It’s March and some unfamiliar bottom-dwellers have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
Underdogs such as the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights have found themselves at the forefront of Stanley Cup contention, while organizations with recent success have seen their season come to an end before playing 78 games. With that in mind, here are four surprising teams who won’t be returning to the postseason.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
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The face of success over the past decade, the Chicago Blackhawks find themselves way down the Western Conference standings for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Perhaps the team is simply burnt out, considering they’ve made three playoff runs into June in three seasons since. Captain Jonathan Toews and superstar forward Patrick Kane will be hitting the greens early for the first time in what has seemed like forever.
NEW YORK RANGERS
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The Rangers haven’t replicated Chicago’s success, but they have been consistently strong over the past several seasons. New York has been to the playoffs every year since 2010 and managed to crawl their way to a Stanley Cup appearance in 2014. The team made a point of blowing up their roster at the deadline and made it clear to the league that they’re essentially starting over. It might be a few more seasons until we see the Original Six franchise back in playoff action.
CALGARY FLAMES
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After a series of offseason moves which included bringing in defenceman Travis hamonic and promoting former first round pick Mark Jankowski, Flames fans had high expectations for their team. Instead, they had to witness them drop six in a row and subsequently be eliminated from playoff contention. With a forward group consisting of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk, along with a defensive core that boasts Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie, Calgary will likely be viewed by many as the most disappointing team of the 2017-18 season.
EDMONTON OILERS
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Not too far away, Alberta’s other team didn’t exactly live up to expectations either. After an encouraging 2016-17 campaign which saw superstar Connor McDavid lead the team to a game seven in the Western Conference Semi-Final, the Oilers have fallen back to more familiar territory; the bottom of the league standings. Expectations were high, but the offseason departures of Taylor hall and Jordan Eberle are starting to look costly for the organization. Despite another sensational season by their captain, McDavid and the Oilers will have to wait another year to get back to spring hockey.
