For the first edition of the SB Nation NHL FanPulse poll, readers from all over the network voted on two questions: which two teams that made the playoffs last season will miss this season, and which two teams which missed the playoffs last year will make it this season?
This probably comes as no surprise, but the first question did not look good for Columbus:
It’s been a common thread of national coverage coming into the season: the Blue Jackets lost a lot of talent, and they’ve been overlooking the talent that remains. That being said, at this moment the Jackets are three points out of a playoff spot. What really stings is that no other team had such a consensus. The Jackets got nearly double the amount of votes the Islanders got.
The surprising team among the top five here is the Sharks. They are SIX points out. Do you think they’ll get back on track?
Here are the full results for this question:
Now onto the other question: which teams that missed will make it this year?
This vote may have been influenced by the actual early season results for Edmonton and Buffalo. The Oilers lead the Western Conference and we just got a close look at how lethal their top line is. The Sabres are second in the Atlantic, but have lost to the Blue Jackets in OT.
The one on here that surprises me is the Flyers. I don’t feel like they made enough improvements to crack into a stacked playoff field in the East.
Here are the full results:
If you voted, which teams did you vote for on each question? Let us know in the comments.
If you didn’t vote, it’s not too late to sign up! Go HERE to take this week’s questions: which teams are contenders or pretenders, and which teams have been the biggest disappointments so far? There will be a new question every other Wednesday, and we will share the results here at The Cannon each time.