2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs: One Wild Card Spot Left in the West

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are about five weeks away from starting. Things in the Western Conference are slightly clearer than in the Eastern Conference. Three teams are vying for the final wild-card spot in the West.

The final stretch of the 2023-24 NHL regular season is here, with the passing of the NHL Trade Deadline. This year, there were more buyers than sellers at the deadline, which meant the standings were closer than in years past. As documented on Full Press Hockey, the Eastern Conference is a little more whacky and wild. 

However, things are starting to settle as the Detroit Red Wings, who left the door open for teams to pass them, are battling the Washington Capitals for the final spot in the East. The same goes for the Philadelphia Flyers, who hold the final spot in the Metro Division.

Moving to the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators are locked into the first wild-card spot. Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights, St. Louis Blues, and Minnesota Wild are battling for the final spot in the West. This is precisely what the NHL wanted when they brought the Wild Card into effect.

The regular season’s final weeks will determine who gets in and who goes home, as some of these teams play each other to close the season. Let’s see where things stand and who could make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Which Team Gets The Final Spots in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs

As it stands now, the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings are locked into the playoff spots. Add the Predators to the mix as well. Barring some miracle or collapse, Nashville will get into the playoffs. As we know, a winning streak or losing streak of any kind can change these standings quickly.

So it comes down to the final wild-card spot, and the Vegas Golden Knights are in the final spot right now. They have been dealing with injuries all season long and inconsistent goalie play. However, there is a good chance that, even with the moves they made, the Golden Knights could miss the playoffs. The Golden Knights are three points up on Minnesota and four points up on St. Louis.

There is a chance a winning streak of any kind can propel the Blues or the Wild past the Golden Knights. The Wild’s eight-game point streak came to an end in Los Angeles. John Hynes has sparked the team, but can they withstand injuries down the stretch? The Blues also had a coaching change with Jordan Binnington doing what he did in 2019. But is the hill too high for either team to climb?

Western Conference Wild Card Race

Nashville Predators – Wild Card One 

The Nashville Predators are locking themselves into a playoff position thanks to going 13-0-2 in their 15 games. Who would have thought cancelling a team outing to see U2 in the Sphere when they were playing Vegas would rally this team as it has? The Predators are also healthy once again. Roman Josi, Juuse Saros, and Filip Forsberg are competing for their potential. Head coach Andrew Brunette has gotten buy-in from the players on the system. It took some time to do, but the Predators finally understood what he wanted from them. The young players are doing well, too. Tommy Novak, especially. He was rewarded with a new contract. However, General Manager Barry Trotz put the right guys in the room, and the team was successful. They have that 2017 feel all over again—a team you do not want to face in the playoffs.

Vegas Golden Knights 

The Vegas Golden Knights get on everyone’s nerves. We know what Vegas does with LTIR and being aggressive at the deadline. With Mark Stone out of the lineup this year, the team acquired Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl. Hertl may be ready for the playoffs. The defending Stanley Cup Champions hit a wall after coming out hot. They wanted to prove people wrong when the betting odds came out. However, injuries to Stone, Eichel, Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez, and others have hurt the club. Stone is the heart and soul of the team, especially. It is hard to play without your captain day in and day out. Just ask the Colorado Avalanche. Vegas has a slim lead for Wild Card Two, and there is a chance if things don’t turn around, they could miss the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild 

Then there are the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are three points behind the Golden Knights. After a rocky start to the season where they had to make a coaching change, the Wild under John Hynes have picked up their game lately. Kirill Kaprizov has been playing on another level alongside Matt Boldy. General Manager Bill Guerin did not do much at the trade deadline. He made the moves before the deadline, extending Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Foligno, Zach Bogosian, and Ryan Hartman. Those were his moves. Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson have been playing well. An eight-game point streak got them back into the race. However, a loss in Los Angeles dented the Wild playoff chances.

St. Louis Blues 

The St. Louis Blues are a team on the rise up the standings. Another team that is close to the Golden Knights. They are only four points behind the Golden Knights and one point behind the Wild. They also have a game in hand. The Blues are getting solid goaltending from Jordan Binnington. There is a Gloria feel around the team as well. St. Louis was another team that made a coaching change this season. It has been off, especially for Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Pavel Buchnevich. There was talk General Manager Doug Armstrong was going to be a seller, but he did not get the deals he wanted. Now, his team is in the hunt for the playoffs. Doesn’t he look like the smart one? But it comes down to playing more consistently to get into the playoffs.

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 20th. The final weeks of the several are must-watch. Let’s see who claims the final spots.