Top 10 teams most likely to make the playoffs after missing last year

The Stanley Cup Playoffs never look the same twice in a row. Since the NHL moved to a 16-team playoff format in 1979-1980 – excluding the 2019-20 COVID-shortened season – we’ve never seen the same 16 teams that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs the previous season, make it again the following year. Talk about a league with parity. Of course, there will be playoff teams from 2025-26 that will take a step back. The Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators, just to name a few potential candidates. But more importantly, there are always organizations that bounce…