Training camps have barely settled into their rhythm, but eight Western Conference clubs that missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are already carrying clear questions into 2026-27: Who supplies the extra goals, who stabilizes the crease, and which new faces can turn a spring exit into meaningful hockey in April?
Carolina’s run to the Stanley Cup is the reminder every one of these teams needs. The route to June starts with getting into the tournament, and the Flames, Blackhawks, Predators, Sharks, Kraken, Blues, Canucks and Jets each have a case to make that the gap can close.
Calgary Flames
Calgary finished 34-39-9, 13 points shy of the second wild-card berth, after a 5-9-2 stretch early in 2026 turned a one-point deficit into an 11-point hole. It was a fourth consecutive playoff miss.
The blue line has been the summer priority. Simon Nemec arrived from the New Jersey Devils on June 23 for two conditional first-round picks after putting up career highs of 11 goals, 15 assists and 26 points in 68 games. The 22-year-old right shot averaged 19:40 per night and could inherit regular power-play work in Calgary.
Jake Middleton came over from the Minnesota Wild on July 2 in the deal that sent Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta the other way. Middleton brings a hard edge: 87 hits and 117 blocked shots in 75 games last season, along with penalty-killing value.
A full year from Zayne Parekh, plus a larger role for Nemec, could give the Flames more transition skill and more bite from the back end. Matvei Gridin had six goals and 20 points in 37 rookie games and joins Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato and Connor Zary in a young forward group that needs to grow quickly. Mikael Backlund remains an important veteran piece, while Jonathan Huberdeau is expected back from hip resurfacing surgery.
The hinge is Dustin Wolf. He was second in Calder Trophy voting in 2024-25 after a 2.64 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and three shutouts in 53 appearances. His numbers slipped to 3.01 and .899 over 57 games last season, including 55 starts. Better work from Wolf, a deeper defense and more than last season’s League-low 2.54 goals per game would put Calgary back in the wild-card conversation.
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago was still holding the first wild card on Nov. 18, then lost 14 of its next 17 games and spiraled to the bottom of the conference. The 29-39-14 finish left the Blackhawks 18 points out and extended their playoff drought to six seasons.
The biggest addition is Bowen Byram, acquired from the Buffalo Sabres for the No. 4 selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. Chicago followed the trade with a six-year, $75 million extension beginning next season, carrying a $12.5 million annual cap hit. Byram, 25, set personal NHL highs with 11 goals and 42 points in 82 games, and the Blackhawks see room for more than he could show behind Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo. He is expected to take top-pair minutes and run the first power-play unit.
Patrick Kane is also back in Chicago on a two-year, $16 million contract. At 37, the winger still supplied 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season. His return reconnects the club with a player central to the Cup-winning teams of 2010, 2013 and 2015.
The Blackhawks will have to navigate the opening weeks without captain Connor Bedard, who is projected to miss time until November following shoulder surgery. Once cleared, Bedard could center Roman Kantserov and Kane. Kantserov is coming off a KHL-leading 36 goals in 63 games, while Anton Frondell enters his first full NHL season after collecting nine points in 12 games following Djurgarden’s Swedish Hockey League schedule.
Bedard, Frondell and Frank Nazar give Chicago speed through the middle. Kantserov, Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, Sacha Boisvert and possibly 2024 first-rounder Marek Vanacker add to a group that also includes Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen. Spencer Knight has been trending toward front-line status in net. If the defense can improve on the 30.0 shots allowed per game from last season, a wild-card push is not out of reach.
Nashville Predators
Nashville was four points behind the second wild card after a 38-34-10 season, but the margin was slimmer late. The Predators held a one-point edge over the Los Angeles Kings with four games remaining before losing two of three and seeing their hopes end April 13.
Chris MacFarland took over as general manager June 2 and immediately reshaped the roster. His dealings with the Colorado Avalanche brought Ross Colton and Jack Drury to Nashville, with Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux included in the returns to Colorado. Nils Hoglander arrived from Vancouver, Adam Edstrom from the New York Rangers, Alex Kerfoot signed for two years on July 1, and a trade with the Dallas Stars added Mavrik Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin.
The established spine remains formidable: Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg up front; Roman Josi on defense; Juuse Saros in goal. Drury and Colton also bring substantial playoff experience.
Bourque could earn a top-six assignment after posting career bests of 20 goals, 21 assists and 41 points in 82 games at age 24. Matthew Wood, Reid Schaefer, Joakim Kemell and 19-year-old Brady Martin give Nashville a young group capable of affecting the lineup.
Saros is the central variable. His .894 save percentage in 59 games was the lowest of his NHL career, continuing a two-season dip from his usual standard. A return to form from Saros, coupled with growth from the younger skaters, gives the Predators enough to remain in the wild-card fight.
San Jose Sharks
San Jose briefly grabbed the second wild card with a four-game winning streak on April 2, then lost four of its next five and was eliminated April 13. The Sharks finished 39-35-8, four points short of the cut line, but the summer work was aimed squarely at making them much harder to play against.
Jacob Trouba signed for four years, while Darnell Nurse arrived from the Edmonton Oilers and Michael Kesselring from the Buffalo Sabres. Trouba registered 143 hits and 149 blocks last season, joining a four-player NHL group to reach at least 140 in both categories. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound defenseman also scored 10 goals, tied for the second-best total of his 13-season career.
Nurse, listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, led Edmonton defensemen with 137 hits for a fifth straight year. Kesselring, 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, was limited by lower-body injuries to two assists in 34 games last season, but had seven goals and 29 points in 82 games for Utah in 2024-25.
The trio replaces Vincent Desharnais, now with Washington, Mario Ferraro, now with Winnipeg, and departed free agents John Klingberg and Nick Leddy. Their work must lower a shots-against rate of 29.6 per game, tied for sixth highest in the NHL, and lift a penalty kill that ranked tied for 26th at 76.4 percent.
Those improvements would lighten the workload for Yaroslav Askarov, who faced 31.0 shots per 60 minutes, second most among NHL goalies appearing in at least 30 games.
The Sharks also need someone to share the scoring load with Macklin Celebrini. The 20-year-old finished fourth in the NHL with 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games, more production than San Jose’s next two scorers combined. Development from Will Smith, Michael Misa or No. 2 overall pick Ivar Stenberg would help. So would Mason Marchment, a two-time 20-goal scorer who signed a five-year, $33.75 million deal with a $6.75 million cap hit July 1. If the scoring broadens, San Jose has the foundation to contend for a top-three Pacific Division position rather than merely chase a wild card.
Seattle Kraken
Seattle stood third in the Pacific Division on March 2 before a 2-7-1 skid across the next 10 games pulled it out of the race. The Kraken ended 34-37-11, 11 points back of the second wild card, and were eliminated April 11.
Mackie Samoskevich is the notable new forward. Acquired from the Florida Panthers and signed to a three-year, $11.55 million contract on July 1, the 23-year-old should receive the ice time and power-play opportunity that were limited in Florida. He had 12 goals and 32 points in 77 games, but ranked ninth among Panthers forwards playing at least 30 games with a 14:28 average ice time and seventh in power-play usage at 2:06 per game.
Seattle needs that chance to translate. The club was 28th in scoring at 2.73 goals per game and tied for 19th on the power play at 19.5 percent.
Jordan Eberle, Jared McCann and Matty Beniers are back after 20-goal seasons, and Bobby McMann gives the club a full year after scoring 10 times in 18 games following his March 6 arrival from Toronto. Berkly Catton had seven goals and 17 points in 66 games as a 20-year-old rookie. Jake O’Brien, selected eighth overall in 2025, is coming off 93 points in 53 Ontario Hockey League games, while Jagger Firkus had 21 goals and 56 points in 63 contests for Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League.
There is already dependable goaltending in Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, and the defensive base is sound. More finishing, particularly from the younger forwards and Samoskevich, is what Seattle needs to turn itself into a wild-card threat.
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis finished four points out after a season split sharply by the 2026 Winter Olympics. Before the break, the Blues went 20-28-9 for a .430 points percentage, 31st in the NHL. Afterward, they were 17-5-3 for a .740 rate, second in the League.
Alexander Steen became general manager July 1, succeeding Doug Armstrong, and inherited a reworked group. Mason McTavish came from Anaheim on June 26 for two 2026 first-round picks. The 23-year-old dropped from 22 goals and 52 points in 2024-25 to 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games last season, while his average ice time fell from 16:53 to 15:19. St. Louis is banking on a new setting to revive his 20-goal upside.
Connor McMichael also needs a bounce-back after coming from Washington in the Jordan Kyrou trade June 23. McMichael had 14 goals and 46 points in 78 games after recording 26 goals and 57 points the previous year. Brandon Carlo, acquired from the Maple Leafs, adds size alongside Colton Parayko and Philip Broberg. The 6-foot-5 Carlo was plus-4 on a team that finished with a minus-46 goal differential.
The departure of Kyrou, a three-time 30-goal scorer, removes a major source of offense. Still, the post-Olympic line of Dylan Holloway, Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud was dominant: Holloway posted 14 goals and 34 points after the break, Thomas had 14 goals and 31 points, and Snuggerud recorded 11 goals and 27 points. No other NHL team had three players reach at least 10 goals and 25 points apiece in that stretch.
Pavel Buchnevich, a seven-time 20-goal scorer, Jake Neighbours and Dalibor Dvorsky provide further options. Dvorsky scored 12 goals in 71 NHL games and added six points in six Olympic games for Slovakia. Otto Stenberg had 10 points in 32 NHL appearances, while Justin Carbonneau tied for the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League lead with 51 goals in 60 games for Blainville-Boisbriand.
Joel Hofer made a strong case for a larger role after the Olympics, going 12-2-2 with a 2.04 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 16 games. If the Blues can make their late-season level their standard rather than their exception, a playoff spot is within range.
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver’s 25-49-8 record left it 32 points behind the second wild card. A 11-17-3 opening 31 games put the season on the wrong track, and the Canucks were eliminated March 22.
The response was a wholesale change in hockey operations. Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin became co-presidents of hockey operations May 14, with Ryan Johnson appointed general manager. The Sedins had served in advisory roles since 2021, while Johnson had run Vancouver’s AHL affiliate since 2017 and oversaw Abbotsford’s Calder Cup-winning 2024-25 season.
Manny Malhotra, who coached that Abbotsford championship team, was named Vancouver coach June 1. He brings two years of AHL head-coaching experience after seven seasons as an assistant with the Canucks and Maple Leafs.
The recovery begins with Elias Pettersson. If healthy, the 27-year-old can build from his 17 points in 25 games after the Olympic break and work back toward the form that produced 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games in 2022-23. Brock Boeser recorded his seventh 20-goal season in nine years, and Jake DeBrusk reached 20 for the fourth time in five campaigns.
The key supporting steps must come from younger players. Marco Rossi posted eight goals and 22 points in 33 games after arriving from Minnesota in the Quinn Hughes trade on Dec. 12 and is expected to take on second-line center duties. Zeev Buium, also obtained in that deal, projects as a potential No. 1 defenseman at 20.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Liam Ohgren, Braeden Cootes and Tom Willander are all candidates to claim bigger roles. Cootes, the No. 15 pick in 2025, began last season in the NHL. A healthy Thatcher Demko remains essential in net. Vancouver is a long shot, but veteran production and a meaningful youth surge could give the new management group something to build on immediately.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg’s camp opens under the shadow of a goaltending rupture. Connor Hellebuyck, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner, was suspended after failing to report to training camp. The suspension followed his Aug. 27 announcement that he had requested a trade after the season.
Stuart Skinner is positioned to take the first turn as the new No. 1. He signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract on July 1, with a $3.75 million annual value. The 27-year-old’s recent results have varied, but he is one of only four NHL goalies — along with Frederik Andersen, Jake Oettinger and Andrei Vasilevskiy — to start at least three playoff games in each of the past three postseasons. Skinner helped Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, then was traded to Pittsburgh last season and started the Penguins’ first three playoff games while splitting duties with Arturs Silovs.
Finding a capable second option will matter. Thomas Milic, 23, had an .871 save percentage in three NHL appearances, including one start, last season and posted .905 in 41 AHL games with Manitoba. Domenic DiVincentiis, 22, went 13-16-2 with a 3.03 goals-against average, .896 save percentage and two shutouts in 34 AHL contests.
The Jets were 35-35-12 and eight points outside the second wild card last season. They started 9-3-0, then went 6-19-5 over the following 30 games to fall to last in the conference. Their elimination came April 13, a stark reversal one season after a franchise-record 56 wins and 116 points delivered the Presidents’ Trophy.
Hellebuyck’s situation changes the equation, but much of that 2024-25 core remains: Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk on the blue line, plus Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti up front. Winnipeg’s offense struggled last season, and Hellebuyck was below his usual standard. A rebound in scoring, a committed response around the new crease arrangement and steadier team play could still put the Jets back into the wild-card race.
After the horn
There is no single formula among these eight clubs. Calgary needs Wolf and its offense to rebound. Chicago is waiting on Bedard while placing major responsibility on Byram and Knight. Nashville needs Saros to reset, San Jose needs help for Celebrini, Seattle needs more finish, and St. Louis must carry its post-Olympic pace into a full season.
Vancouver is attempting a larger organizational reset, while Winnipeg must answer its biggest question in the crease without Hellebuyck at camp. In a crowded Western Conference, the teams that solve those issues early will give themselves a chance to play beyond the regular-season schedule.
