NHL: A Look at the Playoffs Picture in the East

At this stage of the season, all points in the standings are important regarding the hope of participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Here is the overview of this tough battle in the Eastern Conference.

The Penguins, despite being at the bottom of the standings, are not far from a playoff spot given the tight scores. Everything is possible for them. Otherwise, they will have to forgo springtime hockey for a third consecutive year.

Barely ahead of their Pennsylvania rivals in the standings, the Flyers have just traded away two of their good young forwards, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, without adequately replacing them. It remains to be seen if they can stay active in this race despite these losses. The mission will be complicated.

The Rangers are currently out of the playoffs, despite their strong start to the season. They are in essentially the same position as the Flyers, indeed, but the New Yorkers still have excellent players to turn things around, including Panarin, Fox, and Shesterkin.

Against all odds, the CH is "in the mix," thanks to this incredible push since the end of December. However, the loss of Kaiden Guhle is too significant. Even if Montreal were to miss the playoffs, the team shows progress.

The magic of Patrick Roy is back, after a tough start to the season. The Islanders have recently won several consecutive games, showing signs of life in their bid for a playoff spot. They are getting closer!

The Wings are knocking on the door of the playoffs, having fired their coach Derek Lalonde to bring in veteran leader Todd McLellan, which may have saved their season. Larkin, DeBrincat, Seider, and Raymond are playing big hockey for Detroit this year, and they will need to continue pushing forward to carve a path to the playoffs.

With the coaching dismissal, the arrival of several new faces, and the contract situations of Brad Marchand and Jeremy Swayman, let's just say the Bruins have had plenty of distractions in 2024-2025. Are the good years for the Bostonians behind them? They are on the verge of the playoffs, just like the Wings, but the teams won't make it easy for them.

What a lovely surprise, to see the Jackets hanging around the playoffs! Despite the tragedy of Johnny Gaudreau and the trade of Patrik Laine, the players have come together to play engaging and inspired hockey. It would be a great story to see them play again next spring. Dean Evason for the Jack Adams, if this outcome were to happen?

Compared to other seasons of dominance in the past, Tampa is by no means assured of playing in the 2025 playoffs. The champions of 2020 and 2021 are heavily relying on their big guns to carry the team, but their lack of depth at all positions could greatly harm them.

Sitting in the top-3 of the Atlantic Division, the Senators are having their best season in several years, as they have not made the playoffs since 2017. The team is playing better collectively, credit goes to the players as well as to Travis Green.

The Senators are pushing hard to catch up, so the Leafs must not feel too comfortable in this position, although they are very effective in the regular season. They are not far from the top spot in the Atlantic.

The reigning champions have not slowed down at all, coming out on top of their division, despite the losses of Montour, Ekman-Larsson, and Tarasenko. The core is still hungry!

Located in third place in the Metropolitan Division, the Devils are having an extraordinary campaign, featuring one of the best-balanced rosters in the entire NHL, especially in terms of young players and veterans. When healthy, they are formidable.

Will the acquisition of Mikko Rantanen take them to the next level? It is known that the Canes are well-structured under the leadership of Rod Brind'Amour, but it seems something is missing to reach the promised land. In the meantime, they are well positioned in the top 3 of their section, just ahead of the Devils.

What a season for the Capitals! The best team in the Eastern Conference, by far. They are hardworking, talented, balanced, and structured, so they are definitely the team to beat in their conference. Unless a major disaster strikes, they should make the playoffs without any issues and maybe even go on a good run. A certain record for Ovechkin by April? Here it is, the real race in the Capitals organization!