With just about three weeks left until the NHL's Olympic break starts, many of the league's teams will be involved in the playoff race in some form.
The Colorado Avalanche, who sit twelve points ahead of Dallas for the Central Division lead and twenty-six points deep into a top-three spot in the Central, can basically start thinking about playoff positioning and a push for their first Presidents Trophy since the 2020-21 season. In that same division, the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are close to being in Colorado's position; however, they still have to put some wins together in order to secure themselves a top-three finish (at the same time, it is starting to become likely that Dallas and Minnesota play each other in the opening round of the playoffs).
In the East, Carolina is starting to build itself a healthy gap for a top-three finish, but their battle for a second division title in four seasons is only just beginning. And don't get started about the Atlantic; despite the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning going on win streaks to gain control of the top two places, winning runs from the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs have put the top-three teams (Montreal, Tampa Bay, Detroit) in a precarious situation. And with a larger proportion of intra-divisional games set to come over the next month, there is a very good chance that the standings change dramatically before the Olympic break.
Each team will have their own case to succeed this month; however, here are the three teams viewers should be keeping an eye on as we hurtle towards the Olympics.
Anaheim Ducks
Remember when the Anaheim Ducks were contending for the division lead? Feels like just a few weeks ago? And what if I told you that itwasjust a few weeks ago? Crazy, right?
Even though they may be on a 2-9-2 run since December 15th, you can still remember the success they had through this passage!
Salesperson impression aside, the Ducks had been on a gradual descent after an 11-3-1 start to the season. While Anaheim was able to briefly redeem themselves after a run that saw them lose six of their final ten games in the month of November, the team has been in a complete slump since. An eight-game losing streak to bridge 2025 and 2026 has seen the Ducks fall out of the playoff spots entirely. To make matters worse, Edmonton, Seattle, and San Jose have all done well to capitalize off of Anaheim's struggles and dig themselves out of their respective early-season holes.
Why has Anaheim completely depreciated with regard to the playoff picture? At this rate, point the finger anywhere in the Ducks' locker room and you can make a solid argument as to why said player(s)/associated statistic(s) are contributing to the team's struggles.
On the defensive end of the ice, it isn't pretty. The Ducks have given up five goals or more in six of the eight games lost by Anaheim heading into their January 10th game in Buffalo; Anaheim also has conceded the most goals of any team in the entire NHL. It isn't just in the goals department; Stathletes determined that Anaheim concedes the fourth-most scoring chances of anyone in the entire NHL.
It doesn't get any better leading into the Olympic break. Following their game against Buffalo, the Ducks will host the Dallas Stars before contesting a home-and-home with the Los Angeles Kings. Following a game against the Rangers, it's a seven-game swing against Pacific Division opposition (two games against Seattle and one each against Calgary, Vancouver, Vegas, and Edmonton) and the Colorado Avalanche.
Even with the Ducks' slump in mind, they need to turn things around. That means avoiding three-point games against divisional opponents where possible in addition to salvaging points against Dallas and Colorado, the league's top two teams. Defensive reinforcements will also be a need should the Ducks end up being buyers at the trade deadline.
Philadelphia Flyers
I had some reasonable expectations for the Flyers heading into this season: get a winning record, avoid the Metropolitan Division's basement, and play meaningful games in the season's second half.
So far, it seems like the Philadelphia Flyers have completely blown those expectations out of the water.
Simply put, Rick Tocchet's first season in the City of Brotherly Love has been a pronounced success. Not only is the team thirteen points better than where they were at this time last year, but they've been playing like a team that deserves to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. This is especially true when thinking about Philadelphia's defence; heading into NHL action on January 10th, the Flyers had given up the fewest goals (120) in the entire Metropolitan Division and the second-fewest (Tampa Bay has only given up 112 thus far) in the Eastern Conference. At this point last year, Philadelphia had given up a whopping 151 goals through 42 games, which was the second-worst mark in the East.
It's also possible to see Philadelphia's success on an individual level. Through his first 41 games with the Flyers, Christian Dvorak has put up twenty-seven points and nine goals, both of which put Dvorak on pace for career bests in those respective stat categories. His strong start also earned him a hefty reward: a five-year contract extension that will see him continue to play alongside the seventh-deepest prospect pool and young stars like Matvei Michkov.
While the Flyers have indicated they aren't necessarily in a rush to contend, the team is set up well to play meaningful hockey games over the next few weeks. Five of their remaining pre-Olympic contests involve Metropolitan Division opposition; these games will see Philadelphia host the Islanders, Rangers, and Capitals while travelling to play Pittsburgh and Columbus. They'll also play games against the Sabres and the Bruins; considering that the Flyers are tied with Washington for third in the Metropolitan, I am classifying these games in the same fashion as the previous five.
Despite the incredibly-tight nature of the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia is in a position seldom seen over the last five seasons. The next few weeks will show us if this team is truly going to be a player in the home stretch or not. Either way, the playoffs aren't that far off for the Flyers and their fans.
Nashville Predators
At the end of November, the Nashville Predators were 8-13-4 and had just lost 5-2 to the Winnipeg Jets.
Since that point, Nashville is 12-7-0 and right in the thick of the Wild Card race. Entering play on January 10th, the Preds were just three points back of the Utah Mammoth for the final wild card spot. It's also worth noting that Nashville has two games in hand on the Mammoth.
The Predators have twelve games to go until the Olympic break; these are contests that could easily play a role in the direction of Nashville's home stretch. While a small majority of that stretch is being played against Eastern Conference opposition, there are some games that stand out. Nashville's February 2nd contest against St Louis, who is right on the edge of playoff contention, could help to provide some separation with the teams at the bottom of the divisional standings. And while games against Minnesota and Colorado are going to be notable affairs, what is arguably the team's most important game yet takes place earlier on the stretch.
In about two weeks time, the Nashville Predators will host the same Utah Mammoth side that enters NHL action on January 10th in possession of a wild card spot. That means fans of all ages can rest assured that as things stand, the "Ice Age Bowl" will have playoff implications.
Say what you will about last year's colossal failure of a season, but Nashville has done well to avoid that same fate thus far. If Nashville can keep it up and put up some more wins, there will be meaningful games played at Bridgestone Arena when the final stretch of the season begins in late-February.