As the NHL season rolls into its second half, the playoff picture is starting to take shape-and in the Central Division, the top of the pack is beginning to separate itself from the rest. The Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars are leading the charge, showing the kind of consistency and depth that makes them legitimate postseason threats. But just below that top tier, things are getting interesting.
The Utah Mammoth are putting together a promising campaign, hanging around the Wild Card mix and giving fans something to rally around in what’s shaping up to be a competitive Western Conference playoff race. But they’re not the only ones trying to claw their way into contention.
Keep an eye on the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets-two teams that stumbled out of the gate but are now quietly climbing the standings. Neither squad was expected to make much noise this season, but with a few timely wins and some momentum, they’re suddenly in the conversation.
On a recent segment of Daily Faceoff LIVE, analysts Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton broke down which of these teams might actually have a shot to sneak into the postseason-and which ones might be better off staying the course and thinking long term.
Hutton leaned toward the Predators as the more likely team to keep pushing. His reasoning?
Nashville is playing loose, with little pressure and even fewer expectations. That kind of freedom can be dangerous-in a good way.
They’re not supposed to be here, and that makes them a tough out. Hutton also raised a valid point about the Jets: there’s more pressure in Winnipeg, and with that pressure comes the possibility of management making moves that shift the focus away from the playoff race and toward the future.
For the Jets, the situation is a bit more complicated. Yaremchuk noted that earlier this season, fans were bracing for a potential lottery pick.
Now, with a few wins under their belt, there’s a glimmer of hope-especially if Connor Hellebuyck can catch fire down the stretch. But that hope comes with a warning: if Winnipeg makes a late push and still misses the playoffs by a handful of points, they might find themselves stuck in that dreaded middle ground-no postseason, and no high draft pick either.
That’s the risk for both teams, really. Get too close to the playoff bubble and you might talk yourself into standing pat at the trade deadline. That could mean missing out on valuable assets in return for expiring contracts or veterans who might not be part of the long-term plan.
For Nashville, the stakes might be a little lower. If they fall short, they weren’t expected to be there anyway. But for Winnipeg, a near-miss could sting-not just for the missed opportunity, but for what it could mean in terms of draft positioning and roster construction moving forward.
Bottom line: both teams are trending in the right direction, but there’s a fine line between chasing the postseason and compromising the bigger picture. The next few weeks will be telling.
Will the Predators keep riding their underdog momentum? Will the Jets stick or twist as the deadline approaches?
In the Central Division, the top teams are pulling away-but the battle just below them might end up being just as compelling.