Three US NHL Teams Poised for a Comeback Next Season
The NHL playoffs arrived with notable turnover from last season. Several clubs that missed the 2025 post-season returned this year.
Teams that clinched berths after missing out in 2025 included the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks and Utah Mammoth.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers entered the year as recent back-to-back Stanley Cup winners. They fell to third-last in the Eastern Conference.
- Record: 40-38-4.
- Aleksander Barkov missed the entire season with torn ACL and MCL.
- Matthew Tkachuk did not return until mid-January.
Key contributors also missed extended time. Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Seth Jones were among them.
No Panther played all 82 games this season. Forwards who reached at least 75 games posted under 60 points.
- Carter Verhaeghe: 55 points in 77 games.
- Sam Bennett: 58 points in 76 games.
If the roster gets healthier, a rebound seems likely. The team’s performance was driven largely by injury misfortune.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils began the season with high expectations. They finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division.
- Record: 42-37-3.
- Core players: Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Luke Hughes.
Offseason moves should focus on scoring depth. The club must also decide on Dougie Hamilton and Simon Nemec.
Jacob Markstrom loomed as a major X-factor this year. The 36-year-old posted a .883 save percentage and a 3.07 goals-against average in 44 games.
For context, Markstrom averaged a .900 save percentage and a 2.50 GAA in 2024-25. A return to those numbers would materially help New Jersey.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit looked like a clear playoff team before the Olympic break. They stood third in the Atlantic with a 33-19-6 record at that point.
The finish evaporated. The Red Wings went 8-12-4 over their final 24 games.
The losing stretch extended Detroit’s playoff drought to 10 years. That reality has raised fan frustration.
- Established core: Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider.
- Young talents: Marco Kasper, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Nate Danielson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
Center depth remains the team’s chief concern. If that improves, Detroit could end its decade-long drought next year.
Outlook
These three U.S. NHL clubs appear poised to mount a comeback in the next season. Each team has clear strengths and definable fixes.
Health, goaltending stability and depth additions will likely determine their fates. Expect aggressive off-season work across all three rosters.
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