Every season, there is turnover in the playoffs; however, for the Los Angeles Kings, they have been a constant. In fact, they have now made the playoffs four straight seasons, and while they haven't been able to advance, this is certainly an accomplishment that needs to be recognized.
This season, though, feels different and general manager Ken Holland clearly wanted players with playoff experience. However, it was a risk as he mostly added only older players, and the Kings are now one of the oldest teams in the league.
If they run out of gas or struggle down the stretch, these are three teams that could be right on their heels and challenging them for that playoff spot.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks struggled last season and seemingly were due more to off-the-ice issues that impacted their performance on the ice. The drama between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson that would eventually be solved by the Canucks trading Miller to the New York Rangers.
This offseason, the Canucks were able to bring back Brock Boeser, who was set to be a free agent, and traded for Evander Kane. Both players, as well as Pettersson, could very easily bounce back this season and if they do that, this will be a tough team to keep out of the playoffs.
Nashville Predators
One of the biggest surprises last season was the Nashville Predators, and not in a good way. There wasn't anyone who could have foreseen the struggles this team had after the additions of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
With how the season went, the Predators seemed like a perfect candidate to move some of their older veterans and try to rebuild. However, they avoided that temptation and clearly believe this group can be competitive. If the veterans are able to bounce back, they could be in a similar situation as the Canucks in competing for a playoff spot at the end of the season.
Utah Mammoth
The first season in Utah for this franchise should be viewed as a positive one where they finished with 89 points and were not really that far behind the Blues who had an incredible finish to the season to claim that final Wild Card with 96 points.
Unlike the other two teams on this list that are hoping for their veterans to bounce back, the Mammoth are expecting some of their younger players to take that next step in their development. This group includes Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, and their big offseason addition in JJ Peterka.
The Mammoth weren't that far off from a playoff spot last season and this might be the first year that Utah has playoff hockey.