This year was a MUCH different season than any other season we've experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic halting all of the sports world and a pretty wild realignment of the NHL's divisions.

If you remember, the BarDown team ranked every single NHL team for the 2020/21 season and there were some real juicy hot takes in there, but there were also some good predictions that just didn't pan out the way we thought it would - not gonna lie, some of them had us in the first half.

So in the spirit of the weirdest season yet, here are some of the teams that absolutely had us fooled going into the season.


The Buffalo Sabres

At this point in the season, the Buffalo Sabres are their own April Fools. But in all fairness, on paper, the team was loaded! BarDown put the team at the 'Average But Promising' spot but Corwin had a massively piping hot take - that the Sabres were playoff contenders.

Currently, in dead last in the East Division, the Buffalo Sabres FINALLY broke their unbelievable 18-game winless streak.


The Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers were a promising team based on how they finished last year, with potential for another playoff run and the BarDown crew was right along for that ride, throwing the Flyers into the 'Elite' category.

Boy how the mighty fell, the Flyers lost 2 SHOCKING games in a row, one 9-0 and the other 8-3, to the current 3rd worst team in the division, and if that doesn't tell you how bad their season has been going, the losingest Buffalo Sabres just won their first of 18 games... against the Flyers 6-1.

Ouch.


St. Louis Blues

As it stands halfway through the season, one of the league's top teams for the past few years has fallen out of playoff contention. Rated alongside and compared to the Philidelphia Flyers, who are having a TOUGH season, it's only fair that the Blues are part of this list.

That's not to say they're entirely out of the question, injuries have plagued their lineup and the once characterized 'elite' team is definitely not looking elite.

Jordan Binnington is the mood for the team here.

 

What teams had you fooled before the season?

We ranked EVERY NHL team before the season, here's the full video: