Three U.S. NHL Non-Playoff Teams That Should Make Them Next Season
The NHL playoffs are underway with significant turnover from last year.
The Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks, and Utah Mammoth all clinched spots this year after missing out in 2025.
That meant some teams disappointed and missed the playoffs. However, next season will offer a clean slate for those clubs, and they will be looking to take advantage.
Because of this, let's look at three U.S. non-playoff teams that should bounce back and make the post-season next year.
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Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings looked like a clear playoff team ahead of the NHL Olympic break, sitting third in the Atlantic Division with a 33-19-6 record.
However, after finishing the season with an 8-12-4 record in their final 24 games, the Red Wings extended their playoff drought to 10 years.
There is no question that frustration is at an all-time high in Detroit right now. While many Red Wings fans are pessimistic about the team's future, they still have the potential to finally snap their playoff drought next season.
The Red Wings not only have a strong core of proven NHL-caliber players, such as Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, but also promising young players who could hit new levels next season.
A few include Marco Kasper, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
The Red Wings do need much better center depth to improve their chances of making the playoffs, but a lot of the puzzle pieces are in place.
With this, the Red Wings could very well be next year's Sabres and end a lengthy playoff drought.
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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 1:00 PM.