NHL Teams Most Likely to Regress in the Final Months of the Season

The NHL is clear of the All-Star break and full speed ahead for the trade deadline. The next month will see some separation at the lower end of the playoff races, creating more sellers and allowing buyers to force down trade prices.

There are teams in the middle of the pack who have been enjoying great success, partly due to luck and ease of schedule. Those teams are likely to face enormous challenges in the coming weeks, as the points become even more important.

Here are the four teams most likely to regress in the final months of the 2016-17, with special emphasis on the period leading up the to the trade deadline.

Edmonton Oilers

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Current Position: 52 GP, 28-16-8, 64 points, third place in the Pacific Division

Last 10 Games: 7-2-1

The Challenge Ahead 

After more than a decade of struggle, the Edmonton Oilers have posted a tremendous record leading into the All-Star break. The club boasts Connor McDavid, who is the league's leading scorer, as well as quality goalie Cam Talbot. Although the Oilers are still a building team, the results have been strong so far this season.

The challenge for Edmonton comes in the strength of schedule from now through the end of February. The opposition during the month includes the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks twice, Nashville Predators twice, St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens. In spite of the team's current standing, a prolonged slump at this point in the season could be disastrous for them.

Once Edmonton gets out of February, the March schedule looks much better. If the Oilers can remain inside the top three in the Pacific Division through the end of February, adding players at the deadline will make sense. Fans have waited a long time and have earned the right to see postseason hockey in the NHL's northernmost city.

February will be a key month for the Oilers, and regression is likely. The big question surrounds how much ground they will give to teams like the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames.

Philadelphia Flyers

Karl B DeBlaker/Associated Press

Current Position: 51 GP, 25-20-6, 56 points, fifth place in the Central Division

Last 10 Games: 4-5-1

The Challenge Ahead 

The Philadelphia Flyers have had a highly unusual season. The team won 10 in a row earlier in the campaign but have fallen on hard times in recent weeks.

The issue is one faced by many teams trying to rebuild on the fly. There is little doubt the young skaters on the team are having a positive impact. Philadelphia's issues include goaltending and lack of depth—these are common problems for young and emerging clubs.

Fans of the Flyers can take heart that there has been much good from this season. Along with brilliant rookies like Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny, the team has a solid group of defensemen who should be considered a substantial upgrade over recent seasons.

Philadelphia is in a tough playoff race and could miss the postseason; this will be a hard stretch. Even if that does occur, the future is bright for the Flyers.

St. Louis Blues

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Current Position: 50 GP, 24-21-5, 53 points, fourth place in the Central Division

Last 10 Games: 3-7-0

The Challenge Ahead 

The St. Louis Blues fired Ken Hitchcock and replaced him with Mike Yeo, as reported via the team website. There is often a spike in performance after a change in coaching, and we may see that this year in St. Louis.

The bigger issue, beyond coaching, comes from performance and personnel. The team's save percentage is 88.7, via Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com. There are some signs of erosion among the defensemen, specifically Jay Bouwmeester, who earns $5.4 million this season. The veteran defender will likely finish with fewer than 20 points again this year—the third season in a row.

There is enough talent up front and on defense to outrun these problems, but Coach Yeo is taking over a flawed team, and one that has significant issues moving forward. We might see the team offload Kevin Shattenkirk before the deadline in an attempt to retain value. The Blues lost David Backes last season without compensation, and it is important to replenish assets in order to stay competitive.

There are many elements in play when it comes to the St. Louis situation; they could regress from their current record if the Shattenkirk trade takes place before the deadline.

Vancouver Canucks

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Current Position: 50 GP, 23-21-6, 52 points, sixth place in the Pacific Division

Last 10 Games: 4-3-3

The Challenge Ahead 

The Vancouver Canucks are in a very difficult position. A veteran roster that features Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Ryan Miller should be pushing to the top of the division. But age and erosion mean these men are no longer at peak performance. The players coming up behind them—Bo Horvat is the best example—are both too young and too thin to really help this season.

Credit to Vancouver for the current position in the standings. There has been a lot of hard work done to stay in the race. However, the team is getting only 44.7 percent of the goal share during games, according to Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com. It isn't enough to sustain the club's current position, and it is likely we will see a fall in the standings.

Canucks fans will probably be better served by a selloff at the deadline and an abundance of losses between now and the end of the season. The only real way to acquire elite talent is via the draft, and the Pacific Division's other Canadian teams—the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers—have already accumulated substantial assets.