The NHL regular season is nearing its conclusion and the race for the Stanley Cup will soon begin as 16 teams aim to be the sport’s next champion. The world of hockey dominated headlines over the last few months due to Alex Ovechkin’s quest to become the top goal-scorer in NHL history, and also the wildly successful 4-Nations Faceoff tournament. In terms of team success, we’ve seen plenty of teams overachieve and underachieve relative to their preseason expectations.
Here, we’ll look at some of the top overachievers and underachievers in the league this year relative to their preseason standings points lines. Preseason odds are courtesy of Caesars.
NHL’s biggest overachievers
Some teams, like the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes, were expected to be among the top teams in the NHL this year, and they backed that up with their play. Others, like the teams below, exceeded expectations with their performances this year, including the two top teams in each conference.
Washington Capitals
- Preseason over/under: 89.5
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Current points: 111
The Capitals had a lot of eyes on them this year as Alex Ovechkin marched towards Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, eventually surpassing The Great One earlier this month. But the Caps were also one of the more overachieving teams relative to preseason expectations and are well Over their 89.5 points line at 111, good for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Ovechkin set the all-time record, but Washington also got career years from Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome, who finished second and fourth, respectively, in goals on the team, with Strome pacing the Caps in total points.
Winnipeg Jets
- Preseason over/under: 95.5
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Current points: 116
Who had the Jets playing this well this year? They easily went Over their 95.5 points line at 116, the best in the league to earn the Presidents’ Trophy. Arguably the most balanced team in the league, Winnipeg’s defense is anchored by Connor Hellebuyck, the top goaltender in the world. He, naturally, is a big reason why the Jets have allowed the fewest goals in the league this season. The offense has scored the third-most goals, with five 60-point scorers, led by Kyle Connor’s 97.
Vegas Golden Knights
- Preseason over/under: 97.5
- Current points: 110
Jack Eichel has been the star the Golden Knights were looking for when they traded for him four years ago, putting together his best scoring campaign with 28 goals and 94 points. Adin Hill has been great in net for Vegas all year, allowing 2.47 goals per game with a .906 save percentage. Vegas ranked in the top five in goals scored and allowed en route to a Pacific Division title.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- Preseason over/under: 67.5
- Current points: 89
The Blue Jackets entered this season with heavy hearts after the tragic death of star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother. Columbus was expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this season, but the Blue Jackets emerged as a surprise playoff contender, ending the year at 89 standings points, well over their preseason odds of 67.5. The Blue Jackets just missed a playoff berth, staying in contention until the second-to-last day of the season. Columbus had a lot of success scoring, ranking 10th in goals, but the team lacked defensively, allowing the 25th-most goals this year.
NHL’s biggest underachievers
While the above teams are all walking away from the regular season feeling good about themselves, the same can’t be said for any of these underachieving squads, all of which missed the playoffs this year.
Boston Bruins
- Preseason over/under: 99.5
- Final points: 76
The Bruins moved on from Jim Montgomery, who’d coached the team to 135 points two years ago and 109 last season, during the season and also traded captain and longtime team fixture Brad Marchand to Florida. Some regression from consecutive 100-point seasons wasn’t out of the question for the Bruins this season, but few likely saw them being one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference.
Nashville Predators
- Preseason over/under: 98.5
- Current points: 68
The Predators were seen as a prime playoff contender in the West entering this season, but that didn’t materialize this year with Nashville finishing the season as one of the worst teams in the conference. The Peds scored the second-fewest goals in the NHL and had just four skaters record at least 40 goals, and the team also allowed the sixth-most goals in the league.
New York Rangers
- Preseason over/under: 100.5
- Current points: 85
The Rangers were expected to contend for a top playoff spot in the East this season, especially after recording 114 points and the Presidents’ Trophy last season. Instead, they were fighting for a wild card spot towards the end of the year before ultimately falling short. New York ranked in the top half of the NHL in goals scored but were below average in goals allowed with goaltender Igor Shesterkin having the worst save percentage of his career at .905% and goals allowed mark at 2.86.
Seattle Kraken
- Preseason over/under: 87.5
- Final points: 76
New head coach Dan Byslma didn’t change the Kraken’s fortunes this year as the NHL’s newest franchise missed the postseason for the third time in its four years of existence. The Kraken traded Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brandon Tanev at the deadline in a move towards the future. On the brighter side, former first-round pick Shane Wright enjoyed a solid season despite limited minutes, while trade pickup Kaapo Kakko emerged as a key piece while having his most NHL success with his new team.
Chicago Blackhawks
- Preseason over/under: 73.5
- Final points: 61
Expectations were always low for Chicago, even with former No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard, but the Blackhawks have been the second-worst team in the league this year and fired head coach Luke Richardson in December after an abysmal start to the season. Bedard is still a top young player in the game, though he didn’t take as big of a step forward in Year 2 as expected. The Blackhawks still have a ways to go to be a contender in the West.
