It’s crazy to write out, but we are nearing the halfway point of the 2024-25 season. It’s been yet another awesome one for the NHL, with plenty of storylines, some drama, and some absolutely phenomenal individual seasons thus far.
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Perhaps the craziest of all is the success, or lack thereof, involving a number of teams. Several which were expected to be among the best in the NHL have struggled, with a few even looking like they could be lottery teams. At the other end of the spectrum, you have a few who were projected to be in the lottery running and are in the hunt for a playoff spot. Here’s a look at six teams that have been major surprises, for better or worse, so far in 2024-25.
The Good
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals were able to sneak into the playoffs last season, though very few felt they were deserving of being in the dance. To little surprise, the New York Rangers made quick work of them, sweeping them in the opening round. The Caps were able to make some lineup changes this past offseason, though few felt they were significant enough to turn them into a contender.
A contender is exactly what the Capitals are viewed as right now, as they sit second in the NHL standings with a 27-10-4 record. What’s all the more impressive is that they were able to continue racking up wins without Alex Ovechkin, who missed 15 games due to a lower-body injury. He’s back now, however, and is having an incredible season with 19 goals through just 25 games.
Calgary Flames
Like many predicted before the season began, the Calgary Flames have struggled to find the back of the net this season. Their 2.63 goals per game rank 27th in the league, while Jonathan Huberdeau’s 30 points lead the team in scoring despite the fact they’ve played in 40 games. Despite the lack of goals, however, they trail the Vancouver Canucks by just a single point for a playoff spot.
The biggest reason for the Flames’ success this season is that, while they don’t score many goals, they also don’t give up a whole lot. Rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf has been sensational and is very much in the Calder Trophy conversation. Meanwhile, many defencemen, most notably MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson, have done a fantastic job at limiting opposing team’s offensive stars. Whether their strong first half is sustainable over the remainder of the season remains to be seen, but it’s been impressive for a group that nobody envisioned making the playoffs this year.
Minnesota Wild
For many years, the Minnesota Wild have been a perfectly average team. They always seem to be right on the playoff cusp, either just narrowly getting in or missing by a few points. It’s been a long time since they’ve felt like a true threat, and while they weren’t projected by most to be in 2024-25, they are certainly looking like one now.
Thanks in large part to Kirill Kaprizov’s 50 points through 34 games, the Wild sit fourth in the NHL standings. Part of that is also due to the play of both Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy, both of whom are nearly point-per-game players through the first half of the season. Filip Gustavsson also deserves a ton of credit, and could hear his name brought up in Vezina chatter if he continues his strong play throughout the second half.
Honorable mentions: Winnipeg Jets, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets
The Bad
New York Rangers
The Rangers have been one of the NHL’s best teams in recent years, and entered 2024-25 with Stanley Cup aspirations after being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final last season. Things started out well for them in 2024-25, but have quickly spiraled downhill to the point that they could end up being a bottom-five team.
There is plenty of blame to go around in this downfall. General manager Chris Drury didn’t help things with the Jacob Trouba situation, and the speculation that names such as Chris Kreider were available seems to have rocked the dressing room. Meanwhile, Mika Zibanejad has really struggled up front, and Igor Shesterkin hasn’t been anywhere close to the elite goalie everybody has come to know him as.
Nashville Predators
Thanks to an incredible run down the stretch of the 2023-24 season, the Nashville Predators were expected to be a competitive team in 2024-25. Expectations skyrocketed dramatically after the signings of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, to the point many believed the Preds were a Stanley Cup contender.
Instead, the Preds got off to a horrendous start, and haven’t been able to recover at all since. They sit 30th in the NHL standings, and their new additions have been quite disappointing. Given how big of a disaster the season has been, it wouldn’t be surprising to see general manager Barry Trotz sell off some pieces in the summer and choose to enter a rebuild.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are currently holding a playoff spot, but barely. As mentioned, the Flames are just one point behind them, and others such as the St. Louis Blues and Utah Hockey Club remain in striking distance. This wasn’t at all what Canucks fans envisioned entering the 2024-25 season.
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The Canucks have certainly been impacted by injuries, but that isn’t their only concern. There have been many reports of a rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, which has gotten all sorts of attention from the media and may be distracting this team. They’ve been able to keep things from falling off the rails completely so far, but it’s been a very disappointing first half from the reigning Pacific Division champions.
Honorable Mentions: Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres
Exciting Second Half Ahead
There have already been some incredible storylines to the 2024-25 season, and there is still plenty of runway left to go. While some of the NHL’s top teams are expected to continue succeeding, it’s always possible another blowup similar to the Rangers lies ahead. It’s also very possible that a team outside the playoff picture makes a ridiculous surge to put themselves back in the race. Regardless of the outcomes, it should continue to be a great season.
