10 Biggest NHL Issues Following 4 Nations Break

The NHL’s back in action after a two-week break, and there’s no shortage of drama with the playoff race heating up. Here’s what’s got everyone talking as we head into the final stretch of the season.

The Eastern Conference wild-card battle is absolutely wild right now. Eight teams are fighting for just two spots, with only seven points separating them all. Detroit and Ottawa are barely hanging onto those precious playoff positions, but Columbus, Boston, and the New York Rangers are breathing down their necks.

Want some trade deadline drama? You’ve got it. Brock Nelson of the Islanders is the hottest name out there, especially for teams desperate for a strong center. But he’s not alone – Yanni Gourde, Ivan Provorov, and Trent Frederic could all be wearing different jerseys after March 7.

Here’s where it gets really interesting: some players with longer contracts might be on the move too. Dylan Cozens is the talk of the town – the 24-year-old Buffalo center had an amazing 68 points last season but hasn’t quite found his groove this year. A fresh start might be just what he needs.

The Atlantic Division is putting on quite a show. Toronto and Florida are locked in an incredible battle for first place, separated by just one point (72-71). Nobody wants to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, so that top spot is like gold.

Out west, it’s just as tight. Vegas, Edmonton, and Los Angeles are all within five points of each other. If things stay this way, we’re looking at Edmonton-LA round four in the playoffs – and after losing three straight years, you can bet the Kings want to avoid that matchup.

The battle for the last Western wild-card spot is basically a coin flip between Calgary and Vancouver. They’re separated by a single point, and both teams have their own challenges – Vancouver’s dealing with injuries while Calgary’s surprising everyone by even being in the race.

For some teams, though, the real prize is at the bottom. San Jose, Chicago, and Nashville fans might actually be hoping for losses – the team that finishes last gets a 25.5% chance at the first overall pick. That’s nearly double the odds of finishing second-last.

The scoring race is another nail-biter. Nathan MacKinnon (87 points) is just barely ahead of Leon Draisaitl (86) and Nikita Kucherov (83). Four points between them? This could go down to the final game.

But here’s the biggest story of all: Alex Ovechkin is just 13 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. At 39 years old, he’s already got 29 goals in 41 games this season. Could we be watching history in the making?

The President’s Trophy race has a couple of surprise contenders too. The Winnipeg Jets (85 points) and Washington Capitals (84 points) are neck-and-neck, though Washington’s got a slightly easier schedule ahead.