In order for the Detroit Red Wings to end their nine-year playoff drought, at least one of last season’s Eastern Conference playoff teams has to fall out.

It’s not easy foreseeing which team that would be.

The Atlantic Division’s Florida Panthers (-750), Tampa Bay Lightning (-425) and Toronto Maple Leafs (-300), according FanDuel Sportsbook, are three of the top seven teams most likely to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs. Metropolitan favorite Carolina (-800) and the Vegas Golden Knights are considered the most likely team to make the playoffs. FanDuel pegs the New Jersey Devils (-270) with a 73% chance of making the playoffs. FanDuel gives last year’s non-playoff team, the New York Rangers (-190) a 65.5% probability of making the playoffs. The Washington Capitals boast the same odds. The Ottawa Senators (-160) have a 61.5% chance of qualifying again in the Eastern.

Those are the eight teams that FanDuel believes will make it in the east, and none of those teams have less than a 61.5% implied probability.

The most vulnerable team among last year’s playoff team is the Montreal Canadiens (+115). That’s a 46.5% implied probability team.  Their odds are below 50-50, but still better than Detroit’s implied probability of 31.3%. The Habs have Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson, two difference-making youngsters, who are likely to improve as the season progresses.

The most optimistic way for Detroit fans to view it is the Red Wings will likely be competing against the Rangers, Senators and Canadiens for the two wild card positions.

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Red Wings Extra

It’s surprising that two-year Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Brogan Rafferty hasn’t landed somewhere by now. The right-shot defender has only played three games in the NHL but has logged 328 in the American Hockey League. Would have guessed that he would have been picked up by another AHL team or headed to Europe.

Hockey Now Network

New Jersey: James Nichols zeros in on what should concern the Devils with training camp now weeks away. Aging goaltending and the defense are on his list. New Jersey Devils.

Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski hasn’t confirmed a sale of the team is imminent, but one source told him: “It feels real.”

Vegas: Hannah Kirkell writes that Toronto’s failures pushed Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.