As bad as last season was for the New York Rangers, they’re not the only NHL team looking to reverse course from major disappointment to Stanley Cup Playoff contention in 2025-26.
The Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, and Vancouver Canucks also fell far short of their lofty goals a year ago and failed to qualify for the postseason. However, the Rangers were historically bad. They were the only the fourth NHL team all-time to miss the playoffs the season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
So, which of these four teams has the best chance to rebound and return to the playoffs this coming season? Which one will have the most difficult time doing so?
Let’s break it down.
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Where Rangers rank among NHL teams seeking rebound, return to Stanley Cup Playoffs
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1. New York Rangers
The Rangers were done in last season as much by off-ice issues as they were by on-ice ineptitude on both sides of the puck. But there were signs this offseason that general manager Chris Drury smoothed things over with the players and softened his heavy-handed management style that helped create such a dysfunctional atmosphere with the club in 2024-25. Plus, there’s a fresh start with two-time Stanley Cup champion Mike Sullivan replacing Peter Laviolette as coach.
It’s largely the same group of players that finished out that dismal season on Broadway, after much in-season change to the roster. But the Rangers did address their biggest positional weakness when they signed standout defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract in free agency. He joins a lineup full of talented players seeking redemption, from Mika Zibanejad to Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere to Igor Shesterkin. J.T. Miller is here from the get go in training camp, and Will Cuylle has the look of a breakout star. Plus, there’s some intriguing new blood with top prospect Gabe Perreault, rookie defenseman Scott Morrow, and forwards Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard battling for roster spots.
It feels like everything went right for the Rangers in the 2023-24 regular season and it all turned sour last season, when they finished with 16 less wins and 29 fewer points. The Rangers should find a happy medium this season and finish in the top eight in the Eastern Conference, making their fourth trip to the postseason in five years.
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2. Vancouver Canucks
Speaking of dysfunction, let’s talk about the Canucks. As far as off-ice drama is concerned, they were Rangers West last season. And interestingly, Miller was right in the middle of it all before he was traded to the Rangers on January 31. His feud with Elias Pettersson split the team and was so untenable that Canucks president Jim Rutherford publicly declared one of his stars had to be traded.
The Canucks missed the playoffs by seven points, one season after finishing first in the Pacific Division. But it wasn’t just the soap opera atmosphere that submarined their 2024-25 season. The Canucks couldn’t overcome extended injury absences by No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko, star defenseman Quinn Hughes, and Pettersson.
They have a new coach — Adam Foote replaced Rick Tocchet, who turned down a contract extension and took a new gig behind the Philadelphia Flyers bench. They added gritty forward Evander Kane, who’s in a contract year. And they enter training camp healthy. There are still holes on this roster, but the Canucks should be in serious contention for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. That is unless those Hughes trade rumors become yet another major distraction and the Canucks veer off course. Remember, this team made the playoffs twice in the past 10 seasons. And there are doubters who believe that Vancouver’s 99-point season in 2023-24 is an outlier.
3. Nashville Predators
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The Predators went all in trying to win the Stanley Cup last season, and it was an epic fail. Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei each underperformed after the Predators spent lavishly to sign the three free agents. Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly didn’t produce at their usual levels. Juuse Saros struggled badly between the pipes. And captain Roman Josi was diagnosed with a heart disorder, which limited him to 53 games and could remain an issue this season.
Nashville plummeted to 30th overall in the NHL standings and had 31 fewer points than in 2023-24, when it reached the postseason. The Predators’ minus-60 goal differential was embarrassing.
Andrew Brunette kept his job as coach, though he’ll be on the hot seat if the the Predators struggle badly again this season. They did bolster their defense by acquiring Nic Hague and Nick Perbix. And Stamkos and Co. can’t be that bad again, right? The Predators should be back in the playoff mix, but it’s hard to imagine them beating out a tough field in the West to earn a postseason berth.
4. Boston Bruins
Note to the Rangers: see how quickly the mighty can fall. The Bruins are the case study here. They set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points in 2022-23, and were still among the elite the following season, finishing with 109 points. Last season, their decline accelerated in a massive way. The Bruins tied for last in the East with 76 points and a minus-50 goal differential. They unloaded captain Brad Marchand and key veterans Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic in trades.
So, the rebuild — or, perhaps, retool — is on in Boston. But the Bruins still should be better this coming season. Key defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm are healthy after each sustained injuries last season. No. 1 goalie Jeremy Swayman should regain top form after his contract holdout set him back a year ago.
But the Bruins don’t have the look of a playoff team. Especially considering they play in the same division as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, and the up-and-coming Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings.
Jim Cerny is Executive Editor at Forever Blueshirts and Managing Editor at Sportsnaut, with more than 30 years of … More about Jim Cerny
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