I could easily see 5 teams out 5 teams in again. For me i see potential for some serious passing of the torch going on next season, more than ever before.
Teams that could miss, especially if the injury bug hits:
No matter how you twist and turn it the Hawks got worse, Saad is not Panarin, Forsberg is not Darling, Murphy is not Hjalmarsson and relying on a bunch of young guys (especially when they aren't star caliber) is always a question mark. Injuries will happen and as their core are getting older for me the chances of a big name going down sooner rather than later are going up each year. That defense looks catastrophic if Keith or Seabrook go down, not that it looks great even when they're healthy.
Capitals lost 2 of their top 6 guys and 2 significant pieces from their d-core, without bringing anyone in. I don't care if they've been the best team in the regular season for 2 years in a row, parity is so strong that i can easily see them losing those tight games that they won last season. And once it sinks in that they've gone from a team thinking this is the year they win it all to a team just fighting for a playoff spot.. i don't know, that could be tough to handle.
Habs have some significant holes. This season they were on a mission to make up for that disaster 15-16, and started off extremely hot. But i doubt that happens again. Meanwhile Bolts will come roaring back, Sabres are becoming more of a threat each season and Metro could grab 5 spots, so there's not much room for error.
Bruins only made the playoffs by a point and they're more or less status quo this summer. Could easily miss.
And lastly im not going to single out any particular team, but we always seem to get at least one team that goes through extreme bad luck with injuries and in today's league that's tough to overcome. Throw in some locker room issues and/or coaches lifespan coming to an end, almost anyone can miss the playoffs if they all pile up in one year.
Teams i like for next season:
Hurricanes will make the playoffs sooner or later, and they started clicking after a tough start. There's just something about a young team on a mission to make the playoffs boosted by moves they made during the summer, i like their chances. A lot to prove for this team and they aren't going to stop trying.
Sabres for me are a team that is just waiting to break out. With a top 5 1-2 punch down the middle they're no joke, and i thought they made a lot of good moves addressing their biggest needs this off-season. And just like Carolina, the team believes they can make it and have a lot to prove.
Islanders are getting overlooked by a lot of people even when they only missed the playoffs by 1 point. JT didn't have a great season. Ladd underachieved. And while they lost Hamonic he was terrible this year and i think Pulock can bring more to the table than what Hamonic did in 16-17, not to mention change of scenery for Eberle. And again, the theme i have with these teams is having a lot to prove, and that the Islanders certainly have.
Stars got so much better you have to think they can make it. Could see them being one of the teams that overachieve, due to a disaster year and excitement after all the changes.
Jets have a team to make the playoffs. To me all we need to do is stay healthy, and we're right there.
I know that was 5 teams already, but there's something special for me about the Coyotes. Strome, Keller, Domi, Dvorak, Duclair, Perlini, Chychrun.. that's A LOT of young talent, guys who i think will be good players. And honestly, when have we seen a rebuilding team bringing in a top 6 center and a top pairing d-man in one summer? That just doesn't happen. I also think Raanta is ready for #1 role. Overall i really like what the Yotes are doing and for me it's not impossible to see a similar season from them than what we saw from the Leafs. They might not have Matthews, but did the Leafs have OEL-Hammer back there?
:
