With about a month before the start of the 2026 NHL playoffs, there is still plenty up for grabs. Just about every playoff race remains undecided. Even teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, who have already clinched their postseason berths, continue jockeying for position.
But there’s one team that’s looking to defy the odds. That’s the Nashville Predators. Conventional wisdom regarding NHL playoffs suggests that teams not in a playoff spot by Thanksgiving in the United States have a minuscule chance of making it all.
Those chances dwindle even further as the season enters its final month. Independent research by RG Media found that there’s only about an 8.5% chance of making the postseason after not being in a playoff spot at the beginning of the final month.
That’s why the Predators’ push to make the NHL playoffs has been so remarkable. Entering Tuesday night’s action, the Preds are in the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, two full points ahead of the LA Kings.
That’s a tremendous turn of events for a team that was selling off pieces at the NHL trade deadline. The belief was that the Predators were cutting bait and pretty much punting on the season. However, GM Barry Trotz’s reluctance to trade veteran pieces like Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos has paid off.
But there’s actually more to the Predators’ push for the NHL playoffs than meets the eye.
Making NHL Playoffs Depends on Proximity
According to RG Media’s research, it’s almost unheard of for a team ranked 10th or lower in their conference to rally and make the NHL playoffs.
But that’s exactly what the Predators are looking to do. On March 7, the day after the trade deadline, the Preds were 11th in the West. They had a record of 28-27-8 for 64 points. They were tied with the Kings, but actually ranked lower due to the higher number of regulation losses.
From there, the Predators have chipped away at the difference. Seven games later, they’re on pace to make the NHL playoffs with a 3-28-9 mark for 75 points. As such, the Preds have picked up 11 of a possible 14 points to earn their current spot in the second wildcard position.
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The last time a team rallied to make the NHL playoffs after being out was the New York Islanders in 2023-24. The Islanders rallied from three points out to jump from 10th place to sixth in the Eastern Conference that season.
The year before, the Florida Panthers made up a five-point gap to earn a wild card spot. Of course, that season the Panthers went on a ridiculous run to make the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in the last three seasons.
If a team rallying to make the NHL playoffs seems like an annual ritual, it’s actually not. During the salary cap era, it’s happened only 23 times. And it has happened every season. In fact, the numbers seem a little high, as there were some seasons in which several teams rallied. For instance, during the 2018-19 season, three teams rallied. The St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks, and the Panthers all rallied.
Those 2019 NHL playoffs were one for the ages, as the Blues came back from last overall to win it all.
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