Who's Hot, Who's Not in the NHL as the 2016 Season Winds Down?

The end of the 2015-16 NHL regular season is upon us, and all but one playoff spot has been locked up. Because there isn't much on the line other than a home-ice advantage or two, some teams might ease up on the intensity level in the coming days.

Others already have.

Some teams and players are red-hot and heading toward the playoffs playing at their best. Some are struggling to find their way. The postseason will soon begin, and the slate will be wiped clean, but current trends might be a good indicator about how well a player or his squad will perform this spring.

Click ahead for a look at who's hot and who's not as the 2015-16 season winds down.

Hot: Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks

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Some people may choose to view Chicago Blackhawks super rookie Artemi Panarin as the wrong choice for the Calder Trophy because of his age (24) and the fact he played in the KHL as a professional for six full seasons before landing in the NHL, but no one could argue the NHL freshman is on fire heading toward his first taste of the playoffs in the world's best hockey league.

Panarin is averaging two points per game over his past five contests. He has scored three times and added seven assists—one point more than linemate and NHL scoring leader Patrick Kane—while helping the Blackhawks win four of their five games over the last two weeks.

Nicknamed Bread Man, Panarin is rising to the occasion late in the season and seems to be answering any questions about whether he will be able to produce under pressure in the playoffs. The cost in bonuses may sting, per Second City Hockey, but if it pays off with another Stanley Cup, it would be worth it.

Not: Minnesota Wild

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Losing on the same night you clinch a playoff spot is called backing into the postseason. And the Minnesota Wild have been in reverse for the past week.

After putting together a season-high, six-game winning streak in late March, the team has dropped four games in a row and looked fairly pitiful doing it—earning their playoff spot on Tuesday, the same night they were shut out by the San Jose Sharks. They've been outscored 14-5, with goaltender Devan Dubnyk stopping just 90 of 104 shots in that span for a .865 save percentage and 3.50 goals-against average.

If not for the Colorado Avalanche's ineptitude down the stretch that saw them lose their shot at the postseason for the second straight spring, the Wild's awful play of late could have proved costly. A tough first-round matchup with either the Dallas Stars or St. Louis Blues awaits.

Hot: Pittsburgh Penguins

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

It wasn't so long ago the Pittsburgh Penguins were clinging to a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and in serious danger of missing the playoffs altogether. But there is no hotter team in the league than the mighty Pens.

The team has won seven games in a row heading into Thursday's action and claimed victory in 13 of their last 14 contests to all but lock up second spot in the Metropolitan Division standings behind the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals.

The Penguins have so many players performing at a point-per-game pace in recent times that they could lock up half of this list on their own. From Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Phil Kessel to Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen, these flightless birds are on a roll.

The team that saw coach Mike Johnston fired midseason is finding its groove at the perfect time.

Not: Boston Bruins

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

March wasn't kind to the Boston Bruins, and things haven't looked much better in early April, either.

The Bruins dropped six of their last seven games in March and two of three thus far in April. That 2-7-1 record in their last 10 contests has put them in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs for a second straight season. They're tied in points with the Philadelphia Flyers, but Philly has a game in hand.

The other team they could catch is the Detroit Red Wings, but the Wings gained a two-point advantage with a big 3-0 head-to-head victory over the Flyers Wednesday night in the three-way battle for a pair of remaining berths.

Thanks to the tailspin, the Bruins need to win in regulation over the Wings in Thursday night's matchup to have a shot at anything other than the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Even if they win their final two games, the Flyers could put the nail in the Bruins' coffin with five points in their last three games.

Excluding a two-game stretch, during which the Bruins exploded for 10 goals, they've scored just 11 times in their last eight outings. Leading goal-scorer Brad Marchand (36 goals) has just two in his last dozen games, and Loui Eriksson and David Krejci have a pair each in their past nine.

This is not the time of year you can afford to see your offense go dark.

Hot: Derek Stepan, New York Rangers

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It's been a year of true balance among the New York Rangers forwards this season with no clear leader on the offensive side of things. Rick Nash has been hot and cold and hurt. The team has a half-dozen 40-point players but none near 70. Nash himself has 36 in 58 games.

But Derek Stepan has been on fire of late. The center, who has been suiting up between Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello, has four goals and eight points in his last four games. Over his past eight games, he has 14 points.

Stepan is emerging as the team's offensive leader at an important time of the year. The team has collectively been among the best in the league at producing goals this season, with five 20-goal guys but none over 30. For the playoffs, having at least one sniper who can be counted on consistently would be a huge boost for the Rangers.

Not: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals

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Prior to March 18, Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov hadn't gone more than three consecutive games without a point all season—and even that only happened twice.

The 23-year-old emerging star has been among the league's most potent playmakers this year, helping the Caps to the Presidents' Trophy and giving them one of the deadliest top-six forward groups in the NHL.

So the five-game drought in late March that started a stretch of nine contests with just a pair of assists and a minus-nine rating comes as a surprise worthy of some concern that the top team in the league is coasting down the stretch. The danger here is the notion of turning that switch back on once the playoffs begin.

The Capitals have a history of disappointing postseason performances, but the team has looked so strong all season those fears have been tempered this time around. A prolonged drought for the Caps' brightest young star could bring up those concerns again.

Hot: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

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Eight points in his last five games has the Florida Panthers' top center, Aleksander Barkov, up near the top of the hot list as the playoffs approach—a rarity for the Panthers on both accounts.

The Atlantic Division champs have been solid all season. As much credit as veteran leader Jaromir Jagr deserves for helping groom the young and talented forwards around him on the roster, it's Barkov who has quietly emerged as one of the best middle men in the league.

And he's only 20.

The Finn averages more minutes than any other Panthers forward (19:27) and has produced more points per game (0.89) than any of his teammates. He's marginally behind in the points race because he's been limited by injury and suited up for 64 games compared to mid to high 70s for the three teammates he's behind.

Barkov is riding a seven-game point streak and has five of his 28 goals in his last four outings. He's a plus-five in that span and plus-16 on the season. The fact he plays against top competition makes these numbers even more impressive. Three of his eight game-winning goals have come in the last four games.

This kid has a knack for making an impact and has shown that convincingly at one of the toughest times of year. He may no longer be one of the NHL's best-kept secrets.

Not: Tampa Bay Lightning

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Despite clinching a playoff spot on a night they lost to the New York Rangers, the Tampa Bay Lightning are ice-cold heading into the playoffs with only a handful of key players on ice at the moment.

The Bolts have lost four of their past six games. Worse, they have lost captain Steven Stamkos for a minimum of a month to a blood clot, top-pairing defenseman Anton Stralman indefinitely with a broken leg and both Victor Hedman and Ryan Callahan on a day-to-day basis with respective upper- and lower-body injuries.

Although they've clinched a playoff berth, they could lose home-ice advantage in the playoffs if passed in the standings by the Detroit Red Wings.

Things are going so poorly the team has decided to loosen its policies on out-of-state fans in the coming weeks, per Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times.

Hot: Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators

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Erik Karlsson's next point will propel him into the top 50 single-season point totals by a defenseman in NHL history, according to QuantHockey. The Ottawa Senators captain's 80 points in 80 games is already the best since Nicklas Lidstrom's 2006 total.

To reach these already stellar totals, Karlsson has two goals and four points in his last four games and seven points in his last six contests. Going back a little further, he has five goals and 12 points in his past dozen.

The 25-year-old couldn't help his pitiful Senators reach the playoffs this year, but his hot streak is helping his case for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman. He leads all defensemen in points and tops the entire NHL in assists (64).

Not: Jonathan Quick

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Jonathan Quick has been surprisingly generous the past couple of weeks, uncharacteristically allowing 22 goals against in his last eight starts.

It's no coincidence the Los Angeles Kings netminder has won just two of those games. He has had a save percentage over .900 in just two of those games as well, allowing three or more goals in six of them.

His struggles and the Kings' plummet from the top of the Pacific Division standings go hand in hand. The Kings are tied in points with the Anaheim Ducks, and their state rival has a game in hand. The Kings had a six-point lead in mid-March and an eight-point cushion in February, according to ShrpSports.

Quick will have to be better—much better—for the Kings to have a shot at their third Stanley Cup in five seasons.

Hot: John Tavares, New York Islanders

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

John Tavares has had a frustrating season by his standards, but he has been potent in recent days with his New York Islanders locking up a playoff berth and challenging cross-town rivals the New York Rangers for a spot in the Metropolitan Division standings as opposed to the wild-card slot.

After battling with Jamie Benn for the Art Ross Trophy right down to the final day of the 2014-15 regular season, Tavares sits tied for 16th this year. But he's playing his best hockey when the team needs him most.

The Isles captain has six points in his last two games and five goals and 11 points in his past eight games.

All stats via NHL.com unless otherwise noted.