Buying or Selling Fringe 2025 NHL Playoffs Contenders

We are less than a month away from the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, and plenty of teams are still fighting it out every night down the stretch.

There are teams that have been on the bubble for most of the season: the Senators, the Utah Hockey Club, and the Flames. There are also teams that have emerged and refuse to be ignored, such as the Red Wings, the Blues and the Canadiens. 

With the teams holding the wild-card spots changing every night, it’s hard to determine which ones are legit.

Let's break down some of the fringe playoff contenders and decide who we are buying and who's going to get buried in the end.

Calgary Flames: Buying

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Dustin Wolf

Something feels legit about this Flames team's vibe. It's like the pressure came off after the big fire sale and they looked at each other and said: "What the heck, let's see where we can take this?"

It's the opposite of the Rangers out East, and it all comes down to team chemistry and cohesiveness.

Maybe a young goalie coming in for a stunning rookie season will add to that. Dustin Wolf has been a revelation, and he's kept the Flames in it every night.

The 23-year-old has made timely saves, and it's all come down to a 2.63 goals against average and .911 save percentage in 42 games, which isn't too shabby for winning the starting role as a first-year player.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Selling

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Zach Werenski

It’s fair to say most of us were—and still are—rooting for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

They have overcome unthinkable adversity off the ice, and they will always be remembered fondly for everything special they have done this season.

None of that gets erased if they miss the playoffs this year, it was always about so much more than that. This Blue Jackets season was about what it means to be in the hockey community, holding each other up and finding a light in the darkest moments. This team has accomplished that feat no matter what.

It really looked like their overperformance, explosive offense and stellar home record were going to hold up. But down the stretch, the offense has dried up and Columbus is struggling to find consistency.

The Blue Jackets have dropped five in a row and find themselves three points and three teams out of the playoff race. 

Anything is possible, but they no longer decide their fate after this 3-6-1 stretch. 

Elvis Merzlikins has returned following the birth of his second child, so that will make a palpable difference in net. Maybe they can rediscover that “against all odds” vibe before the clock runs out.

Either way, the whole team should be proud of exceeding expectations this season.

Montreal Canadiens: Buying

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When it comes to this fringe playoff bubble, we have to throw preconceived notions out the window and focus more on the here and now. 

Did we think Montreal was going to be in a playoff position at the beginning of the season? No, especially with Patrik Laine out for a decent amount of time.

But Lane Hutson and his Calder Trophy campaign have been something special, Nick Suzuki is having the best season of his career in a leadership role, Cole Caufield is doing his late friend, Johnny Gaudreau's No. 13 justice, and goaltender Sam Montembeault is holding down the fort in net.

Most importantly, this team is trending up when it matters. Montreal is 8-1-3 since returning from the 4 Nations break and beating tough opponents like the Panthers and the Senators.

Montembeault has stepped up in a big way with a 2.09 GAA and .922 save percentage in this stretch, before Thursday night's overtime loss to the Islanders in which he struggled a bit.

However, struggling a bit and still ending up with a point is crucial this time of year, and these Habs have the heart to punch a playoff ticket.

New York Islanders: Selling

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Bo Horvat

The Islanders squeaking back into the playoff conversation after trading Brock Nelson and a brutal California trip recently has been...interesting.

They are two points out of a wild-card spot after a 4-3 overtime win over the Canadiens.

Of course, Ilya Sorokin is at the center of the success with a 2.72 goals against average and .908 save percentage, and his averages of late have been higher. Noah Dobson has been playing significantly better in his return from injury than he had been early in the season. 

Let's be real, though. Mat Barzal is out and Nelson is gone. When the offense dries up, it dries up; and when it's good, it doesn't stack up with the best in the league.

This team has the worst power play in the league, and that's never been a winning formula for the playoffs. The Islanders' climb away from the bottom has been impressive, but can they keep it up as other teams pick up ground?

New York Rangers: Selling

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Adam Fox.

Despite spurts of what they once were and what they might one day be, the New York Rangers have been a mess way too often this season.

It's earned them a fall from grace that is currently two points out of a playoff spot, and a three-game losing streak that doesn't inspire a turnaround.

They were the only team fighting for a playoff spot now that was in the playoff positions at U.S. Thanksgiving. Does it matter this year? The defense is as unwatchable and non-cohesive as it gets, and the offense isn't doing much to help out when it matters most. 

When your best players aren't your best players and the only consistent one is goalie Igor Shesterkin, it's tough to imagine the Rangers will outlast some of the other teams gunning for a playoff spot.

Utah Hockey Club: Selling

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Clayton Keller

The Utah Hockey Club didn't do much of anything to improve its injured and middling roster at the trade deadline, and now the playoffs are just out of reach as they have been for most of the season.

Utah is four points and three teams out of the West's second wild-card spot and 5-3-2 in its last 10, which is a snapshot of their season. 

This team led by Clayton Keller has shown flashes of potential. But the young roster needs a few more pieces and some better injury luck that it hasn't been afforded this season.

There's hope that Utah can come back and put together a solid playoff team with a successful offseason. But it's too much of an ask for this roster to perform at its best and leapfrog several more experienced teams right now.