Every NHL Team's Best-Case Scenario for Rest of 2025 Regular Season
With just around one month to go in the 2024-25 NHL regular season, the league’s 32 teams are into the stretch run. They all have different goals they are looking to accomplish during that time.
Some teams are trying to secure a playoff spot, or perhaps just playoff seeding.
Others are looking toward the future and hoping to get some individual improvements, player development or perhaps just some momentum to take them into next season.
There are also some big milestones that are getting close across the league.
Here, we will try to determine every team's best-case scenario for the remainder of the regular season.
Anaheim Ducks
1 of 32
Trevor Zegras gets hot
The Anaheim Ducks are not going to the playoffs, and that is not totally unexpected given where they were when the season began. This season was always about making progress and seeing young players develop.
When it comes to the latter point, there has been some progress as they are flirting with a .500 points percentage and on track for their best record by far since the 2017-18 season.
That is a small positive.
When it comes to individual development, things have been a little more hit and miss. There is still a good core of young talent in place—with more help on the way—and it is not hard to see better days ahead.
One player they would probably like to see more from, however, is Trevor Zegras.
For the second year in a row, the 23-year-old has missed a significant chunk of the season, and his production has plummeted when he has been on the ice. Entering play on Sunday, he had just 13 goals and 36 total points over 72 games since the start of the 2023-24 season.
Zegras can still be a big part of the Ducks' future, but they need more from him offensively. A strong finish could at least give some optimism going into next season.
Boston Bruins
2 of 32
Strong finish for Jeremy Swayman
This season has been a big step backward for the Bruins, and there are no shortage of issues. The team has big question marks at center and defense going into next season, and there is a new problem that has quietly emerged this year.
Starting goalie Jeremy Swayman has not been what they hoped he would be.
That is not to say the 26-year-old is the reason Boston is in the position it's in, but he hasn't really helped elevate the team the way goaltending did the past two seasons when he and Linus Ullmark shared the net.
The Bruins are paying Swayman like an elite goalie, and he has given them a sub-.900 save percentage.
Is it an outlier? Or is he struggling to adapt to having the net to himself? Either way, the Bruins need to see more consistency out of him.
Buffalo Sabres
3 of 32
Youth production
The Sabres' playoff drought is about to reach 14 consecutive seasons and they look well-positioned for another top-five pick in the draft.
None of this is acceptable any more, and it should require a passionate ownership and front office to take a long look in the mirror.
But until they can start making meaningful changes in the offseason, they still have to play out the remainder of the regular season.
Whether they win many games or not, Buffalo should just want to see the younger players who will be part of the team next season play well and finish strong.
Can J.J. Peterka get to 25 goals? Can the young defensemen (Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram) play well? How many goals can Jack Quinn and Zach Benson get?
Calgary Flames
4 of 32
Make the playoffs
It does not get any simpler than this.
Get in the playoffs. Nothing more. Nothing less.
When this season began, expectations for the Flames were as low as they have been in years as the team looked to be on the threshold of a major re-tooling. They spent the previous year jettisoning veteran players and expiring contracts, and they weren't viewed as a serious playoff threat.
With a month to go in the regular season, though, they are right in the mix of the Western Conference playoff race and have a legitimate shot at a wild-card spot.
Whether they do anything in the playoffs is irrelevant. Simply getting there would be a major surprise and a wildly successful season.
Carolina Hurricanes
5 of 32
Keep building momentum
The Hurricanes are one of the teams whose playoff spot seems to be pretty secure.
They are unlikely to catch the Washington Capitals for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, but they have quite a cushion over the third-place spot in the division. They seem locked in for the No. 2 spot and home-ice advantage in the first round.
So with that in mind the two biggest priorities are staying healthy and continuing to build momentum down the stretch run.
While the trade to acquire Mikko Rantanen looked like it might finally give them the superstar offensive talent they have lacked, the entire thing just seemed to be a massive distraction as the contract talks and rumors built.
As soon as they dealt the Finn to Dallas, something seemed to click and and they have been nearly unstoppable ever since.
Whether they have the high-end talent to win it all remains to be seen, but it's still one heck of a hockey team that is playing really well at the right time of the season.
Chicago Blackhawks
6 of 32
Strong play from Spencer Knight
The Blackhawks continued their rebuild this season and were able to unload most of Seth Jones' remaining contract.
Not only did they unload most of it, they also received a pretty intriguing return in goalie Spencer Knight and a first-round draft pick. Not bad for a deal that once looked completely unmovable.
Knight has made a strong first impression with the Blackhawks, owning a .928 save percentage in his first four appearances with the team.
The 23-year-old is young and talented enough to become a very good starting goalie in the NHL. And if he can give the Blackhawks a strong finish to the season, it might go a long way toward solving what has been a significant hole on their roster.
Colorado Avalanche
7 of 32
Secure home-ice advantage in first round
The Colorado Avalanche look like they are on track for a monster first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars, which is going to be tremendous theatre.
Not only are they two legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, but it would also involve Mikko Rantanen going up against the Avalanche in a best-of-seven series.
Both teams are capable of winning it all, and one of them could be done in the first round.
The best thing for the Avalanche to do is to try to secure home-ice advantage ahead of one of the toughest opening-round matchups in the league.
Columbus Blue Jackets
8 of 32
Young players getting big-game experience
The Blue Jackets have exceeded every possible expectation of them this season.
They seem to be ahead of schedule with their young players' development, and they are loaded with salary-cap space and trade assets going into the offseason. If they manage all of it correctly, they could take a big jump next season.
They are still very much in the wild-card race in the Eastern Conference and have a legitimate chance to take the second spot.
Whether they get it is secondary to the fact that their young players are getting a taste of big-time hockey and big-game environments. Such experience will benefit them in the long run no matter what happens over the next month.
Dallas Stars
9 of 32
Jake Oettinger getting hot
When healthy there might not be a better top-to-bottom roster in the NHL this season than the one the Dallas Stars have, especially after adding Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline.
However, the big X-factor is going to be starting goalie Jake Oettinger.
When the 26-year-old is on his game he can be a game-changer and would make an already loaded roster even scarier.
However, the Stars have not seen him at that level enough over the past two seasons with a .906 save percentage over that stretch. That is a decent number and slightly above average.
But Oettinger has shown more in his career, and with a first-round matchup looming against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas would be happy to see him get on a roll.
Since the start of February his save percentage has dipped under .900 in nine appearances.
Detroit Red Wings
10 of 32
Ending the playoff drought
The Red Wings still have plenty of flaws on their roster and some significant question marks. They are not particularly good defensively, their 5-on-5 play isn't strong and their turnaround has been almost entirely dependent on the power play.
But they are still in it. And playoff hockey is so close after eight consecutive years on the outside.
They are not close to contending for a Stanley Cup just yet, but you at least want to see postseason hockey just to get some confirmation things are progressing under the Yzerplan.
Edmonton Oilers
11 of 32
Get the depth figured out
With Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard, the Edmonton Oilers have three dominant players at the top of their lineup.
The issue, as always, is what happens behind them when they are not on the ice.
It has been an issue for most of their careers and is again this season. It has been especially tough over the past 10 games.
When neither McDavid or Draisaitl is on the ice during 5-on-5 play over their past 10 games, the Oilers have been outscored by an 11-3 margin and significantly outchanced. Add in some goaltending concerns, and Edmonton has some big concerns throughout its lineup beyond the top players.
That is not going to be good enough in the playoffs. Finding the right defensive pairings and forward combinations will be a huge key for their success. If they can't get those figured out, it is going to lead to a shorter-than-expected postseason and put even more pressure on management in the offseason.
Florida Panthers
12 of 32
Get the division locked up
The Panthers have been the most successful team in hockey since the start of the 2021-22 season and are again looking like they have a chance for a deep playoff run. Especially when they get fully healthy in the playoffs with Seth Jones and Brad Marchand added to the roster.
The important thing for them down the stretch run will be holding off the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs for top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Both teams enter play on Monday just four points back, with the Lightning making a surge after the trade deadline.
Getting the top spot would be a big goal as it would allow the Panthers to avoid a first-round matchup against either Tampa Bay or Toronto, and instead get a more favorable matchup against somebody like the Ottawa Senators.
That would also be fun to get a (Matthew) Tkachuk vs. (Brady) Tkachuk series.
Los Angeles Kings
13 of 32
Strong finish from Quinton Byfield
The Kings are staring at a first-round matchup with the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth year in a row.
They have the defensive play, the 5-on-5 structure and even found an upgrade in goal this season with Darcy Kuemper bouncing back with his fresh start and owning a .918 save percentage.
The key is going to be finding enough offense and finishing ability.
That is where Quinton Byfield comes in.
It has taken him a few years to start to come into his own, and after a slow start this season, he has been heating up since the start of February, averaging more than a point per game.
Byfield becoming a star-level forward would be a game-changer for the Kings and their Stanley Cup chances.
Minnesota Wild
14 of 32
Get healthy
The Wild are fighting it a little right now and have slid out of the top three in the Central Division down into a wild-card spot.
They are still safely in the playoffs, but injuries are slowing them down at the moment as Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson EK and Jonas Brodin are all sidelined.
The salary-cap restraints from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts have hurt their ability to build out their depth, and they do not have the space this season to have a safety net for major injuries.
If they get some of those top players back, and especially Kaprizov, they could have a fighting chance in the playoffs. But they need some of those players back.
Montreal Canadiens
15 of 32
Patrik Laine gets on a roll
The Montreal Canadiens have come out of nowhere to put themselves right into the thick of the Eastern Conference wild-card race, and they would occupy the second spot based on points percentage entering play on Monday.
They are one point back of the New York Rangers, but they have two important games in hand.
Their young players such as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson have been driving the bus for the Canadiens this season in terms of turning them into a playoff contender, but Patrik Laine was always going to be the difference-maker.
The 26-year-old has only played half of the season, but when he has been healthy he has made a big goal-scoring impact with 16 goals in 36 games. That is a 36-goal pace over 82 games.
And with four goals and eight total points in his past eight games, Laine might be starting to get hot at the right time.
Nashville Predators
16 of 32
Just show something
There has not been a bigger disappointment in the NHL this season than the Nashville Predators as they went from offseason champion and preseason Stanley Cup contender to one of the worst teams in the league.
The playoffs are not going to happen, and while they might like a lottery pick, it might be more important for the roster and management if they just show some pride and finish strong.
That might at least create some optimism that this was just a miserable season and that this roster is capable of more next season with a fresh start.
New Jersey Devils
17 of 32
Luke Hughes and Dawson Mercer take step forward
While goaltending took most of the blame for the Devils' disappointing 2023-24 season, injuries played an equally big role.
Those concerns are back again this season as star forward Jack Hughes is done for the year (and playoffs) while No. 1 defenseman Dougie Hamilton is also sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.
It's difficult to imagine the Devils going on a run without one of them, let alone both.
What would help would be if younger players like Luke Hughes and Dawson Mercer got on a roll and became impact players. The former has already shown flashes of being that player, while the latter has already shown he can be a 20-goal scorer. But is he capable of more? Now would be the time to see it.
New York Islanders
18 of 32
Noah Dobson rediscover his offense
This would be the ideal scenario for both Noah Dobson and the Islanders.
For the Isles, they simply need him to rediscover the scoring touch he had a year ago because he is one of their best players (and one of their most important players). He is also one of the few impact skaters the roster has.
From Dobson's perspective, he is playing for a new contract after this season as a restricted free agent. A big finish would help his case.
New York Rangers
19 of 32
Igor Shesterkin to take over
At this point in the season, the New York Rangers are not going to change who or what they are. They have established this style of play for several years now, and it is almost entirely dependent on Igor Shesterkin stealing games for them.
He has been good this season, but the Rangers need him to be great. The entire operation depends on him being great; not only for them to have a chance in the playoffs, but also for them to get there.
The defensive structure and 5-on-5 play isn't good or consistent enough to win without elite goaltending.
Ottawa Senators
20 of 32
Dylan Cozens breaks out
The Senators made one of the bigger moves at the trade deadline when they swapped Josh Norris for Dylan Cozens.
But the early returns have been promising for Ottawa as the 24-year-old has recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in his first five games with the team.
He has a lot of untapped potential, and it would be great for the Senators if he became the latest young player to leave the Sabres and excel elsewhere. It has happened quite a bit over the past few years, so it wouldn't be totally unheard of.
Ottawa is in the driver's seat for a wild-card spot and to end its playoff drought, and the top part of the lineup is very good. If Cozens can help add some additional secondary scoring punch, the Senators could be a tough out, especially with Linus Ullmark playing well in net.
Philadelphia Flyers
21 of 32
Matvei Michkov wins the Calder Trophy
The Flyers' rebuild is still a work in progress, but they do have one of the most important pieces already in place in Matvei Michkov, a potential franchise player.
While his rookie season has had some rough moments away from the puck, resulting in some occasional benchings from John Tortorella, he has still shown elite playmaking and offensive ability. He is going to be the face of the Flyers for the next decade.
Winning a Calder Trophy would be a nice bright spot in an otherwise tough season for the Flyers.
Pittsburgh Penguins
22 of 32
Sidney Crosby breaks the point-per-game record
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the early stages of a rebuild, so the playoffs aren't really an option this season. They are also unlikely to recall any of their top prospects as they have a chance to play meaningful games in the AHL this season. It would make more sense to give them a fresh start next season.
The biggest things the Penguins are hoping for down the stretch here are some personal goals.
Tristan Jarry playing well in goal and potentially boosting his trade value is one of them.
The more significant one revolves around captain Sidney Crosby, who is trying to record his 20th point-per-game season. If he does, that would break an NHL record he shares with Wayne Gretzky (19 point per game seasons).
It is a testament to both Crosby's dominance offensively and his consistency. Because he missed two games earlier this season, he only needs to get to 80 points for the record. He is eight points away as of Monday.
San Jose Sharks
23 of 32
Macklin Celebrini wins the Calder Trophy
Yes, this is the same best-case scenario as with the Flyers and Michkov, but these two teams are in similar situations.
Given the state of their rebuilds and records this season, individual development of young players is the name of the game.
Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, has met pretty much every expectation and arguably exceeded them. He is not only scoring at a top-line rate as a teenager, but he is also demonstrating an advanced all-around game and is a menace to try to win puck battles against.
He is the future.
Seattle Kraken
24 of 32
Strong finishes for young players
The Kraken are set to miss the playoffs for the third time in their first four years as they remain stuck in the league's middle ground. They are not terrible, but they aren't a contender. They just sort of...exist.
The best thing for the Kraken over the next month would be young players like Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Kaapo Kakko finishing strong.
Especially Beniers.
His development has kind of hit a plateau after a strong rookie season, and the Kraken would like to see more production from him.
Wright has taken a nice step forward this season, while Kakko has shown flashes of breaking out after coming over in a trade with the Rangers.
St. Louis Blues
25 of 32
Steal a wild-card spot
Around the halfway point of the season, the playoffs seemed nothing more than a fantasy for the Blues. But over the past few weeks, they have played themselves into the Western Conference wild-card race.
Now it's there for the taking.
The Blues made some extremely aggressive moves this season, from getting Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg in restricted free agency, to acting quickly to bring in Jim Montgomery as head coach.
They have worked extremely well as Holloway has been one of their best players, while they are 23-16-6 under Montgomery (after being 9-12-1 prior to him being hired).
Tampa Bay Lightning
26 of 32
Overtake Florida for top spot in Atlantic Division
The Lightning's top-tier players are still difference-makers.
Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jake Guentzel are all having huge seasons, and they have kept the team among the playoff teams.
The trade-deadline additions of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde might help put them back among the Stanley Cup contenders.
It has also put them within striking distance of Florida for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning trail the Panthers by four points, while still having one head-to-head game remaining.
Getting the top spot in the Atlantic Division would set them up with a much more favorable first-round matchup and could help them make a deep run for the first time since the 2022 postseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs
27 of 32
Get their top players scoring more
This is potentially a huge make-or-break season and postseason for the Maple Leafs core, and a deep playoff run is a must.
For that to happen they are going to need that core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander to come through.
As much focus as there always is on the Maple Leafs' defense and goaltending, it is usually their offense that holds them back in the playoffs.
Sometimes that is the result of their lack of scoring depth. Sometimes it is their stars not scoring. Sometimes it is both.
Right now, it's looking like both might be an issue.
Matthews has not waited for the playoffs to hit his scoring slump with just four goals in his past 17 games. That is way off his normal career pace, and they will not have a fun postseason experience if he does not start finding the back of the net more often.
Utah Hockey Club
28 of 32
Keep the fans interested
There are a lot of positives for the Utah Hockey Club this season, and it is not hard to see them being in a position to take a huge step forward next season.
They have a couple of rising stars at forward in Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther, an established top-line scorer in Clayton Keller, a strong defense and plenty of salary-cap space to work with this offseason.
They are also still very much in the playoff race with less than 20 games to play.
That is important, because the best way to build a fanbase is to give people a reason to care.
The two best ways to get people to care are being entertaining, and being competitive. The organization never really did either when it was in Arizona.
This could be the start of big things for Utah.
Vancouver Canucks
29 of 32
Elias Pettersson gets his confidence back
The Canucks have had a lot of issues this season, but none have been bigger than the regression from star center Elias Pettersson.
There was a huge rift between him and J.T. Miller before the latter was traded to the New York Rangers, while Pettersson also found himself the subject of trade rumors.
The 26-year-old's production has dropped dramatically, and he just looks like a different player than the one who was a 100-point scorer two years ago. At times, it looks like his confidence is gone.
Now Miller is gone and the locker room rift is hopefully fixed, the best case for the Canucks would be Pettersson rediscovering his game and again playing like a top-tier scorer. That might be more important for the team than making the playoffs and losing in the first round. They need the Swede to be a star.
Vegas Golden Knights
30 of 32
Win the Pacific Division
The Golden Knights have a four-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers with one head-to-head meeting remaining, and there should be plenty of motivation to hold onto that spot.
Falling into the No. 2 spot would likely mean a first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Kings, which would be a significantly tougher matchup than, say, a Minnesota Wild team that simply doesn't have the depth to match up.
Washington Capitals
31 of 32
Alex Ovechkin sets the all-time goals scored record
The Washington Capitals have pretty much locked in the top spot in the Metropolitan Division and the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
It's a complete 180 from their postseason appearance a year ago when they snuck in as one of the worst playoff teams of the modern era.
With their spot in the standings looking set, the focus now shifts to getting Alex Ovechkin the NHL's all-time goal-scoring record. Everybody in Washington would probably like to see him get it out of the way this season without having to wait an entire offseason to get a crack at it next season.
He needs eight goals in 15 games to do it. That is within reach for him.
Winnipeg Jets
32 of 32
Win the Presidents' Trophy
The Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization has never really won anything of significance in its existence. No Stanley Cup. No conference championship. No Presidents' Trophy.
Only one division title back in the 2006-07 season when they were still the Thrashers and winning a weak Southeast Division.
It has a chance to change that this season, with the Presidents' Trophy very much within reach. While the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal, finishing the regular season with the best record in the NHL would still be a significant accomplishment for an organization that has not really had much major success.
Winnipeg has outstanding top-end talent, including one of the league's best goalies in Connor Hellebuyck. If he plays to his full potential in the playoffs, the Cup might also be within reach.
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