We’re into the ultimate stretch of the 2024-25 common season, with simply 10 video games or much less separating nearly all of golf equipment from the playoffs.
And even this near the post-season, a lot of the playoff image continues to be being pieced collectively. Whereas the heavyweights have all however secured their tickets to the dance, there’s nonetheless seeding to be decided, division champions to be topped, and the wild-card race in every convention continues to be very a lot alive.
Even past this closing slate of the common season, there’s one other issue impacting our potential to get a way of what the 2025 playoffs will actually appear like — the damage record.
On both facet of the bracket, there are key names nonetheless ready on the sidelines, their potential returns looming over their golf equipment’ possibilities of stitching collectively a deep run this Spring. That in thoughts, for this version of Playoff Push, we’re checking in on a number of notable damage conditions affecting playoff hopefuls in every convention, and the way they may impact the post-season:
The Panthers’ damage scenario appears about to show, with commerce deadline acquisition Brad Marchand practically able to debut together with his new membership. The veteran’s arrival amounted to one of many extra surprising deadline swings — within the weeks since, a lot has been made from what precisely the Cats could appear like with the longtime Bruin within the fold, notably with each he and Sam Benett working in tandem to convey distress on the opposition. An upper-body damage that knocked Marchand out of the Bruins lineup proper earlier than the deadline has delayed the fireworks, however it seems the previous B’s captain is slated to make his return Friday, sporting Florida colors for the primary time on a line with Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich.
After all, the much more urgent query relating to the Panthers’ damage scenario is that of Matthew Tkachuk’s standing. The center and soul of this Cats group, and certainly one of its most prolific scorers, there’s no query Florida is feeling Tkachuk’s absence. The Scottsdale, Ari., native has been sidelined since early February — in early March, it was introduced that he would miss the rest of the common season, with GM Invoice Zito saying the membership hopes to have him again for the playoffs. Simply how shortly No. 19 can get again into the lineup as soon as the playoffs start, and the way shortly he can discover his degree, will certainly be key in figuring out simply how far Florida goes in its title defence bid.
With 10 video games to go, the Maple Leafs discover themselves in an odd place — sitting first within the Atlantic, poised to doubtlessly win the division for the primary time, however with key query marks nonetheless hanging over them. An uneven week has exacerbated the confusion round what these Maple Leafs are, Toronto registering a dominant win over Philly and likewise coming undone in opposition to two of the league’s basement-dwellers, Nashville and San Jose. There’s solely a lot head coach Craig Berube can change earlier than the post-season arrives, however there may be one fascinating alteration that appears set to come back as soon as the playoffs start: the return of Max Pacioretty.
The 36-year-old has battled by way of injuries all season since signing a one-year pact with the Maple Leafs, and he’s been on the shelf with an undisclosed ailment since early February. Pacioretty hasn’t essentially lit it up when he has been within the lineup, however he’s put collectively some high quality stretches when he’s suited up, including some physicality to his sport this season. And he looms as one of the best potential answer to the membership’s largest concern at current — an absence of cohesion or id within the backside six. The membership’s cap scenario suggests Pacioretty gained’t be returning earlier than the common season concludes, however Berube prompt Friday there’s a great likelihood we’ll see him when the Maple Leafs take the ice within the first spherical.
It’s been two months since Kaiden Guhle suited up for an NHL sport. In late January, the Canadiens defender went down with a lacerated quadricep damage, present process a surgical procedure that appeared prone to finish his season. It was a hefty blow for the Habs, Guhle consuming greater than 21 minutes an evening on the Habs’ again finish as a pivotal piece of their high 4. However now, with Montreal holding on to a wild-card spot and searching prone to stay within the playoff combine come Recreation 82, it seems the 23-year-old could be nearing a return.
The Canadiens brass have been clear about their plan to apply endurance with Guhle, to make sure they don’t rush him again and threat upending his restoration, or jeopardizing his long-term future. Nonetheless, earlier this week, the blue-liner took half in his first full apply with the group since January, and is travelling with the membership on their highway journey down south. There’s a good likelihood the Canadiens will anticipate Guhle to get extra practices below his belt earlier than slotting him again into the lineup, however all indicators appear to level to the big-minute defender taking his place among the many Habs’ high 4, and offering a lift to the membership’s blue-line corps by the point the post-season rolls round.
The Dallas Stars may sit second within the Central, however there’s little query who ranks because the most-feared heavyweight within the West. Although the Jets have been rolling, and are certain to be a handful come playoff time, the Stars enter the post-season recent off back-to-back journeys to the Convention Closing, with a squad that appears much more harmful this time round. A lot was made from Dallas’s huge swings on the commerce deadline, most notably the transfer to usher in Mikko Rantanen to bolster the ahead corps. However two different key additions are ready within the wings. For the way dominant the Stars have seemed of late, they’ve needed to maintain down the fort with out two core items, as pivot Tyler Seguin and star blue-liner Miro Heiskanen have each been on the shelf for months. Key to the query of how far Dallas can go in 2025 has been that of after they may get their two All-Star skills again within the fold — and it seems we’ll quickly discover out, a minimum of for one of many pair.
Seguin has resumed practising with the membership, and is with the group on its present highway journey, ramping up for a return. Past No. 91’s personal impact, slotting him again into the lineup additionally doubtlessly brings some steadiness to the remainder of the Stars’ ahead corps, with Seguin prone to return to his spot alongside Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene, shifting the gifted Mikael Granlund right down to the underside six. Heiskanen seems additional away from a return, with head coach Pete DeBoer not too long ago suggesting the blue-liner could miss the primary spherical of the post-season. There’s no query getting the gifted rearguard again within the lineup could be a game-changer for Dallas, however it’s truthful to marvel how impactful he could be upon returning if compelled to leap into the chaos of the second spherical after two months on the sidelines.
Amid what’s already been a reasonably hectic season in Edmonton, the Oilers trustworthy got maybe the final information they needed to listen to down the house stretch of the common season: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have each been knocked out of the lineup. Neither scenario appears overly severe, with head coach Kris Knoblauch suggesting each gamers could miss a couple of week in whole. The captain has missed three tilts to this point with the damage, whereas Draisaitl has missed 4. The Oil have dropped to 3rd within the Pacific, in the meantime, however with a seven-point lead over the membership trailing them, Vancouver, they need to be capable of maintain onto their spot and lock up one more first-round date with the Los Angeles Kings whereas their offensive leaders heal up.
Larger image, although, it’s a worrying signal for these Oilers. The membership has seemed considerably out of types all season, the absence of the items misplaced within the low season obvious, and the newcomers introduced in to switch them winding up much less impactful than hoped. Whereas Nos. 97 and 29 have largely performed what they have an inclination to do, stacking factors at an all-world degree, the group round them has seemed much less regular than the one which clawed its approach to the Cup Closing a yr in the past. Worst-case state of affairs, the rash of injuries to core items — defender Mattias Ekholm and netminder Stuart Skinner are coping with minor points too, however don’t seem set to overlook a lot time — leaves the squad additional unsettled because it heads into the post-season. Finest-case state of affairs, the remaining permits McDavid and Draisaitl to hit the bottom operating when the playoffs arrive.
The Kirill Kaprizov Period in Minnesota has been a rollercoaster so far, the 27-year-old bursting onto the scene and pulling the Wild up as he’s made his title within the league, and 2024-25 has been no completely different. After lacking the post-season altogether final yr, the Wild have elbowed their method again into the combo, sitting pretty comfortably in a wild-card spot because the season winds right down to its closing month. However this time, they’ve needed to do it largely with out Kaprizov, who’s been sidelined since late January with a lower-body damage. Holding onto that spot and cementing their place within the post-season must come with out Kaprizov too, it appears, because the dynamic winger doesn’t seem near a return simply but.
That mentioned, Kaprizov did resume skating this week — as did centreman Joel Eriksson Ek, who’s been out a month himself with a lower-body damage of his personal. Head coach John Hynes made clear that the twin returns to the ice have been a part of the restoration course of however not a sign that both participant shall be again within the lineup any time quickly. The remainder of Minnesota’s management group has performed properly in taking the membership’s marketing campaign on their shoulders so far, however there’s no query the Wild’s post-season hopes hinge on No. 97’s return. Combating off Vancouver and Calgary to carry onto a wild-card spot is one factor, however staring down a first-round matchup with both Winnipeg or Vancouver in the event that they do get in, the Wild will want their talisman, Kaprizov, again to his high-flying methods in the event that they hope to creator an upset.
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