Last week in this space, I ranked the most exciting matchups of teams that were still in the hunt — and what could be plausible — in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
This week, we’re going to take a similar spin but home in on teams specifically.
Let’s say you’re an NHL fan and your team is out of the playoffs. You’re looking for some rooting interest just to make it fun.
Even if it’s for something like an “old guy without a Cup,” various teams are going to be increasingly popular among the general hockey fan public in the coming weeks.
So, here are the top five potential playoff teams ranked by their “bandwagon jumpability” for 2026.
Note: Playoff chances are according to Stathletes as of March 29.
Playoff chances: 62.4%
They might have the most haters on this list, simply because of historical success and geographic proximity to teams such as the Rangers, Bruins, Flyers and Devils, but this has really felt like a franchise reset year for the Isles, and it starts with Matthew Schaefer.
I will forever contend that the biggest reason Schaefer didn’t play in the Olympics was because of the number of NHL games he had in his career — if he had even one more season under his belt, I believe he would have been selected. He has been dynamite in all categories for Long Island — saying all the right things that make the fan base love him, and doing all the right things on the ice (including breaking copious amounts of rookie, teenager and franchise records).
Can you imagine if Schaefer and the Isles make the Cup Final in his first season?
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Since their inception in 2000, the Wild have won only four playoff series. The Minnesota North Stars’ Cup Final run in 1991 is a distant memory.
But we are now in the dawn of a golden era for the state of hockey in the NHL — led by Quinn Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov. And of all the teams on this list, they might have the best shot on paper at winning the Cup … that is, if they didn’t have the absolute gauntlet of the Central Division to contend with in Rounds 1 and 2. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my friend and Wild reporter Jessi Pierce, who, along with her three kids, will be a sentimental rallying point for Wild hockey fans throughout the postseason.
Playoff chances: 68.3%
The 2025 Stadium Series truly showed us that Columbus has hockey in its blood. Of all the teams on this list, the Blue Jackets have experienced the least amount of postseason success, with only one series win to its name (though it was a doozy).
The Jackets got close last season, they are in the thick of it this season, and it would be great to see Ohio’s NHL team get some meaningful wins in May. Its front office is also full of wonderful people that represent the team and sport very well, among the best in the league.
The late Johnny Gaudreau had a presence in the Team USA dressing room during the past year-plus and still has a presence in that CBJ room as well. The team would love nothing more than to hand out the “donkey hat” after a key postseason series victory.
Playoff chances: 40.4%
Macklin Celebrini in the playoffs? Sign me up.
The sophomore star had a stellar Olympics and proved that he can shine on the brightest stage. His play just screams “I’m winning Cups in my future,” even if you couldn’t picture him actually screaming it.
This season, the Sharks have become many fans’ “second-favorite team” in the NHL — they are young, exciting, fun and have a bone fide superstar. They might very well miss the playoffs — but there’s an outside chance that they qualify and face the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Imagine they win that one?
Playoff chances: 99.9%
This isn’t even close. After a 14-year wait, the Sabres are finally bulldozing their way into the postseason, waving goodbye to the New York Jets to hold the dubious “longest playoff drought in professional sports” record by themselves.
Unless you hate Buffalo, there’s no way you’re upset at seeing this happen for a hockey-loving city that has been starving for success. In my opinion, there is no other city in North America that deserves major sporting success than the city of Buffalo, New York.
I mean, they are already changing road signs!
— Conor Hurley (@CHurls13) March 27, 2026
The content coming out of the city will be legendary. I hope Sabres fans pack the streets in the tens of thousands before Game 1. A “we made it back” parade! March all the way to the first home game at KeyBank Center to cheer on the team.
Jump ahead:
Games of the week
What I loved this weekend
Hart Trophy candidates
Social post of the week
Stick taps
Biggest games of the week
I’m locked in on the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators as they enter the week on the outside of the playoff picture.
Ottawa takes on the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, the Sabres on Thursday and the Wild on Saturday. The Red Wings face off with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and New York Rangers on Saturday.
The East wild-card race still feels like it’ll be a photo finish.
The Blue Jackets have a home and home with the Carolina Hurricanes, and those will not be easy points to pick up.
Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins have their Florida trip coming up, facing the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning after stepping on the ice against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday — that’s not an easy week either!
Hart Trophy contenders if the season ended today
Nikita Kucherov is making the ordering of this thing extremely tough. Connor McDavid was unseated for a minute in the points race, but he’s back on top.
McDavid remains at No. 1 in my personal poll and also leads the scoring race with 124 points, including nine points in his past five games. Kucherov is trying to build a gap above Nathan MacKinnon and remains in hot pursuit of McDavid with 121 points, including 10 points in his last five.
MacKinnon is third in the points race, with 117, as he leads the team currently atop the entire NHL standings.
I believe it’ll come down to these three as the MVP finalists this season, and it could come down to who wins the scoring title.
What I loved this weekend
I’m the unofficial “ESPN Star Wars sports reporter,” so this one caught my eye. The Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, had their Star Wars night on Saturday, and once again knocked it out of the park with their jerseys. In previous seasons, they had chief creative officer of Lucasfilm Dave Filoni design the Star Wars night jerseys, so the bar was set pretty high!
This season was a riff of one of Filoni’s previous designs, celebrating “The Mandalorian.” The team added the Star Wars language “Aurebesh” surrounding the helmet. It says “Wiles-Barre Scranton Penguins” on top and “This is the way” at the bottom. Incredible detail:
This is the way
Our threads for tomorrow night’s Star Wars game have finally arrived, and you’ll be able to bid on them on our DASH Auction site! pic.twitter.com/DZc6LyNRYN
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 27, 2026
Social media post of the weekend
One of the highlights of my year is coming up this Sunday — the “Inside Out Classic” — which is Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. It’s a special broadcast of the Washington Capitals-New York Rangers game (on Disney Plus, Disney Channel, Disney XD and the ESPN App), with real-time animation using NHL EDGE and Sony Hawk-Eye Innovations tracking data. We have plenty of goodies coming out this week in anticipation of the big game so be on the lookout for all of that.
But speaking of fun, my social post of the weekend falls in the “haven’t seen it, should” category (shoutout “SportsCenter,” IYKYK). Based on Connor McDavid’s recent “pillow fight” comment regarding the Pacific Division, we staged a pillow fight on the set of our NHL broadcast. This included me tossing pillows at Steve Levy while he was trying to finish his read, and hitting T.J. Oshie before he picked up a pillow and flew at P.K. Subban from the top rope!
Stick taps
Stick taps this week go out to every NHL team that has commemorated Jessi Pierce, either by donating to the GoFundMe set up for her grieving husband and/or by leaving a seat empty in the press box with her name on it with flowers. The hockey community is the best.
Classy gestures by @TBLightning – leaving press box seat open for the late @jessi_pierce, along with a bouquet. They also donated $10k to family @gofundme + are holding a moment of remembrance pre-game pic.twitter.com/VzTBFMMFoY
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) March 24, 2026
The Florida Panthers will honor Jessi Pierce at tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild – the team she covered. pic.twitter.com/5ys6lR6tam
— George Richards (@GeorgeRichards) March 26, 2026
Moment of silence during the #GoBolts pregame tonight in honor of first responders lost in the line of duty as well as Wild beat writer Jessi Pierce. pic.twitter.com/VIkoV4q8N0
— Benjamin Pierce (@BenjaminJReport) March 24, 2026
