There are certain things that are for real. Hughes and Petterson both look like they've taken real steps to be leaders, and look like they can thrive with even larger roles. Hughes won't be playing 27 minutes a night/Petey 22 regularly, but you bet they'll be playing that many if we make the playoffs. Showing they can do that now is big for their confidence for when the pressure moments arise next year.
The defensive results feel like a bit of a mirage outside of Hughes. Structural changes were big, as is the improved goaltending, but without significant changes at 3C and on the back-end it's still a bottom 10 team in the league defensively. Demko can cover up for a lot of the mistakes when he's on, but goalies tend to be like voodoo in their year-to-year performance.
With guys like Boesser (who is 100% being showcased right now given his deployment), Garland, Beauvillier, and Miller playing better & rebuilding their value, hopefully the team is able to flip one (likely Boesser or Garland, I think Miller stays) to reallocate cap space onto the backend/3C. Goes without saying OEL and/or Myers is also going to have to go to make that happen. Without at least one top 4 defenseman and a 3C, I don't see this group cracking the top 8 without a lot of things going their way.
Most importantly though, management seems to have hit the mark with their pro scouting, which is perhaps the best indicator that the off-season will bring about the right changes. Hitting on guys like Aman, Kuzmenko, Joshua, Beauvillier, and Hronek (jury is still out on Mikheyev given injury) is big, and inspires a lot more confidence than offseasons filled with the Beagles, Ferlands, and the Myers of the world.
If the roster looks something like this going into next season I'll believe in them making the playoffs:
Beauvillier-Petterson-Kuzmenko
Mikheyev-Miller-Giuseppe
Podkolzin-Dvorak-Garland
Joshua-Aman-Hoglander
Hughes-Bear
Gavrikov-Hronek
OEL-Wolanin
Demko
Silvov
If OEL is gone you can put any replacement level D in his spot and they'll perform at the same level. Boesser is flipped for an overpaid 3C in this case, don't focus too heavily on Dvorak as it could be a number of names in that spot. Alternatively a 3C can be signed in FA if Boesser is flipped for a pick/nothing.