Happy Thanksgiving, let's look at the NHL standings

On the fourth Thursday in November, we give thanks and look at spread sheets. Right?

Happy (American) Thanksgiving.

Historically speaking, if you’re an NHL fan, and your team is above the playoff cutline when the turkey is served you feel pretty good about yourself.

Statistically speaking, between the 2005-06 and 2024-25 season, 77.1 percent of teams in non COVID-shortened seasons made the playoffs. Last season six of the eight teams in playoff positioning on Thanksgiving in each conference made the playoffs — 75 percent.

It’s not an exact science, of course, the Edmonton Oilers were below the cutline on Thanksgiving 2024 and went to the Stanley Cup Final. But it’s at least worth taking a snap shot of the standing this morning.

Let’s start with the Eastern Conference.

And now let’s look west.

Now take a second look at those standings and examine how small the gap is between the bottom of the league and the playoff cutline. In the Eastern Conference it feels like only one team, the Buffalo Sabres, are actually out of it.

In the Western Conference there’s a bit more of a gap, but it still feels like everyone outside of the Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames at least have a puncher’s chance to pull into the picture.

There, rightfully, has been a ton of conversation about how the league is closer this season and how it’s become even more compressed this season because of the Olympics schedule. Reporters love to ask about this, coaches love to talk about it, so there are many stories about it.

It’s also fascinating how coaches choose to frame their teams at this time of year, especially after we had 15 NHL games last night, including a horrific 6-3 loss by the Detroit Red Wings to the Nashville Predators where Todd McLellan’s recent play “wasn’t sign of a good team.”

After watching that game, I watched the Dallas Stars 3-2 win against the Seattle Kraken, and did a late-night postgame show for DLLS.

In that Stars-Kraken game, I witnessed two key things we talked about on the show.

The Stars, a very good team, winning a game in an impressive manner on the second night of a back-to-back. And the Kraken, a mid-range team, playing what I felt like was one of the best versions of their game with an effort that probably works and wins against most of the league.

It was a good case study in how we measure both good and bad in today’s NHL, which is also why I wrote about the Stars and their champagne problems earlier this week over at D Magazine.

I’m not going full listicle here, but in my view, the NHL currently has two groups of teams.

1. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars

2. The other 30 teams

Within that second group, you have varying levels of acceptance and complacency for the state of their season. In Detroit, for example, McLellan is trying to raise the level, pushing and driving home lessons publicly when the Red Wings falter.

In Seattle, Lane Lambert has taken a more accepting and passive tone, realizing his team is going to find its way into the postseason through some rather boring defending and structure.

And in Nashville, which I will write more about this week, the Predators are shaking their heads, frequently, about how a roster — that was probably poorly built — is struggling to find better results.

When we start to go down the line like that, to find the flaws and faults in each team, you start to realize how messy and chaotic this season might end up. How aside from those top two teams, there’s a what-if chance of any team somehow figuring it out and being the one to go on a deep run in the spring.

I was asked about this yesterday during a media hit in Tampa, was asked about the trade deadline and couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that in today’s NHL, it’s impossible to even try and differentiate the buyers from the sellers.

Hopefully this all makes sense. If it doesn’t, well, I’ll write more later today and then we can all forget this piece ever happened.

Happy Thanksgiving, give my best to you and yours.