Who’s in and who’s out if NHL playoffs started today
By Tyler Brown
Eastern Conference Wild Cards
1. New Jersey Devils
Hands up if you thought the Devils would be a playoff team this year? New Jersey (34-26-8) was thought to be a long shot going into the season, but after a hot start that saw the Devils in first in the Metro early on, they find themselves in the first wild-card slot after coming back to earth in the second half.
Taylor Hall has made Edmonton fans rue Adam Larsson’s name with his Hart Trophy-deserving season, and a contingent of youngsters led by Will Butcher and Nico Hischier has made the Devils a hard team to beat night in night out.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus (35-28-5) has gone another route. Expected to be a strong contender this season, the Blue Jackets have taken a step back in John Tortarella’s second year behind the bench. A disappointing campaign from Alexander Wennberg and a bit of a regression from last years rookie sensation Zack Werenski have Columbus a little further done the table than many expected. However, the emergence of rookie Pierre Luc Dubois and the continued success of Artemi Panarin has made believers out of those who just want there to be more cannon fire in the Stanley Cup playoffs.