The 2024/25 NHL campaign is well underway, and several teams are already flexing their muscles in a bid to secure the Stanley Cup. The Winnipeg Jets are one of those teams. They started the campaign in blistering fashion, winning a record-breaking 15 of their first 16 games to throw their name into title contention. Since then, they have slipped to 22-9-1, but with the likes of Adam Lowry in their ranks, they certainly have hopes of making a splash once the postseason gets underway next year,
The Florida Panthers however remain the team to beat. They have reached the championship finals in each of the last two seasons, losing the first as a wildcard to the Vegas Golden Knights before winning the second last season against Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers. This term, they have started similarly well, racking up 18 wins, prompting online bookmakers such as those listed at https://www.oddschecker.com/us/hockey/nhl to have them as a +850 contender to retain their title this season.
But while those two harbor genuine title ambitions, some teams would just be happy to make it to the postseason. Several of the league’s key players are currently amid gut-wrenching playoff droughts, and here are the three longest of them.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres hold the longest active playoff drought in not just the NHL but in the franchise’s entire history. Their last postseason appearance was back in the 2010-11 season when they lost in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers, and you have to go back a further four years for their last series win. Since then, the New York State outfit has floundered through failed rebuilds, often marred by inconsistent rosters and injuries to key players.
Last term, Buffalo’s struggles persisted. Finishing 6th in the Atlantic Division with an 84-point campaign, they once again fell short of the postseason. Despite some bright spots, the team struggled defensively and ultimately finished seven points behind the Washington Capitals in the final wildcard spot.
However, the 2024/25 season offers a glimmer of hope. Lindy Ruff – the franchise’s most successful coach – has returned to lead the team. Ruff is the last coach to take the Sabres to the playoffs, and his focus on reigniting Buffalo’s offensive identity provides cause for cautious optimism. Young stars such as Sweden captain Rasmus Dahlin and defenseman Owen Power have the potential to excel under the veteran Ruff’s player-friendly system but they are already some five wins off the pace in the race for the playoffs, and a strong showing in the New Year is crucial to their hopes.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings are a team that has become synonymous with success. Between 1990 and 2016, they reached the playoffs every season, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals on six occasions, winning four of them. However, since a first-round exit at the back end of that streak at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, they ushered in an era of rebuilding at one of hockey’s most storied franchises, and they haven’t returned to the promised land since.
Detroit came tantalizingly close to breaking their drought in 2023/24, finishing 5th in the Atlantic Division. Their 91-point season was just shy of earning them a playoff berth, as they lost a tiebreaker to the Washington Capitals. Much of their success was driven by players like Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, but defensive struggles and inconsistent goaltending proved costly down the stretch. The addition of superstar Patrick Kane also revitalized the team, and his overtime winner on his return to the Chicago Blackhawks was probably the highlight of the season.
This term, further changes have been made. Veterans like Cam Talbot between the pipes and Vladimir Tarasenko on the wing aim to inject leadership and critical experience into a team that has plenty of young talent. Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider already look to be a formidable blue-line pairing with their best years ahead of them, but whether they can mature to end the team’s barren spell this NHL season or whether that will be too soon for them remains to be seen.
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