3 Teams Close To Being Eliminated From Playoff Contention

3 days ago  /  NHL Trade Rumors

It is around the time of the NHL season when teams are being eliminated from playoff contention after poor seasons. The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks have already been eliminated as they sit with 47 and 51 points respectively, but there are some others who are coming up, even if they go on a big run.The playoff cutoff is usually around the mid-90s in points, so the teams that are still in the 60s with 10-13 games to go are in trouble. The team that will be eliminated next is the Nashville Predators. It has been an extremely tough season for a team that had a massive offseason and had such high hopes. I think last season's surge to get them into the playoffs gave the organization overconfidence in the ability and so many new faces messed with the chemistry.The Predators made a number of trades and sold at the trade deadline, but didn't tear apart the core, indicating that they are looking to rebound next season and attempt to compete. With 12 games to go, Nashville can get a maximum of 84 points and the St. Louis Blues, who hold the final playoff spot in the West, are sitting at 81. A regulation loss by the Predators and a win by St. Louis eliminates Nashville.The two teams from the East that are going to get eliminated next are the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers, likely around the same time. The Sabres have three fewer points, but also three fewer games played. They haven't been horrible lately, but nowhere needed to have any sort of shot at making playoffs this season. This will extend the number of years they have missed to 14 with seven different head coaches.The Flyers weren't exactly in the mix for a playoff spot, but they also were close enough that a decent hot stretch could have gotten them back into the race. That is far from the case anymore as they have won one of their last 10 games, are seven games under .500, and 10 points back of the final wildcard spot in the East with 10 games remaining.The Flyers have made it clear they are still in a rebuild. They have the pieces to turn things around, but I also don't think it will even happen next season as well. They have a little ways to go and the playoff race continues to be so crowded in the East that they have to make some serious strides. The Flyers' playoff drought will be at five years once eliminated this season.Photo credit: © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images...

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