Whether it’s for playoff positioning—Edmonton Oilers-Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+—or better odds in the draft lottery, like Chicago Blackhawks-San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+—the NHL schedule on Saturday features a number of intriguing matchups.
The Florida Panthers’ game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+) is the major event of Saturday night. It’s time to look at the race for the Presidents’ Trophy because these two clubs are among the top four in the league according to the standings, and the other two, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, are playing.
The Presidents’ Trophy, which is given to the team with the most points during the regular season, should obviously be used with caution because, at least in recent memory, it hasn’t always translated into a Stanley Cup victory. Only eight teams—the Chicago Blackhawks in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season being the most recent—have won both the Cup and the regular-season points race in the same season since the trophy was first given out in 1985–86. A recent trend has been for a team to start their Cup run a year after taking home the Presidents’ Trophy.
The Washington Capitals won the Cup in 2018 after leading the league in points in 2015–16 and 2016–17.
The Tampa Bay Lightning won two consecutive Cups (2020, 2021) after dominating to the tune of 128 points in 2018–19.
The Colorado Avalanche won the Cup in 2022 after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in the disappointing 2020–21 year.
After winning the regular-season points race in 2021–2022 with a commanding lead of 122 points, the Panthers advanced to the Cup Final in 2023.
After the Bruins’ disastrous first-round loss last spring, is this their year? The Bruins had the greatest point total (97) going into Saturday’s play, but their regulation victories total (32) is lower than that of the other top contenders. Their quest continues on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on NHL Network as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Stathletes currently projects them to score 112.6 points. Out of the 11 games left, seven are against playoff-bound teams and the other two are against the Capitals, who are vying for a wild-card slot.
With 112.7 points, the Panthers are currently Stathletes’ projected choice for the Presidents’ Trophy. They have two games remaining and a regulation wins advantage over Boston (37) going into their matchup with the Rangers. They trail the Rangers and Canucks by one regulation win, but they still have one game in hand on them. The Panthers have two games remaining against the Ottawa Senators and one each against the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets. Of their last 13 games, including Saturday’s game, seven are against clubs that are currently positioned to make the playoffs. (Now, doesn’t that projection make sense?)
On Thursday night, New York defeated Boston 5-2 at TD Garden to make a statement. On Saturday, it will look to repeat that performance against the other major power in the Atlantic. The Rangers hold an advantage in regulation wins (38), but they are a point behind the Bruins (96). There are just five games left for the Rangers against playoff-bound clubs, and two of those are against the recently inconsistent Flyers. Stathletes is projected at 108.9 points, therefore the model doesn’t like them as much as the other teams.
The Canucks sit directly behind Boston and Florida in the projections at 111, and they will host the Calgary Flames in one of Saturday’s late games (10 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+). Their current totals of 38 regulation wins and 96 points are tied with the Rangers’. The Canucks play two games against the Arizona Coyotes and one against the Anaheim Ducks, but seven of their next twelve games are against clubs that are presently in postseason contention.
What is that noise I hear above? Yes, the Winnipeg Jets are now in second place.
the leaders as predicted, at 110.4. Following their unexpected defeat by the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the Jets will play the New York Islanders at UBS Arena at 1 p.m. ET on NHL Power Play on ESPN+. The Jets have the most regulation wins in the league (39), but trailing the Bruins by four points in the points column. Seven of their remaining 13 games are against clubs that are now guaranteed a postseason position.
Lastly, despite not playing on Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes—who now have 95 points and 36 regulation victories—are still very much in the running for the Presidents’ Trophy, with a projected total of 110.4 points. On Sunday, June 6, the Canes will host the Maple Leafs.
p.m. ET, ESPN+, and Hulu), and over their last ten games will only face three teams vying for playoff positions.
Watch to see which squad emerges victorious and perhaps secures a deep postseason run in 2025.
It’s time to keep an eye on all the playoff races and the teams vying for a spot in the 2024 NHL draft lottery as we approach the latter stretch of the regular season.