NHL Teams Stuck in Middle: Predators, Devils, Capitals, Jets

0:00NHL story is making news on March 14th. As the NHL regular season nears its end, 14s are stuck in the mushy middle too good to snag a top draft pick, but not strong enough to chase. The playoffs. The Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and Winnipeg Jets all fit this tough spot after the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Nashville has hung tough with an agent corps, including Stamco's and Ryan O'Reilly, whom they kept instead of trading for prospects. Their 7 points shy of a central division playoff spot, but lacked the young stars needed to build a contender. The New Jersey Devils raised eyebrows with high expectations that fizzled, sitting 12 points behind a wildcard with just 17 games left, their minor swap of Andre Palad didn't spark a turnaround, leaving them, facing another early off season. Washington is shifting from its Alex Ovechkin days, trading John Carlson, but landing no immediate help. Fifth, behind the wildcard when accounting for games in hand, their emblematic of a quick fall from last year's East Dominance.

1:04For Winnipeg, a late surge from a rough first half hasn't closed the 7 point gap to the West's final spot, with five teams in the way. Their deadline deals for picks improve the future, but dimmed playoff odds, sealing their middle ground fate. The Daily News Now is made possible with support from our sponsor. Head in, sound on, lights out. That is the routine, S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com.