between the Leafs and Panthers. We’re almost sure to see the emotion amp up by the time the post-season arrives, which could increase the hit totals even more. 

It doesn’t matter which Atlantic teams take on each other in the first and second rounds of this year’s playoffs. The Panthers, Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning could wind up in the top spot in the Atlantic, which sets up a showdown against one another or the improved Senators. That sets the stage for extremely physical battles.

It’s not the same in the Metropolitan Division. The New York Rangers sit fifth in hits per 60 minutes (24.79), but they’re currently not in a playoff spot, and the 10th-highest hitters, the New Jersey Devils, are already dealing with injuries to important players. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals are below average in hits per 60 minutes.

The Vancouver Canucks are the only Pacific Division team among the league’s most frequent bodycheckers, but even they might not make the post-season. The most frequent hitters in the Pacific that are in a playoff spot right now are the 14th-place Calgary Flames.

The Central Division, meanwhile, could have some long series and extremely competitive matchups, even if only the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues – two clubs outside a playoff spot at the moment – are among the NHL’s top 10 hitters.

At least one of the Central-leading Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche will be sorely disappointed after the opening round. The Jets have led the NHL for most of the season, and the Stars and Avalanche were big buyers at the trade deadline. Don’t expect any of those clubs to go home easily, and do expect some lengthy rounds that test durability to its fullest. But add extra bodychecks, and you’ll likely get what’s expected to happen in the Atlantic.

When you have the defending Cup-champion Panthers in the same division as the most recent back-to-back Cup champs, the Lightning – as well as a massively pressured Leafs team and an up-and-coming Senators squad – you have a division that will take a huge bite out of whoever makes it to the third round. It will be punishing hockey night after night until one team buckles under the strain.

Any Atlantic team that makes it to the Eastern final will pay a huge toll to get there. But their style of game will punish any team that gets in their way.

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In each of the last two New York Rangers' games, Matt Rempe has been the subject of questionable penalties. And the Rangers have every right to be upset about that.

The first came Tuesday night when Rempe was called for goalie interference, despite being pushed into Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck by defenseman Morgan Barron. The second came two nights later when an incidental collision between Rempe and Devin Shore of the Minnesota Wild resulted in an interference call.

What's worse, the Jets and Wild scored on the ensuing power plays in games the Rangers are absolutely desperate to win. Every goal, every point, every play matters at this point in the season.

But to suggest anyone has an axe to grind with Rempe and the Rangers is absurd. Fans in every market love to complain about how the league has it in for them, and it just isn't the case.

Today's video column has more.

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The Hockey News Big Show now looks toward the battle for the playoffs in the NHL and beyond with a new segment.

Every Friday, Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos share their top Stanley Cup contenders in order, defending why they made those choices. The list can change depending on weekly performances, and as we get closer to the playoffs, the clear front-runners will emerge.

NHL’s Top Cup Contenders One Week After The Trade Deadline by The Big Showundefined

Here’s everything Katie Gaus, Ryan and Michael discussed in this episode:

1:47: Ryan’s Cup contenders are in order: Florida, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Washington and Toronto. Why?

4:15: Michael’s Cup contenders are Florida, Dallas, Colorado, Toronto, Winnipeg, Tampa Bay, Edmonton and Winnipeg. He explains why.

6:47: Does last season's first-round exit by the Winnipeg Jets prevent Ryan and Michael from putting them higher up on the list?

8:27: How does Miro Heiskanen's injury affect the Dallas Stars’ placement? 

10:51: Which division's teams will be the most beat up by the conference finals?

14:42: Which current playoff team is in the most danger of falling down the standings down the stretch?

17:36: What team do you not want to face in the playoffs?

19:39: The Vegas Golden Knights signed Adin Hill to a six-year extension worth $6.25 million. Do we like it?

22:56: Defenseman Dougie Hamilton's regular season is over. Should the New Jersey Devils consider trying to move Hamilton in the off-season based on his injury history? Is it even possible with his cap hit?

26:46: Should Mikko Rantanen get the same "welcome back video tribute" moment other players who won the Cup got when they returned - or are things just too awkward for that now?

31:06: Who will have a bigger playoff impact on their new team: Charlie Coyle or Brad Marchand?

32:41: The NHL is reportedly considering an 84-game schedule and a possible September start. Do we like or dislike this scenario?

34:26: What NHL team gets the harshest criticism from fans and media?

37:31: Utica Comets GM Dan MacKinnon traded his son, Will MacKinnon, to the Cleveland Monsters for future considerations. If you were a GM, would you do this to your son?

38:30: Have you ever gotten lost in any arena trying to get to the dressing room?

Watch the full episode here.

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

For some time, the effect of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews dominating from the minute they started their career skewed the expectations of other top picks entering the NHL. 

Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini met those high expectations and once again negatively affected the way fans view young players.

Youngsters such as Logan Cooley, William Eklund, Dylan Guenther and Wyatt Johnston have figured things out and found consistency, but the process isn’t always as fast for other players.

Although the opinions have been skewed, these five NHL players show that finding their games can take some time but is starting to pay off as the season progresses.

Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Krakentraded three veteran forwards at the trade deadline. Part of the reason they felt comfortable doing so is because of the emergence of Shane Wright. Playing in the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds last season, Wright gave the organization every reason to believe he was ready for the NHL. 

The season started poorly for the 21-year-old, struggling to produce and impact the game. As the struggles continued into mid-November, the Kraken decided healthy scratching Wright would allow him to view the game from a different perspective, helping him re-find his game. It did just that. 

Since then, Wright has scored 14 goals and 36 points in 45 games. His ice time has grown, and although the points have followed, his focus on the defensive side of the puck hasn’t wavered. 

The next step in Wright’s development is to search for more offensive plays, fire the puck on net more frequently and be more creative offensively.

Adam Fantilli, C, Columbus Blue Jackets

Adam Fantilli showed signs of breaking out in Columbus when playing as a second-line center, but the production wasn’t following.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, Fantilli has the size to be a force in the NHL. Since moving up to the first line, he’s proving to be a force.

Sean Monahan has been out since Jan. 7 after suffering a wrist injury, and since then, Fantilli has scored 12 goals and 23 points in 24 games.

The 20-year-old has recorded just two power-play goals and four power-play points. When the power-play numbers improve, it won’t be long before we see Fantilli scoring near a point-per-game pace across an entire season.

Surging NHL Sophomore Adam Fantilli Fuels The Blue Jackets' Playoff DriveThe Columbus Blue Jackets emerged in the NHL this season in more ways than one.

Quinton Byfield, C, Los Angeles Kings

Heading into the season, a consensus opinion was the 2024-25 season would be the breakout campaign for Quinton Byfield. It did not look that way from the get-go, not scoring in his first 13 games. On the season, the 22-year-old has recorded 15 goals and 38 points in 63 games, but lately, Byfield looks to have turned the corner with the Kings.

In his last 15 games, Byfield scored five goals and 16 points, including goals in five consecutive games. His recent offensive surge has him inching closer to the career highs he set last season. Averaging over two more minutes of ice time than he previously was, Byfield is being handed the opportunity to produce more and looks to have found his game at the right time to do so.

Will Smith, RW/C, San Jose Sharks

Playing on a young Sharks team, Will Smith’s transition into the NHL wasn’t smooth initially. He’s spent nearly the entire season playing as a right winger, although his natural position is as a center. During the season, the rookie averaged 15:05 ice time, but following the trade deadline, which saw multiple Sharks forwards exit the club, Smith saw an increase in ice time. The production tagged along.

The 19-year-old has registered five goals and 11 points in 10 games since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, including four multi-point games. 

Smith and Macklin Celebrini are the future of the franchise, and their rookie campaigns should give Sharks fans a lot to look forward to.

Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks

Cutter Gauthier surprised the hockey world when he demanded a trade out of Philadelphia. An outstanding player throughout his NCAA career with Boston College and at the world juniors, fans expected the 6-foot-2 left winger to transition into the NHL fairly easily. 

The expectations were unfair, but Gauthier showed he was ready for the NHL. The 21-year-old generates a ton of shots, but his finishing hasn’t translated from his junior career to the NHL. Gauthier has an 8.6-percent shooting percentage, scoring on just 12 of his 140 shots. Only three rookies have taken more shots on net than Gauthier. 

Gauthier has also seen an uptick in offensive production since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off. In 11 games, Gauthier has scored three goals and 10 points.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins were among the busiest teams at last week's NHL trade deadline.

In the 48 hours leading up to the March 7 deadline, they shipped out Michael Bunting to the Nashville Predators for Luke Schenn and Tommy Novak, flipped Schenn to the Winnipeg Jets, sent Vincent Desharnais to the San Jose Sharks, dealt Anthony Beauvillier to the Washington Capitals, traded Cody Glass to the New Jersey Devils and acquired Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported there was “heavy interest” in Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell. One of those clubs was the Edmonton Oilers. On March 8, TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported the Oilers looked into Rakell's availability.

Yohe indicated the Penguins set a high price for the 31-year-old Rakell. He believes GM Kyle Dubas didn't expect anyone to meet it, adding that they never really wanted to move him.

Erik Karlsson is another story. Yohe believes Dubas discussed moving the 34-year-old defenseman with several teams, suggesting that Karlsson's puck-moving skills could be valuable on a good team where his defensive flaws could be offset.

Yohe cited two NHL sources claiming Karlsson could be moved this summer if Dubas is willing to retain $3 million of his cap hit. The Penguins carry $10 million of his $11.5-million average annual value, with the Sharks holding the rest.

With the salary cap projected to rise to $95.5 million for next season, Dubas could try to find a club willing to take the entirety of Karlsson's cap hit off the Penguins' books. Nevertheless, teams will likely squeeze him to retain part of it.

Flyers Vs. Penguins: Who Will Be Cup Contenders Sooner?Remember when the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry was arguably the best in the NHL, matching hated cross-state rivals who were usually among the league’s elite?

Shifting our gaze to the New York Islanders, defenseman Noah Dobson surfaced in the rumor mill after it was reported he changed agents a couple of weeks before the trade deadline. However, Ethan Sears of the New York Post reported they weren't shopping Dobson, nor was the 25-year-old blueliner seeking a trade.

Dobson will become an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1. He indicated that the change of agents occurred well before the report emerged in the press.

Meanwhile, The Athletic's Arthur Staple reported the Islanders didn't float Jean-Gabriel Pageau's name in the trade market before the deadline. He anticipates Pageau and captain Anders Lee could be shopped in the off-season as management attempts to make the roster younger. He also speculated that Pierre Engvall and Scott Mayfield could be bought out in June.

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Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Birthday Backcheck features New York Rangers center J.T. Miller, who turns 32 years old on March 14.

Miller is in his second stint with the Rangers after the team drafted him 15th overall in 2011. During his first stint, he became the first Rangers player to have a multi-goal game in more than two decades. He then played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks before returning to New York.

 Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.    

Ottawa Senators fans bowed to goaltender Linus Ullmark after he pulled off a save-of-the-year candidate against his former team.

With the Senators leading the Boston Bruins 5-3 late in the second period, Ullmark’s diving catch led to a stellar third frame in net that helped extend the team’s win streak to five games in a tight battle for the playoffs.

“Oh my God, he’s such a stud,” Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven told reporters after the 6-3 win.

After Ottawa led 4-1 after the first period, the Bruins scored twice in the second period to reduce the deficit to two goals. Ullmark had a 0.786 save percentage up to that point in the game with 11 saves on 14 shots.

Boston controlled possession in the offensive zone with about 90 seconds to go in the middle frame. As newly acquired center Marat Khusnutdinov and defenseman Andrew Peeke passed the puck back and forth, blueliner Mason Lohrei found an open lane to the net on the far side of the ice.

Khusnutdinov turned toward the net, which led Ullmark to challenge him at the top right corner of the crease. But Khusnutdinov found Lohrei all alone with the setup for a one-timer.

Lohrei had a wide-open net to shoot at from the faceoff dot. Ullmark was nearly out of the crease when he saw the pass, and Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot could only stick out his stick and skate to try to block the chance.

As Lohrei connected with the puck, Ullmark pivoted to angle himself diagonally toward the left post and swung over. He stretched out his glove hand quickly enough to get in front of the biscuit right before it entered the crease.

By the time Ullmark completed the grab, he was almost standing on his head, his left leg sticking up over his body.

pic.twitter.com/cEDV51Vr6C

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 14, 2025

“I was laughing,” Ullmark told the media post-game, as reported by Graeme Nichols. “Sometimes I wonder, how did that happen?”

Ullmark stopped all eight shots after that as the Bruins outshot the Senators in the final 20 minutes. He even tried to score a goalie goal on the empty net but missed wide.

“He’s such a big part of this team, and he wins us a lot of games,” Kleven said. “I’m honestly not even surprised that that happened – I see it all the time. He’s an awesome guy off the ice and an even better teammate on the ice.”

It wasn’t a perfect game for the 31-year-old Ullmark, who finished with a .880 save percentage and minus-1.24 goals saved above expected, but the game’s second star beat the team that traded him last June for the second time this season.

His former tandem-mate, meanwhile, only lasted one period in net on Thursday.

Jeremy Swayman allowed four goals on 15 shots for a .733 SP as Shane Pinto, Kleven, Drake Batherson and Ridly Greig got on the board. Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco pulled him in favor of Joonas Korpisalo, who went the other way in the Ullmark trade with Ottawa. Korpisalo stopped 14 of 15 shots to keep his team in the game, but it wasn’t enough for the Bruins to complete the comeback.

The Bruins still sit two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild-card spot, while the Senators are now five points ahead of Columbus for the first wild-card place.

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It was only last year that Vancouver Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet was on top of the coaching world. 

He led the Canucks to the top spot in the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record. The NHL recognized Tocchet for his success, winning the Jack Adams Award as the coach of the year.

Things are notably different for Tocchet's team this season. 

The Canucks fell to fifth place in the Pacific, and they’re behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference. 

That makes Tocchet’s future a little hazier than expected heading into the campaign. 

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported in January that the Canucks have a team option to keep Tocchet for one more season, but the coach reportedly has the right to decide whether or not he would sign. Injuries have been a factor in the team’s drop in the standings this season, but there have also been a fair share of distractions, including the rift between J.T. Miller and center Elias Pettersson and Pettersson’s drop in production this season leading to more trade rumors.

On Sportsnet 590, Canucks journalist Rick Dhaliwal pointed out there’s no extension in place for Tocchet down to the homestretch of the season, even though he's the reigning coach of the year.

“I know the media’s getting to Tocchet, because he made a couple of comments in the last two games that tells you the media’s getting to him,” Dhaliwal said.

“It’s been a really trying year,” he added. “He’s had to babysit Miller, Pettersson, the feud. Media’s all over him now. If this team doesn’t make the playoffs, what’s going to happen then? But he’s got a decision to make, Rick Tocchet.”

Another factor that could decide Tocchet’s future is that his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, could be looking for a new coach if they decide to move on from longtime bench boss Mike Sullivan. The Penguins have been committed to Sullivan since 2015 and gave him a vote of confidence early this season. His job on Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off also shows why Pittsburgh values him so much.

But Pittsburgh’s inability to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for likely three-straight years could put Sullivan’s job in jeopardy.

If the Penguins do part ways with Sullivan, Tocchet would be an excellent fit with the Pens. Tocchet won a Cup as a player with Pittsburgh in 1992 and as an assistant coach in 2016 and 2017, so he’s very familiar with the organization. As good a coach Sullivan has been for Pittsburgh, changing things up could spark the club. Tocchet could give the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson a real bump, the same way he did for Canucks players last season.

The Penguins clearly would still want an experienced hand as they try to retool on the fly, and that describes Tocchet to a ‘T.’ That said, there are no guarantees the Penguins would pursue Tocchet or that the Canucks would even make him available.

Vancouver still has time to keep Tocchet around. Despite being caught battling for a wild-card spot instead of first place in the Pacific Divsion, the Canucks’ power-play percentage under Tocchet is still about as good as last season, and their penalty-kill rate is slightly better, at 82.1 percent compared to 79.1 percent in 2023-24. But with Demko’s injury issues, the team’s goals against per game increased from 2.70 last season to 3.03. The goals-for per game also fell from 3.40 to 2.71.

It’s tough to overly fault Tocchet for his team’s struggles, but the closer we get to the off-season with no extension, the more talk there will be about his future. The NHL’s coaching carousel spins fast these years, after all, with teams having less patience than usual for their bench bosses. 

The Canucks might be squandering the improvement Tocchet created in Vancouver if they don’t bring him back, whether it’s their choice or the coach’s. Either way, the Penguins may want to stay tuned to his situation.

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The Detroit Red Wings desperately needs the type of scoring they had against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday night.

Detroit beat the Sabres 7-3, with Patrick Kane recording two goals and five points and Alex DeBrincat getting a goal and four points.

The win ended a six-game losing streak that caused them to flail in the standings – they’re now sixth in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the race for two wild-card spots. But the Red Wings scored more goals on Wednesday than in their previous four games combined.

This team was imploding because it couldn’t score. The Red Wings scored only 11 times during the six-game skid, and they’re now 18th in the NHL with 2.86 goals-for per game. 

“We still got to figure out how to score some goals,” Detroit winger Alex DeBrincat told reporters after the Red Wings’ loss on Monday – a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. 

The Wings seemed to “figure out” how to score some goals on Wednesday. It came at a good time because the lack of offense was starting to look like a condemnation of where Detroit is as a team. That came after Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman looked at his roster at last week’s trade deadline and decided to acquire only a bottom-six forward in Craig Smith and a subpar goaltender in Petr Mrazek despite having the cap space for a bigger move.

For a while after the Red Wings changed coaches after Christmas, they looked like they’d finally turned the corner as a team and were on pace to make the playoffs. But they’ve gone 2-7-1 in their last 10 games, essentially squandering all their gains leading up to that point. Not only did their offense drop, but their goals against increased by more than a goal per game between the beginning of Todd McLellan’s time as Wings coach and Feb. 8 onward.

NHL Trade Deadline 2025: The Five Biggest LosersNow that the NHL’s trade deadline has come and gone, it’s as good a time as any to examine the deals that were made – and the ones that weren’t – and identify winners and losers at the deadline. We might have a different list of winners and losers months and years from now, but we’re still going to take some time and do our best to point out winners and losers at the moment, 

There are encouraging signs from Wednesday’s game that suggest the Red Wings could recover from the two-point deficit and retake a wild-card spot. Marco Kasper got three points after going six outings without a point, and five players had multi-point nights.

But they faced the Sabres, which have allowed the third-most goals against per game in the league and sit last in the Eastern Conference by six points. The Sabres have conceded four or more goals seven times in their last eight games. 

The real challenge is whether Detroit can carry that momentum into games against the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals, which all sit in the top 10 for fewest goals against per game. The Red Wings don’t have Buffalo to beat up every night, and they still have the most difficult schedule in the league in their remaining 17 games, according to tankathon.com.

The Wings will have a tough time to make up for their slump, even though Wednesday was a good start. If they figured out how to score goals for good this time – and how to shut the door a bit more on defense – then ending their lengthy playoff drought looks far more probable. But if they fail again, the responsibility will fall at the feet of Yzerman. 

Detroit must now prove whether they’re a playoff team or whether they’re a flawed group that desperately needed an infusion of talent by the deadline. They didn’t get it, and they could end up paying the price for it.

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