NHL Playoff Standings 2024: Predicting Which Teams Will Fall Short of Postseason

The 2023-24 NHL season has been as competitive as ever, with a handful of teams competing for the final playoff spot in the Eastern and Western Conferences.

The reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights are one such team, their hopes and dreams of running back reliant upon their ability to keep winning and not allow any of the teams hot on their heels to overcome them for the eighth seed in the west.

Will the Knights overcome obstacles in their path to a repeat or will they be one of the teams likely to miss out on the opportunity to play for the cup?

Find out with this look at the current standings in each conference, and the two teams who could find themselves shut out of the postseason.

Eastern Conference Standings

Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 23: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers celebrates after a 4-3 shootout win against the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)

1. New York Rangers (47-20-4; 98 points)
2. Boston Bruins (41-16-15; 97 points)
3. Florida Panthers (45-20-5; 95 points)
4. Carolina Hurricanes (44-20-7; 95 points)
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (40-20-9; 89 points)
6. Tampa Bay Lightning (38-25-7; 83 points)
7. Philadelphia Flyers (36-26-9; 81 points)
8. Washington Capitals (35-26-9; 79 points)
9. Detroit Red Wings (36-29-6; 78 points)
10. New York Islanders (30-25-15; 75 points)
11. New Jersey Devils (34-33-4; 72 points)
12. Buffalo Sabres (33-33-5; 71 points)
13. Pittsburgh Penguins (30-30-10; 70 points)
14. Ottawa Senators (29-36-4; 62 points)
15. Montreal Canadiens (25-32-12; 62 points)
16. Columbus Blue Jackets (23-36-12; 58 points)

Western Conference

Derek Cain/Getty Images

VANCOUVER, CANADA - MARCH 23: Nils Hoglander #21 of the Vancouver Canucks is congratulated after scoring a goal during the second period of their NHL game against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena on March 23, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

1. Vancouver Canucks (45-18-8; 98 points)
2. Colorado Avalanche (46-20-5; 97 points)
3. Dallas Stars (43-19-9; 95 points)
4. Winnipeg Jets (44-22-5; 93 points)
5. Edmonton Oilers (42-22-4; 88 points)
6. Nashville Predators (42-25-4; 88 points)
7. Los Angeles Kings (37-22-11; 85 points)
8. Vegas Golden Knights (38-25-7; 83 points)
9. St. Louis Blues (38-30-3; 79 points)
10. Minnesota Wild (34-28-9; 77 points)
11. Calgary Flames (33-31-5; 71 points)
12. Seattle Kraken (28-28-13; 69 points)
13. Arizona Coyotes (29-36-5; points)
14. Anaheim Ducks (24-43-3; 51 points)
15. Chicago Blackhawks (20-46-5; 45 points)
16. San Jose Sharks (16-46-8; 40 points) 

New Jersey Devils

Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 21: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) chats with New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (43) during a game between the Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils on March 21, 2024 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A year ago, the Devils stunned the New York Rangers, beating them in the opening round of the playoffs and seemingly planting the seeds for a bright future in the Garden State.

Fast-forward a year and the team is just barely clinging to their playoff hopes.

It has been a disappointing season in New Jersey, thanks to injuries suffered by key players and sub-par net play from the team's goaltenders, both of which cost head coach Lindy Ruff his job.

Starting goalies Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid have allowed three or more goals per game. Vanecek, in 32 games played, has given up 95. Those are not great numbers by any stretch of the imagination and can be traced as the reason for the Devils' frustrating 2023-24 season.

That the team has remained in contention for a postseason spot is still impressive. Unless the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals slip up and start losing games, and the Devils can manage to make up some ground while avoiding defeats, the likelihood that last year's most intriguing playoff team can get back there is low.

St. Louis Blues

Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

SAINT PAUL, MN - MARCH 23: St. Louis Blues center Jordan Kyrou (25) shoots the puck during the third period of an NHL game between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild on March 23, 2024, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A loaded Western Conference and the Blues' lackluster powerplay scoring could keep the team out of the playoffs this year.

The Blues have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games and have managed to avoid long losing streaks, which has helped keep them in the hunt. They are four points off of the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, which is not impossible ground to make up.

They have the players and coaching to not only make the postseason but also to be a threat.

The logjam of teams that are also good enough to get there, if not better, will ultimately prove to be too much.

The Golden Knights are a team that has not been nearly as good as they were a season ago and could still manage to falter, but they have also won two straight and have enough experience to sneak in.

Should the Blues miss this year's playoffs, it will be the first time since 2008 that the squad fails to play in the postseason in consecutive seasons, a tribute to the organization and its players.