The Most Surprising Records in the 1st Half of the 2014-15 NHL Season

With the NHL schedule passing the halfway point and teams slowly cementing their spots as playoff favorites, there are plenty of surprises in the rank and file for those in the hunt for wild-card berths and others destined for a higher draft pick.

Two teams that missed the postseason last year are leading their divisions, and three more in playoff spots currently were left out of the last spring session. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a 2014 division champ precariously close to the conference cellar, and the team that ousted it in the first round is struggling just as badly at the moment.

There is plenty of time for change over the next few months, but as we take a look at the biggest surprises so far, we'll offer a prediction on what's to come as well.

Click ahead to see the picks.

All stats via NHL.com and Puckalytics.com.

Florida Panthers

Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

Where they are: 20-12-9 record, 49 points, ninth in Eastern Conference.

Where they projected: Near the bottom of the conference standings, and among the worst in the league following a draft lottery-worthy season a year ago that landed them the first overall pick last spring.

Where they'll finish: Eighth or ninth in the conference standings, just outside the wild-card race and in the middle of the pack for the coming NHL draft. The Panthers have enjoyed some pretty good goaltending by Roberto Luongo, a tremendous rookie season from 2014 top pick Aaron Ekblad and offensive support from a cast of young up-and-comers bolstered by quietly effective veterans.

Unfortunately, they've probably reached their peak this season without the kind of star power—barring an MVP second half by Luongo—the current top eight boast now that the Boston Bruins are back on track.

Minnesota Wild

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Where they are: 18-19-5 record, 41 points, last in the Central Division and 12th in the Western Conference.

Where they projected: Some, including Sportsnet's experts, thought the Wild would take another leap after winning the first round of the playoffs last year and join the Western Conference's elite. Or, at least, be in the conversation. They finished with 98 points a year ago, and cracking 100 was an easy assumption to make.

Where they'll finish: Free-agent signing Thomas Vanek hasn't panned out, center Mikael Granlund has failed to make the impact most anticipated and the goaltending from Darcy Kuemper has been extremely poor. Head coach Mike Yeo has a better chance of being fired this week than the Wild do of making the playoffs. New acquisition Devan Dubnyk, via Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press, isn't a savior; he's a stopgap.

Winnipeg Jets

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Where they are: 22-14-8 record, 52 points, fourth in the Central Division, top wild-card spot.

Where they projected: Last in the division and out of the playoff picture.

Where they'll finish: The Jets have been impressive under the guidance of head coach Paul Maurice, who is getting the most of an underrated but deep roster that has come together confidently with rookie goalie Michael Hutchinson taking on a top role for the team. Their division is arguably the toughest in the NHL this year, so any higher than seventh or eighth would be monumental—but they should qualify for the postseason.

Calgary Flames

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Where they are: 22-18-3 record, 47 points, fifth in Pacific Division and ninth in Western Conference.

Where they projected: In a race for the lottery pick for this spring's draft. The Flames are in rebuilding mode and are playing a lot of kids with little experience. They finished second to last in the conference and fourth worst in the NHL a year ago.

Where they'll finish: Before an eight-game losing streak just before Christmas, they were one of the conference's top teams over the first two months. That losing streak knocked them back in their playoff quest, but they're hanging around and could be in a pack of four teams vying for that final wild-card spot at season's end, finishing anywhere from eighth to 12th.

Boston Bruins

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Where they are: 23-15-6 record, 52 points, fourth in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference (wild-card spot).

Where they projected: After winning the Presidents' Trophy last year as the NHL's top team in the regular season, the Bruins were among many prognosticators' choices, including Grantland's Sean McIndoe, to come out atop the Eastern Conference once again.

Where they'll finish: The loss of sniper Jarome Iginla due to salary-cap reasons has impacted them more than anticipated, and an injury to towering defenseman Zdeno Chara earlier in the year led to a less-than-impressive start to the season for the Bruins. They're climbing now, though, with eight wins in their last 13 games and at least a point in 11 of those.

With good health, third place in the division is definitely possible. It's hard to imagine them missing the playoffs now.

Colorado Avalanche

Michael Martin/Getty Images

Where they are: 18-17-9 record, 45 points, sixth in the Central Division, 11th in the Western Conference.

Where they projected: Expectations were that the team would drop in the standings slightly given its awful possession numbers a year ago. A dip from division champs to one of the conference's worst is even more steep of a decline than most probably thought, however.

Where they'll finish: Their five-on-five Corsi-for percentage is even worse than last year's. Netminder Semyon Varlamov's save percentage is slightly lower. Sophomore Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog are all underperforming, with vets Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay leading in scoring. Still, the Avalanche could squeak into the playoffs if the Winnipeg Jets or Vancouver Canucks falter.

New York Islanders

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Where they are: 29-13-1 record, 59 points, first in Metropolitan Division, first in Eastern Conference.

Where they projected: The Islanders missed the playoffs with a 79-point season last year but made moves to improve with additions at every position, making a postseason berth a real possibility. Nobody was picking them as a division winner, however.

Where they'll finish: If their complementary offensive players continue to contribute and goaltender Jaroslav Halak can keep coming up with timely saves, the Islanders will battle the Pittsburgh Penguins for the division title and look to make a triumphant return to the playoffs as one of the top seeds.

Nashville Predators

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Where they are: 29-9-4 record, 62 points, first in Central Division, Western Conference and NHL.

Where they projected: Considering the Predators finished with 88 points and missed the playoffs a year ago and brought in a new coach for the first time in franchise history, few would have predicted anything more than perhaps a wild-card spot in a tough Western Conference.

Where they'll finish: Their first-half MVP, goaltender Pekka Rinne, is the biggest reason they've shattered expectations. With his health now in question after suffering a lower-body injury this week, via NHL.com's Robby Stanley, things could get interesting in Nashville. If he's out any length of time, the team could drop in the standings, but it isn't in danger of missing the playoffs.

Steve Macfarlane has covered the NHL for more than a decade, including seven seasons following the Flames for the Calgary Sun. Follow him on Twitter @macfarlaneHKY.