As the 2024-25 NHL season reaches the 20-game mark, many teams find themselves in a critical phase of the regular-season schedule. Several clubs that participated in last year's playoffs, including the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, are competing for postseason positioning. However, some teams that made last season's playoffs are struggling out of the gate, fighting to maintain their wild-card berths or sitting outside the playoff picture entirely as of November 24. These performances pose a significant threat to their chances of qualifying for the 2025 playoffs at the season's conclusion in April. Among these teams are a Stanley Cup finalist from last season, two former champions, and another club that has claimed the Presidents' Trophy twice since 2019-20. Analyzing the reasons for their current struggles reveals a complex array of factors influencing their gameplay.

The Boston Bruins have not missed the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, consistently ranking among the NHL's elite. They reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2019 and secured the Presidents' Trophy in 2019-20 and 2022-23, with the latter season marking a historic achievement of 65 wins and 135 points. Despite this success, the Bruins have seen a gradual exodus of quality players since 2019, including goaltenders Tuukka Rask and Linus Ullmark, defensemen Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug, and forwards Patrice Bergeron, David Krejčí, Taylor Hall, and Jake DeBrusk. General Manager Don Sweeney has made efforts to replenish the roster by acquiring forwards Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha, defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Additionally, promising young players like Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras, and John Beecher have received promotions. However, Lindholm and Zadorov have struggled to adapt, while the younger players have yet to fulfill their potential. The age of captain Brad Marchand, now 36, coupled with underwhelming performances from goaltender Jeremy Swayman, superstar winger David Pastrňák, and top defenseman Charlie McAvoy, has left the Bruins clinging to a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Their current average of 2.32 goals per game ranks at the bottom of the league, while their goals against per game sits among the highest at 3.18. Consequently, Jim Montgomery was relieved of his head coaching duties, and Joe Sacco has taken over on an interim basis, leaving questions about whether this change can revitalize the team's fortunes.

Since their 2022 Stanley Cup win, the Colorado Avalanche have faced difficulties in returning to the Final. Their previous playoff appearances ended in disappointment, with the Seattle Kraken eliminating them in the first round of the 2023 playoffs and the Dallas Stars halting their run in the second round last season. As of this season, the Avalanche find themselves vying for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Despite the offensive prowess of superstars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen, who rank among the league's top scorers, their team has struggled due to a roster plagued by injuries. Captain Gabriel Landeskog is working toward a comeback after two seasons lost to knee surgeries, while center Ross Colton's promising start was cut short by a foot injury, sidelining him until mid-December. Forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin have recently returned to the lineup, yet Valeri Nichushkin has just concluded a six-month suspension as part of Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, which meant the Avalanche were without his vital contributions in the early parts of the season. Goaltending issues have also plagued the team; although they boast the seventh-best goals-per-game average at 3.48, their goals-against average is among the league’s highest at 3.57. Starter Alexandar Georgiev has a goals-against average of 3.37 and a save percentage of .874, while backup Justus Annunen's figures (2.81 GAA, .886 SP) are not significantly better. Fortunately for the Avalanche, recent health among their roster has led to a resurgence, winning six of their last seven games as of November 24. However, the team must rectify their defensive issues if they hope to avoid future pitfalls.

At this time last season, the Edmonton Oilers were struggling significantly, having won just three of their first 13 games, prompting a coaching change from Jay Woodcroft to Kris Knoblauch on November 13, 2023. This decision eventually bore fruit as the Oilers, led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, climbed the Western Conference standings, qualifying for the 2024 playoffs and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, where they narrowly lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games. This season, the Oilers find themselves in a familiar position, competing with the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche for a wild-card spot in the conference with a record of 11 wins, nine losses, and two overtime losses. While they are not in the same dire situation as last year, concerns loom on the horizon. The goaltending duo of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has been inconsistent, with a goals-against per game of 3.10 placing them precariously close to the bottom third of the league. Skinner's GAA stands at 3.23 with a save percentage of .882, whereas Pickard's better GAA of 2.44 is countered by a subpar .893 save percentage. Adding to these woes, the Oilers experienced significant losses on the defensive side during the offseason, losing Vincent Desharnais to free agency, trading Cody Ceci, and watching promising Philip Broberg join the St. Louis Blues via an offer sheet. This leaves Edmonton thin defensively beyond their top three players: Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse. While McDavid and Draisaitl continue to drive the offense, contributions after them have dwindled, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman not replicating their prior season's outputs, winger Evander Kane out indefinitely, and offseason additions Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson falling short of expectations.

The Nashville Predators made significant acquisitions during the 2024 offseason, signing former 40-goal scorers Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, along with puck-moving defenseman Brady Skjei. These signings aimed to keep the roster competitive while transitioning to younger players. However, the Predators currently find themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Both Stamkos and Marchessault have struggled to replicate their previous scoring successes, while Skjei, who has paired with captain Roman Josi, is also struggling defensively. While it is tempting to blame the offseason additions for the team's struggles, the issues have been developing for some time. Since winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2017-18 with a franchise best record of 117 points, the Predators have seen a decline in performance, including a missed postseason in 2022-23. Although they qualified for the playoffs last season, their late-season surge of 20-5-4 was their saving grace before being eliminated in six games by the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round. Barry Trotz, who took over as general manager from David Poile on July 1, 2023, has indicated that he intends to avoid a full roster rebuild while using free-agent acquisitions to provide time for young players to mature. Nonetheless, the Predators have struggled to maintain competitiveness, with their goals-per-game average of 2.38 ranking among the worst in the league and their goals-against per game of 3.10 placing them in the middle of the pack of the 32-team league. Concerns have also been raised regarding their puck movement out of their zone and the frequency of neutral-zone turnovers, which could lead to an unsustainable position in the standings if not addressed in due time.

From 2019-20 to 2020-21, the New York Islanders appeared poised to become Stanley Cup contenders, featuring strong goaltending and a rock-solid team defense that propelled them to the 2020 Eastern Conference Final and semifinals during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. However, since then, the Islanders have missed the playoffs in 2021-22 and finished seventh in the Eastern Conference in the subsequent two seasons, leading to their elimination from the opening rounds of each playoffs. Frequent changes behind the bench have plagued the organization as they parted ways with coach Barry Trotz following the 2021-22 season and recently replaced Lane Lambert with Patrick Roy on January 20, 2024. Nevertheless, their reliance on goaltending and defensive schemes continues, as the offense has not shown signs of improvement. The Islanders have ranked among the lowest-scoring teams from 2019-20 to 2023-24, finishing 24th overall with an average of 2.86 goals per game. Despite the presence of reliable scorers such as Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, and puck-moving defenseman Noah Dobson, the Islanders' goals-per-game average of 2.48 places them near the bottom again. The team has struggled to identify a reliable game-breaking scorer, compounded by the fact that their core players, including Nelson, Lee, Pageau, and Palmieri, are all 31 or older. Dobson has had to shoulder much of the offensive burden on the blue line. While the Islanders' goaltending and defense may allow them to sneak into the playoffs, the lack of offensive firepower could prove detrimental if the management does not bolster scoring efforts soon. As of November 24, they sat two points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.

The Tampa Bay Lightning enjoyed a remarkable run from 2014-15 to 2021-22, reaching the Stanley Cup Final four times and clinching the championship twice. They also secured the Presidents' Trophy in 2018-19, boasting a stunning 62 wins and 128 points. However, since 2020, the Lightning's roster has faced significant attrition due to salary-cap constraints, leading to the departure of key players via free agency or trades. Notable names such as Ondřej Palát, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn, Carter Verhaeghe, Yanni Gourde, and Pat Maroon have left, along with Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev departing last summer. This diminishing depth has adversely affected the Lightning over the past two seasons, culminating in their failure to advance past the first round of the playoffs. At present, the team is just one point out of a wild-card position in the Eastern Conference, holding 22 points in 19 games. Scoring has not been a significant problem for the Lightning, who rank fifth in the league with a 3.58 goals-per-game average. However, defensive struggles persist as their goals-against average of 3.05 ranks middle of the pack among 32 teams. Concerns about special teams performance are similarly troubling, ranking 14th in power-play percentage (20.3) and 22nd overall in penalty-killing (76.3). Observations from the Tampa Bay Times have noted the Lightning’s tendency to overpass, forgoing open shooting opportunities during critical moments, such as their recent 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. Coach Jon Cooper has commented on the team's tendency to complicate a fundamentally simple game. Despite the experienced leadership and talent present in players like captain Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point, the Lightning must sharpen their focus and simplify their strategies to solidify their playoff prospects.

After three consecutive seasons away from the playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks broke the trend by qualifying for the postseason in 2024, finishing with 109 points—the third-best performance in franchise history. With an impressive roster led by stars such as captain Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser, the team seemed to have turned the corner in their rebuilding efforts. However, as of November 24, the Canucks find themselves just one point out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, accumulating 23 points in 19 games. One major factor contributing to their struggles has been the absence of starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season, who has been sidelined due to a knee injury since the opening game of the playoffs. While Demko's potential return is anticipated, no specific timeline has been established. In his absence, the Canucks have relied on Kevin Lankinen and Arturs Silovs to tend goal, yet their 3.21 goals-against average ranks as the tenth highest in the league. The team’s defense has also come under scrutiny; the second defense pairing comprised of Carson Soucy and Tyler Myers has struggled with puck management and defensive positioning, resulting in a concerning plus/minus of minus-eight during five-on-five play. Additionally, inconsistencies in goal production from Pettersson and Miller, along with Boeser currently out due to an upper-body injury, further exacerbate the Canucks’ challenges as they endeavor to maintain their playoff positioning. With the season still in its early stages, the Canucks have time to address these issues, yet securing a postseason berth may become increasingly difficult if they fail to resolve them.