3 teams unlikely to make it back to the postseason

If there's one thing you can rely on in today's NHL, it's parity - especially come playoff time. Each season, there are a handful of teams that either overachieve or fail to live up to expectations, and it often creates chaos in the standings.

In 2018-19, five teams that qualified for the postseason the year prior failed to get back inside the cutline, and fans subsequently endured one of the craziest playoffs in recent memory.

In saying that, it's reasonable to assume there will be another dose of fresh blood when the next dance rolls around in April 2020. But instead of guessing who the new guys will be, let's take a look at three teams that could be replaced.

Columbus Blue JacketsJamie Sabau / National Hockey League / Getty

The Blue Jackets are far and away the easiest pick of this exercise. The club's former star trio of Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matt Duchene all bolted in free agency, disbanding the squad that stunningly swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.

Columbus' roster simply forfeited too much talent to be considered a legitimate playoff threat again, though if there's one coach who could potentially rally his troops to succeed through will and determination, it's probably John Tortorella.

Torts still has some quality pieces at his disposal (Cam Atkinson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Seth Jones, and Zach Werenski among them), but the Jackets lost all their true game-breakers, and that projects to prove costly in a stacked Metropolitan Division.

New York IslandersIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

In their first year under head coach Barry Trotz, the Islanders were one of the league's biggest surprises, finishing as the Metro's No. 2 seed in the wake of John Tavares' departure. Was it a flash in the pan, or are the Isles a real threat under the two-time Jack Adams Award winner?

We're wagering it's the former. New York is returning basically the same roster as last season, minus one key component: Robin Lehner. The veteran netminder was a Vezina finalist after posting a .930 save percentage in 46 appearances in his lone season with the Islanders, helping New York rank first in the NHL with 191 goals against. For whatever reason, though, the front office let him walk in free agency despite the goalie expressing his desire to stay.

Lehner's replacement Semyon Varlamov is far from a sure thing between the pipes. From December onward last season, the 31-year-old registered an 11-14-6 record and a .899 save percentage, resulting in Philipp Grubauer taking over as Colorado's No. 1 down the stretch.

Varlamov's also dealt with plenty of injuries throughout his career, and in contrast to New York's elite goaltending a season ago, its attack wasn't all that good. The Islanders ranked 22nd in goals for last year, and 26th in shot share with a five-on-five Corsi For percentage of 47.85. Barring some drastic improvements on the offensive side of the puck, the Islanders could be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

Winnipeg JetsDavid Lipnowski / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Winnipeg still has a ton of talent, but the Jets' run to the 2018 Western Conference Final - when it seemed like the club had a wide-open window to compete for Stanley Cups - suddenly feels like forever ago.

The Jets' blue line was hit hard this past summer, losing regulars Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot. The uncertainty surrounding Dustin Byfuglien's future is a major concern, too, as Winnipeg's defensive corps would become awfully thin if "Big Buff" doesn't return. What was once a strength for the Jets has abruptly become a big question mark, and the lack of depth on the back end isn't the only predicament the club faces.

Winnipeg's strength is clearly its offensive prowess, but production down the middle is lacking, and depth scoring was an issue last season. Patrik Laine, fresh off inking a two-year contract extension, is the club's X-factor, and, as crazy as it may sound, another season of 30 goals from the Finnish phenom might not be enough to keep the Jets competitive.

The puck hasn't dropped yet, but it seems like the Jets are already well behind the eight ball in terms of personnel. If they get off to a slow start without their full roster, making up ground on the contenders in the daunting Central Division will be a monumental task.

(Advanced Stats Courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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