The Top Storylines to Watch in the Remainder of the 2014-15 NHL Season

There's just over two weeks remaining in this NHL season. With the playoffs fast approaching, several storylines are worth watching.

The playoff races are generating excitement, but there's also interest in which club could finish at the bottom of the standings. The NHL scoring race is heating up, while Rookie of the Year candidates are garnering attention. It's also possible the defending Stanley Cup champion could miss the postseason.

The following are the top storylines to watch over the remainder of this season.

10. Fading Hopes

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Last season, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks clinched playoff berths. A year later, these three Western Conference teams could finish outside the postseason picture.

As of March 25, the Stars, Avalanche and Sharks were still out of contention. With just over two weeks left in the season, these three clubs face long odds of reaching the playoffs.  

To have a chance, they'll have to win most of their remaining games. They'll also need the clubs ahead of them (Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild) to lose most of theirs.

9. Struggling Contenders

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The Nashville Predators and New York Islanders are close to clinching playoff berths this season. Both clubs sit among the top four teams in their conference standings.

In recent weeks, however, both teams were mired in slumps that affected their position in the standings. At one point, the Predators and Islanders were perched atop their respective conferences. As a result of their recent struggles, however, several rivals have overtaken them. 

It's unlikely the Predators or Islanders will fall out of contention, but their slumps come at a bad time in the season. They'll have to snap out of it soon if they hope to enter the playoffs on an upswing.

8. Canadian Teams Pushing for Contention

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Last season, the Montreal Canadiens were the only Canadian NHL team to qualify for the playoffs. While the Canadiens are once again a lock for the postseason, they could have some company this year from among their Canadian kin.

In the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are battling for second and third in the Pacific Division, respectively. The Winnipeg Jets hold the final wild-card spot in the Conference. In the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators rode the hot goaltending of Andrew Hammond to overtake the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card berth.

The Canucks, Flames, Jets and Senators still have work to do to make the playoffs. The fact they're in contention bodes well for the possibility of more than one Canadian franchise reaching the postseason. 

7. Race to the Bottom

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The NHL draft lottery will be held on April 18. Under the current system, the team with the worst record has a 20 percent chance of winning the first overall pick and an 80 percent chance of landing the second overall selection.

The Buffalo Sabres spent most of this season mired at the bottom of the league standings, but the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers are only a handful of points ahead of them. One of these three clubs could be in position to improve its odds of winning the draft lottery.

This year's top prospects include center Connor McDavid of the OHL's Erie Otters and Boston University center Jack Eichel. The NHL club that finishes at the bottom of the standings has a great opportunity to land a future superstar in McDavid or Eichel.

6. Battle for the Eastern Wild-Card Berth

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With the end of the NHL regular season in sight, the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers are jockeying for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

The once-mighty Bruins have struggled through injuries and inconsistency this season. Written off in early-February, the Senators surged in the standings on the strength of goaltender Andrew Hammond's phenomenal play. The plucky Panthers overcame losing goalie Roberto Luongo (shoulder injury) for several games to remain in the chase.

With a playoff berth on the line, these three clubs could face a thrilling fight to the finish. 

5. Calder Contenders

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As the schedule winds down, several NHL rookies are garnering interest as possible candidates to win the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.

As of March 25, Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau led all rookies with 57 points, with Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg second with 56. Ottawa Senators winger Mark Stone was third with 51 points, while teammate Mike Hoffman led all rookies in goals with 26. Florida's Aaron Ekblad and Dallas' John Klingberg rank as the top defensemen.

It's worth noting the top rookie scorer isn't a lock to win the Calder Trophy. Gaudreau, Forsberg and Ekblad have the highest profile, but all of these youngsters are worthwhile candidates.

4. Return of the King

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On March 26, the New York Rangers will welcome back starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The 33-year-old was sidelined since Feb. 2 with a vascular injury after being struck in the neck by a puck.

Losing an elite goalie like Lundqvist could have been a devastating blow to the Rangers. During the absence of King Henrik, however, they surged to the top of the Eastern Conference standings on the superb goaltending of backup Cam Talbot. 

Lundqvist returns in a backup role, but it's expected he'll be the starting goalie by playoff time. If the Blueshirts hope to return to the Stanley Cup Final, they need Lundqvist at his best. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to shake off the rust. 

3. Will Anyone Reach 90 Points?

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As of March 25, only seven of this season's leading scorers have at least 70 points. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, the New York Islanders' John Tavares and Philadelphia's Jakub Voracek are tied for the lead with 74 points, followed by Washington's Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, Dallas' Jame Benn and St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko.

Whoever wins this season's NHL scoring race will be the first player since 2003-04 to do so over a full schedule without reaching 100 points. It's also possible he'll be the first to win without reaching 90 points since the Chicago Blackhawks' Stan Mikita (87 points) did so in 1967-68.

With just over three weeks remaining in the regular-season schedule, one of these players must stage an impressive late surge to reach the 90-point mark.

2. Price Right for the Hart?

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The Hart Trophy is awarded annually to the player who is voted most valuable to his team by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. It usually goes to the top offensive player, but this season a goaltender could walk away with the honor.

Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price is enjoying a career-best performance this season. As of March 25, he tops the league in goals-against average (1.88), save percentage (.937) and wins (40), while his nine shutouts tie him for the league lead. Without Price's heroics, the offensively anemic Canadiens might be battling for a wild-card berth instead of jockeying for first in the Eastern Conference.

Price's performance should make him a lock to win the Vezina Trophy as this season's top netminder. His value to the Canadiens could make him the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy since former Hab Jose Theodore in 2002. 

1. Kings Could Be Dethroned

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The defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings face the real possibility of missing the playoffs this season. As of March 25, they were jockeying with the Calgary Flames for third in the Pacific Division, sitting just outside the final wild-card berth.

A tough schedule awaits the Kings over their final stretch of regular-season games. Among their opponents are the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks. They'll also face the Flames in their second-to-last game of the season. 

With every game now a must-win, the Kings have no room for error. If they falter, they could become the first defending Cup champion since the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006-07 to miss the playoffs. 

Team and player stats via NHL.com and Hockey-Reference.com.