Which Eastern Conference team outside the playoff picture is capable of a late surge?

For the NHL teams that have been treading water this season, shuffling along outside of the playoff picture, the moment has come to change their mindset from “we still have time” to “the time is now.” With roughly a month and a half left in the NHL’s regular season, underperforming teams with playoff aspirations had better flip the proverbial switch sooner rather than later if they want to see playoff hockey this year.

In the Eastern Conference, there are a handful of teams that made the playoffs last season, expected to make the playoffs this season, but are currently on the outside looking in. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals, among others, are all counting on late-season pushes to get themselves back into a playoff spot by the end of the season.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discussed which Eastern Conference team currently outside of the playoff picture is most likely to earn their way back into the postseason.

Tyler Yaremchuk: You take a look here at the road to 91 points, which we think is going to be that cutline in the Eastern Conference with how tight things are, the Leafs even going 14-10 might not be good enough. When you look at this list here, is there one of these teams that you like to go on a surge here in the next little bit?

Carter Hutton: I think the Washington Capitals are the easiest one. I look at them, I look at the boost they’re going to get when I think about where they’re at as a team; their experience, the veteran leadership in that locker room. I think Tom Wilson, what he did at the Olympics is going to surge him.

The x-factor for me is going to be Logan Thompson for the Capitals. He is a goalie that has played so well, and I look at the bump that he is going to get from being around better players and practicing at that level. He was great last night, it was a huge win in Philly. I think for Logan Thompson, just taking away from the speed that you’re seeing at that level, and you come back to the NHL and it’s a bit of a step down. Something that I noticed, and not to the same scale, but every time early in my career I’d go up to the NHL and I’d get sent back down to the American League, it’s like somebody turned the speed down. I think that just gains confidence for a goalie of his caliber. In their situation, I think they’re going to press, so I look for the Caps to be that team to really push.

You can catch the full discussion and the rest of Thursday’s episode here…