Some NHL teams that were picked to do well this season ended up missing the playoffs, disappointing all of us.
Even though the 2017-18 Stanley Cup playoffs are underway, it’s never too late to look back at some NHL teams from this season that have a lot of talent but didn’t make the playoffs.
There were also some playoff teams from the 2016-17 season that took a major step back and finished at the bottom of the league this season, as well. (We’re looking at you, Calgary.)
Here’s a look at the five most disappointing NHL teams from this past season.
5. St. Louis Blues
The Blues started off the season as one of the best teams in the league, and remained at the top of the standings for over half of the season until their slide began. It was before the trade deadline that things started to go south for the Blues. They lost seven in a row, four of those games coming on the road, and they traded Paul Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets because of it. Doug Armstrong was sending a message to his team saying that he was not going to be a buyer at this year’s deadline.
They ended up missing the playoffs by just one point as they lost their season finale to the Colorado Avalanche, who went on to play the Nashville Predators.
This is a Blues team with a lot of talent and to miss the playoffs with players such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Colton Parayko, Alex Pietrangelo, Alexander Steen, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn is a giant step back.
Schenn had a career year for the Blues with 28 goals and 70 points, and he ended up leading the team in points. There have been some rumors that Armstrong will be aggressive this summer, and who can blame him? They need to strike some deals to improve if they are to be a cup contender again.