原文标题：How 8 Western Conference teams can get back into Stanley Cup Playoffs
NHL.com continues its preview of the 2024-25 season.
For the eight Western Conference teams that missed the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, their goal since the regular season ended has been determining how to extend their season into June, like the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers did.
So how can those teams take the next step? As training camps continue, NHL.com today examines why fans of the eight teams can hold onto their playoff hopes (teams listed in alphabetical order):
ANAHEIM DUCKS
Last season: 27-50-5, 39 points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Ducks lost 13 of 14 games (0-13-1) from Nov. 15-Dec. 15, dropping them to last place in the Pacific Division, and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth straight season.
Biggest offseason change: The Ducks are expected to move two of their top prospects into full-time roles this season. Forward Cutter Gauthier had an assist in his NHL debut April 18 after he led NCAA players with 38 goals and was second with 65 points in 41 games as a sophomore at Boston College last season. The 20-year-old could start the season as a top-six left wing. Defenseman Olen Zellweger tied for third among American Hockey League rookie defenseman with 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists) in 44 games with San Diego last season and had nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 26 NHL games. The 21-year-old left-handed shot should be a key part of the power play.
Why they could get in: The Ducks' young players took solid steps last season, including forward Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old dealt with injuries but averaged 0.53 points per game, sixth among rookies to play at least 50 games last season. There was solid progress from forward Mason McTavish, 21, and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, 20, as well as still young but experienced forwards Trevor Zegras, 23, and Troy Terry, 27. The Ducks have smartly added solid veterans around them, including forwards Alex Killorn, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, and defensemen Radko Gudas and Brian Dumoulin, who was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken on July 2. It might be a stretch for it to happen this season, especially with goalie John Gibson expected to miss the start of the season recovering from an appendectomy Sept. 26. But if that young talent continues to progress and bring energy on a nightly basis, there's a chance the Ducks could compete for a wild card.
CALGARY FLAMES
Last season: 38-39-5, 17 points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Flames managed to stay close to a wild card spot for most of the season but finished 9-14-0 and missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Biggest offseason change: Anthony Mantha signed a one-year contract July 1, with the hope that he can build on the 23 goals he scored in 74 games with the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights last season. It was the third 20-goal season of Mantha's NHL career, but first since 2018-19. Calgary tied for 18th in scoring (3.09 goals per game) and tied for 25th on the power play (17.9 percent) last season, areas Mantha should be able to improve. Mantha played 1:39 on the power play last season but averaged 1.48 power-play goals and 3.95 power-play points per 60 minutes.
Why they could get in: The Flames are trying to reset on the fly following the trades last season of defenseman Nikita Zadorov and forward Elias Lindholm, and the offseason trades of goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Andrew Mangiapane. But there's still a good amount of talent in Calgary. Forward Yegor Sharangovich broke out with 31 goals and Andrei Kuzmenko scored 14 goals in 29 games last season after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the Lindholm trade. Nazem Kadri led Calgary with 75 points and offseason acquisitions Mantha and forward Ryan Lomberg, who won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season, make them even deeper. Dustin Wolf's potential as a No. 1 goalie made Markstrom expendable. The 23-year-old was the best goalie and most valuable player in the American Hockey League in 2022-23 and finished last season in Calgary, going 6-4-0 with a .902 save percentage in 11 games after being recalled from the AHL on March 12. If Wolf can maintain that level and the scoring picks up with Mantha, a full season with Kuzmenko and the potential emergence of young forwards Connor Zary 23, and Matt Coronato, 21, the Flames could be in the hunt for a wild card, or even a top-three spot in the Pacific Division.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Last season: 23-53-6, 46 points out of second wild card
How it ended: A rough start to the season (11-23-2, .333 points percentage) got worst after the calendar flipped to 2024 (12-30-4, .304 points percentage) and Chicago finished last in the Central Division for the second straight season.
Biggest offseason change: The Blackhawks invested heavily in experienced players to support center Connor Bedard and their young core. That includes signing free agent forwards Teuvo Teravainen (three years) and Tyler Bertuzzi (four years), who could step into top-six roles. Teravainen won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks as a rookie in 2015 and returns after scoring an NHL career-best 25 goals last season, his fourth 20-goal season in eight with the Carolina Hurricanes. Bertuzzi scored 21 goals with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. On defense Alec Martinez, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, signed a one-year contract and TJ Brodie signed a two-year contract.
Why they could get in: Bedard lived up to the hype surrounding his entrance to the NHL, leading the Blackhawks and NHL rookies with 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games and winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. With another season of experience and physical development, the 19-year-old should push his offensive production even higher. And now he'll have more help around him, especially with Teravainen, Bertuzzi, Patrick Maroon and Craig Smith joining Nick Foligno and a healthy Taylor Hall, who is returning from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee sustained in November. Defenseman Artyom Levshunov (6-foot-2, 208 pounds), the No. 2 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, has NHL-ready size and strength after he led NCAA freshman defensemen with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 38 games at Michigan State. Levshunov, Martinez and Brodie add depth to a defense group that includes Seth Jones, Alex Vlasic, Connor Murphy and Kevin Korchinski, who tied for third among NHL rookie defensemen with five goals last season. The Blackhawks might still be a season or two away from returning to playoff contention, but if the veterans play to their previous levels and Bedard and the other young players take a step forward, Chicago could be a surprise contender.
MINNESOTA WILD
Last season: 39-34-9, 11 points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Wild lost 14 of their first 19 games (5-10-4), including seven straight when coach Dean Evason was fired Nov. 27 and replaced by John Hynes. They went 34-24-5 after the coaching change but the early deficit was too much to recover from.
Biggest offseason change: A full training camp for Hynes to implement his systems could be the difference between watching the playoffs and participating in them. After Hynes took over the Wild scored more (3.05 goals per game, up from 2.95) and allowed significantly less (2.94, down from 3.95). Kirill Kaprizov, who scored six goals in his first 19 games, had 40 in his final 56; Matt Boldy had one goal in 12 games when Evason was fired, then scored 28 in his final 63. The most significant changes on the ice were to the bottom-six forward group, where Jakub Lauko was acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins and free agent Yakov Trenin signed a four-year contract. They are expected to add speed and physicality, with Lauko finishing second on the Bruins last season with 176 hits despite averaging 9:49 of ice time in 60 games, and Trenin finishing third among Nashville Predators forwards with 170 hits in 60 games.
Why they could get in: The Wild had the seventh-most points in the Western Conference after the coaching change, and with a core group that includes Kaprizov, Boldy and forwards Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek, plus defensemen Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber, Minnesota looks like a team that could halt its playoff drought at just one season. The play of goalies Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury could determine if the Wild are able to compete for a top-three spot in the Central Division or a wild card.
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