4 Non-Playoff Teams That Can Make the 2027 Postseason – The Hockey Writers – Previews and Predictions

The summer has flown by, and we can see the beginning of the regular season on the horizon. It is a time of hope for every team, and the dreams of a Stanley Cup run are running wild.

An interesting trend has developed over the past four seasons that teams on the outs should take note of: in three of the last four seasons, there were five playoff teams who made the cut that did not make it the season prior. That number was only three for the 2024 playoffs but still shows that there is room in the dance for new teams.

Going into 2026-27, one of the more interesting storylines will concern which teams are going to make the cut this season. While it feels like a stretch to see five new teams, there are four who should make it back to meaningful springtime hockey.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers are not only one of the best bets to return to the playoffs but should be on the shortlist of true contenders once again. Last season was an anomaly; the Panthers had come off three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final (with two wins) and had catastrophic injuries to a pair of major stars. No team can overcome that.

If anything, it was a blessing in disguise for the Panthers. They come back healthy, refreshed, and turned their top 10 pick into bruising power forward Brady Tkachuk. The Panthers now have one of the best top nine forward groups in the league and return a ton of battle-tested winners.

The only thing holding back the Panthers could be their situation in goal. Gone is Sergei Bobrovsky; in comes Jacob Markstrom. The former fell off hard so there should be that much of a drop-off. Besides, the Panthers have enough talent up and down the lineup that it shouldn’t matter.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals are likely facing Alex Ovechkin’s final season and don’t want to see his illustrious career end on a down note. Given what they’ve done this offseason, they appear ready to take a serious run at not only the playoffs, but the Metropolitan Division crown.

Adding Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou represents a massive boost to their top six. They should be one of the league’s best offensive teams and return one of the best goalies in the league in Logan Thompson.

The Capitals have some questions on defense but there is a lot to like about this team. The Metropolitan Division is relatively weak compared to their Eastern counterpart, the Atlantic Division, so there is room for the Capitals to take a leap.

Columbus Blue Jackets

This was an offseason the Blue Jackets would probably like back. They aren’t fully out of the woods yet given the fact that they need to give Adam Fantilli a contract. But with him in the fold, the Blue Jackets absolutely have the talent to make the playoffs.

They have a gamebreaker on defense in Zach Werenski and a budding star in goal in Jet Greaves. Kirill Marchenko may be on his way out but will likely be at his best given the fact that he’s playing for a contract.

The biggest thing the Blue Jackets need to shake is the stigma about the franchise. “Loser” franchises can’t get over their past until they finally break through (see: Buffalo Sabres). This young, talented group needs to build on their run after Rick Bowness stepped in behind the bench and put it together for 82 games.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks, on paper, have one of the most electric young teams in the game. They made some questionable decisions on the back end but are clearly better with Jacob Trouba, Darnell Nurse, and Michael Kesselring in the fold.

Offensively, the Sharks are absolutely loaded with young talent, led by what should be a perennial Hart Trophy candidate in Macklin Celebrini. They are deep, highly skilled, and have a few names poised for major breakouts.

The Sharks are banking on a lot of internal growth but have made enough veteran additions that it should work. How their contract management looks in two years is another question, but the Sharks could be one of the stories of the NHL in just a few months.

The Difference in Conferences Is Stark

The thing that really stands out when you look for potential playoff teams is the difference between the Eastern and Western Conferences. It took 90 points to make the playoffs in the Western Conference; 12 Eastern Conference teams hit at least the 92-point mark. The Atlantic Division, in particular, is filled to the brim with strong teams.

The playoff picture in the Western Conference feels like it did much of last season: a competition for the final two spots. The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, and Utah Mammoth feel like locks to return to the playoffs. Past that, it’s a ton of question marks.

We will see new playoff teams in the 2027 playoffs. It is just a matter of who takes a step back, who figures it out enough to make the cut, and how strong the true contenders are.