NHL Teams Most in Need of the 2016 All-Star Break
John Scott, All-Star captain.
It's a bizarre world in the NHL these days, and the circus that is the All-Star extravaganza begins this week.
The break begins after Wednesday's schedule, and while fans may not necessarily all be looking forward to the continually morphing event—a three-on-three pond-hockey tournament this year—you can bet there are some teams especially in need of the distraction.
Some are performing poorly; others are dealing with key injuries and some seem to be doing just fine but could surely use the rest.
Click ahead to see the NHL teams most in need of the break.
Buffalo Sabres
1 of 8
What they've done so far: The rebuilding Buffalo Sabres are the second-worst team in the league with 19 wins and 42 points in 49 games following another loss Monday night. Their goal differential of minus-27 is second only to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Why they need the break: Heading into their last game before the All-Star break, the Sabres dropped three straight contests and six of their last 10. But that's not unusual for the team this year. They've had four skids of three or more losses and have gone as high as six.
The break won't help a team as deprived of talent as the Sabres, but a positive experience for the team's leader and lone All-Star Ryan O'Reilly should help him stomach the rest of the season and perhaps set the tone for what to strive for as an individual. Maybe it will be contagious.
Edmonton Oilers
2 of 8
What they've done so far: The Edmonton Oilers are among the very worst teams in the NHL. They sit dead last in the Western Conference with a 19-26-5 record through 50 games and have a league-low six victories on the road all season.
Why they need the break: In need of change, the All-Star break will give Oilers' management the opportunity to try and make the kind of trade that could spark them to a brighter second half of the season—or at least set them up for a better year in 2016-17.
In the meantime, it will be nice to have superstar rookie Connor McDavid rested and fully healthy after a broken collarbone, and the break comes at the perfect time to prolong his recovery a few more days.
Pittsburgh Penguins
3 of 8
What they've done so far: Through 47 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a 23-17-7 record. Although it seems decent on paper, they're still a couple of points shy of a wild-card spot.
Why they need the break: Sidney Crosby hasn't had the greatest of seasons but will enjoy the All-Star break as an outsider, free of the fanfare and duties. Nobody will be talking about his terrible start to the season or his spectacular turnaround. Instead, he will likely head somewhere warm to relax.
Having a healthy and rested Crosby for the second half of the season is key. The Penguins have injuries to other important forwards Beau Bennett and Chris Kunitz as well, per the team's official Twitter feed.
Montreal Canadiens
4 of 8
What they've done so far: The Montreal Canadiens have played 48 games and have a 24-20-4 record, which currently has them a few points shy of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.
Why they need the break: For one, they need to limit the number of games they play without the services of superstar goaltender Carey Price from now until the end of the season.
The break will offer some respite for the team that has been nowhere near the record-setting squad that started the season 9-0 with Price between the pipes.
The 28-year-old Hart Trophy holder was supposed to be out for six weeks but has since been ruled out for longer. The team has taken a nosedive in the standings since.
Dallas Stars
5 of 8
What they've done so far: With the third-best record in the NHL so far, the Dallas Stars sit second in the Central Division and Western Conference.
They have 31 wins and a plus-29 goal differential that is bettered only by the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks. The Stars have also scored more goals than any other group in the league with 158.
Why they need the break: The team didn't have a great month of January. Although they won their last game before the break, they've gone 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and are 3-6-2 for all of this month.
Superstar sniper Tyler Seguin has gone four games in a row without a point and has been blanked in nine of his past 11 games.
Some three-on-three pond hockey might get Seguin sparked up again during the All-Star tournament on the weekend.
St. Louis Blues
6 of 8
What they've done so far: The St. Louis Blues are third in the competitive Central Division in the Western Conference and well ahead of the wild-card pace with 28 wins and 64 points in 52 games.
They are top 10 in goals against and have a top-four penalty kill but still fare well enough offensively with
Why they need the break: At first glance, things seem just fine. But only one team will have played more games than the Blues when the break officially begins. And none have played as many in the final 76 days (38 games) leading in. By comparison, in the Blues' last 76 days on the schedule, they will play just 30 times.
Although 30-year-old backup goalie Brian Elliott has fared well with starter Jake Allen out with injury—even earning third star honors for the week prior to the break—fatigue or injury would be devastating at the position. The team is ready for rest and a chance to refocus for the second half.
Tampa Bay Lightning
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What they've done so far: The defending Eastern Conference champ has had a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover but has been climbing the standings recently.
The Tampa Bay Lightning sit within striking distance of an Atlantic Division playoff berth, currently holding down a wild-card spot with 56 points through 48 games.
Why they need the break: Although the Bolts have some momentum with eight wins in 10 games in January with one to play before the break, the team has a couple of pressing issues off the ice that will get some dedicated time from general manager Steve Yzerman.
It's hard to say what's more important, the contract negotiations for captain and pending UFA Steven Stamkos or arranging a new home for the disgruntled Jonathan Drouin.
Winnipeg Jets
8 of 8
What they've done so far: After making the playoffs last spring, the Winnipeg Jets have failed to get into a position to make another push for the postseason this year so far. They have a 21-24-3 record through 48 games with one to play before the break.
Why they need the break: Prior to their pre-break finale, the Jets had gone completely cold, losing three straight and seven of their last nine games.
Part of the reason for their sour stretch may be the loss of two of their top three centers in January with Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault both shelved, per NHL.com. Adam Lowry was also lost to injury and the team needs to heal up.
With pending UFAs Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien needing new deals or potentially trades out of town, the break offers time for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to work on plan-B options with all 29 other teams' brass in Nashville.
All stats via NHL.com unless otherwise noted.
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