2024 NHL Playoff Future Bet: Teams That Won’t Make the Postseason

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Wednesday night will be the last of the NHL regular season action for a few days, as we will be heading into the All-Star Game this weekend. One thing that is always fun to do is look at the standing now and compare them with the standings at the end of the season. The second half of the season always seems to have a way of separating the contenders from the pretenders. Teams will make moves at the deadline that will change things dramatically, while others will see their form drift off as the season progresses. In short, the teams that are currently in playoff spots now might not be there once the regular season comes to a close. With that in mind, let’s look at a few teams currently sitting above or close to the playoff line who might well miss out on the postseason. Let’s get right to it so you can plan your bets against the NHL Playoffs odds.

Teams That Will Not Make the Playoffs | NHL Betting

Eastern Conference

As it stands at the moment, the top 3 teams in the Atlantic Division – Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs – look to be a playoff lock. Things are a good deal tighter in the Metropolitan Division, with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers occupying the top 3 spots. It is that division where things could quickly change in the second half of the season.

There is a bit of a gap between the top 8 teams and the chasing pack, but there are also teams below the playoff line who have games in hand to the teams ahead of them. The one team that stands out here is the New York Islanders, who have played 8 fewer games than the team in the #7 spot, the Washington Capitals. While it is always better to have the points in the bag, the Islanders can make things very interesting in the second half. The Capitals are slumping right now and could well be caught coming down the stretch.

Western Conference

Things are not quite as clear cut here as they are in the Eastern Conference. The Colorado Avalanche are the cream of the crop in the West, as well as being the favorites to win it all. Given where they are at now in comparison to the teams below them, they would need a total collapse to miss out. Things are particularly tricky in the Pacific Division, which is where we are most likely to see the biggest changes.

The Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers both have a ton of games in hand and are likely to move up once they make those games up. That should make life very uncomfortable for the LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. I think at least one of those two teams will miss out on the postseason. In the Central Division, I don’t see much in the way of change. The Avalanche will win the division, with the Wild, Blues, and Predators also likely to get in. The Dallas Stars seem the most likely to upset the apple cart and make a run, but I honestly don’t see it happening.

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The Dallas Stars are battling for a playoff spot and need all the help they can get. The team placed right wing Alexander Radulov on injured reserve last week with an upper-body injury, but because the move was retroactive a few days it’s possible Radulov could return on Tuesday. Radulov, 33, has 15 goals and 16 assists in 52 games this season. Here’s a look at two intriguing matchups around the NHL this week. Check back for NHL Betting odds to win.

NHL Betting Picks of the Week – February 17th Edition

Toronto at Pittsburgh

• When: Tuesday, 7 PM ET (NBC Sports Network)

The Leafs are off a 5-2 loss in Buffalo on Sunday in the second of a back-to-back. Frederik Andersen allowed five goals on 36 shots in the defeat. The Leafs’ play was uninspiring all night long, which was most evident during a minute and a half span in the third period which saw the score go from a 2-2 tie to a 5-2 deficit for the Leafs. Andersen now owns a 24-11-6 record with a 2.93 goals-against average and .908 save percentage during the 2019-20 campaign. Egor Korshkov scored his first goal in his NHL debut. He was just called up from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

Pittsburgh won its second in a row Sunday, 5-1 over Detroit. Sidney Crosby notched one goal and one assist. Crosby set up a power-play goal by Kris Letang, which gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead, and he scored his 11th goal of the season during the second period. He has two goals and five assists during a four-game point streak. Patric Hornqvist had two goals and one assist. Hornqvist has 14 goals and 26 points in 40 games this season.

These teams have met only once thus far, a 6-1 Penguins win on Nov. 16. Dominik Kahun scored two goals and matched a career-high with three points, and 10 Penguins recorded points in the win. Bryan Rust also had a three-point game, with a short-handed goal and two assists. Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist. Malkin recorded his 18th multi-point game against the Maple Leafs. In 38 games against Toronto, he has 22 goals and 64 points.

Sidney Crosby was out injured. Tristan Jarry made 32 saves for Pittsburgh. The Penguins have won 10 of their last 14 home games against Toronto. Jason Spezza scored for Toronto. Kasimir Kaskisuo stopped 31 shots for Toronto in his NHL debut.

Boston at Edmonton

• When: Wednesday, 8:30 PM ET (RSN)

Possible Stanley Cup Finals preview, although the Oilers will be missing the best all-around player in hockey for this matchup and for a while longer.

That’s Connor McDavid. He’s out with a left quad injury. McDavid was placed on the injured list retroactive to Feb. 9 last week. He was originally projected to miss two-to-three weeks. The Edmonton captain has amassed 30 goals and 81 points in 55 games this season. There is some talk he could be back this week but it won’t be by Wednesday.

Even with McDavid sidelined, Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl continues to play at an MVP level. Draisaitl bagged three points Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes, giving him 10 in four games with McDavid sidelined and extending his lead in the league scoring race. Draisaitl now has 95 points (34 goals, 61 assists) on the season – 13 points clear of the pack.

Boston enters having won three in a row following a 3-1 victory at the Rangers on Sunday. Brad Marchand picked up an assist the win. Marchand has produced five assists during a three-game point streak. Marchand has registered at least 51 assists for three straight seasons. He has also chipped in 23 goals over 60 games this season to give him 74 points.

With Tampa Bay – winners of 10 straight – hot on their heels, the Bruins have put together a fine streak of their own with nine wins in 10 games since returning from the bye week. The Bruins sit 3 points ahead of the Lightning for first place in the NHL.

These teams met on Jan. 4 in Boston and the Oilers prevailed 4-1. Darnell Nurse and Gaetan Haas each had a second-period goal off poor Boston plays, and McDavid added an insurance score in the third. Leon Draisaitl added an empty-net goal. Nurse’s goal with 6.3 seconds left in the second gave the Oilers a 2-1 edge. Mike Smith made 35 saves. David Pastrnak scored for Boston and Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves.

NHL Betting Expert Picks for the Week

Back Penguins and Bruins.

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One of Montreal’s best players, defenseman Shea Weber, is still dealing with a lower-body injury and will miss at least the first few games this week if not all of it. Weber, 34, had represented the team at the All-Star Game and had won the hardest shot competition for the third time. He has 13 goals and 21 assists this season. Here’s a look at two early-week matchups around the NHL this week. Let’s see how the NHL betting odds will be for the picks of the week.

Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – February 10th Edition

Chicago vs Edmonton

• When: Tuesday, 9:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
• Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

When: Tuesday, 9 PM ET (ESPN+)

Two of the best offensive players in the NHL will face off here in Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, both former Hart Trophy winners. Kane earned his 42nd assist of the year in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to Winnipeg.
Kane set up a goal by Brandon Saad, which gave Chicago a 2-0 lead in the first period. He has been held off the scoresheet just one time in the last 15 games, while amassing five goals and 15 assists during that stretch. He has 25 goals and 67 points in 55 contests this year.

Hawks captain Jonathan Toews recorded his 800th career point on Sunday. Toews picked up an assist on a goal by Dominik Kubalik just 15 seconds into the first period against Winnipeg to reach the milestone in his 928th game. He joins a list that includes Claude Giroux, Nicklas Backstrom and Phil Kessel as players selected in the 2006 NHL Draft with 800 points. Toews has 14 goals and 45 points in 55 matches this year. James Neal (foot) could return to the Edmonton lineup Tuesday, according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet.

Oilers winger James Neal is likely to return to the lineup Tuesday. The Oilers sent Tyler Benson down to the minors on Monday. They brought him up on Jan. 30, one day after Neal suffered his foot injury. Neal has 19 goals and 29 points in 50 games this season but has not scored in the New Year.

McDavid suffered a bruise on his left knee Saturday night but the injury was not enough to keep him off the ice in the third after he went into the end boards in the second period. "Just a bruise on top of the (left) knee," said coach Dave Tippett. "They looked at it between periods and he iced it and I asked him how he was doing. He said ‘I’m fine to play.’ That’s the last I heard from him. You get a bruise on the knee especially with him there’s extra precautionary stuff. Far as I know it’s nothing serious. They wanted to ice it after the game again." Thus, he should play.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers have played once this season, with Edmonton losing 3-1 in Chicago on Oct. 14. Kane had a goal in that one. Corey Crawford lost his shutout bid when Neal scored on a power-play with 2:11 remaining. McDavid was kept off the scoresheet. Mike Smith finished with 32 saves for Edmonton.

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Columbus vs Buffalo

• When: Thursday, 7:00 PM ET (RSNE)
• Where: First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New Yor

Terrible news for Columbus Blue Jackets as the team has lost top defenseman Seth Jones indefinitely to an ankle injury. The team placed Jones on injured reserve Monday morning with the injury suffered in the first period of Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.
There is no timetable for Jones’ return. He’s arguably their most irreplaceable player and a team leader on a club in the thick of a playoff race with 26 games left to play.

Jones was slow to get back on his skates after crashing into the side of Colorado’s net with 8:39 remaining in the first period Saturday. He played the rest of the game and scored the Jackets’ only goal on a power play in the second period. After he shot the puck, he lifted his right leg in pain. He has six goals and 30 points in 56 games this season, while leading the team in average ice time per game (25:17).

To make matter worse, forward Cam Atkinson looked to re-injure his ankle on Saturday. He managed to finish the game, but he was in obvious pain. A timetable for his return is uncertain at this time. Columbus recalled defenseman Gabriel Carlsson from the AHL and center Liam Foudy from the OHL.

Columbus and Buffalo have split two meetings this season. They last played on Feb. 1 in Buffalo and the Sabres won 2-1 in overtime. Jack Eichel, who is having a career season, scored 36 seconds into OT. Once Buffalo’s Curtis Lazar won the opening faceoff, Eichel controlled the puck for much of the overtime and scored on a slow-developing end-to-end rush.

Working his way into the left circle of the Blue Jackets’ zone, Eichel reversed and went across the top. Using Jones as a screen, he snapped a shot from the right circle, beating rookie Matiss Kivlenieks inside the far post.

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Bet Oilers and Sabres