Which NHL teams have missed the playoffs the longest?
If I didn’t know any better, it would be easy to assume the Buffalo Sabres are allergic to the playoffs. Without going into the sordid, grotesque details of what their non-playoff spell has encompassed, there is hope emanating from the Queen City.
The Sabres have won 10 consecutive games for the first time since assembling a 10-game win streak in November 2018. The streak has pushed them into the second wild-card spot. But will they be able to sustain their playoff-like pace through the new year and into spring?
Everyone associated with the Sabres has their collective fingers crossed as we explore which other NHL teams have become unfamiliar with playoff action.
Longest active Stanley Cup playoff droughts
5. Utah/Arizona, Columbus, Chicago, Philadelphia (2020)
These four teams haven’t made the postseason since the 2019-20 season. Of the quartet, the Philadelphia Flyers were the only ones to make it to the second round, where they lost a seven-game thriller to the New York Islanders.
Speaking of the Flyers, they currently have the best shot in the 2025-26 season to end their playoff drought.
4. San Jose Sharks (2019)
While still in the early stage of his career, Celebrini is showcasing all the telltale signs of being a generational talent. That only bodes well for a franchise still in search of its first Stanley Cup title.
3. Anaheim Ducks (2018)
Like their aforementioned California counterparts, the Anaheim Ducks have more to look forward to than an Ivy League-educated prodigy. They are chock-full of promising young talent, led by 2023 second overall draft pick Leo Carlsson and 19-year-old Beckett Sennecke, the No. 3 pick from the 2024 NHL Draft.
And just like the Sharks, they haven’t booked a ticket to the dance in a long time, almost eight years to be precise. But if the playoffs were to start today, the Ducks would end that extended dry patch.
Ducks fans will be looking forward to what should be a quacking 2026.
2. Detroit Red Wings (2016)
Steve Yzerman took over as executive vice president and GM in 2019, three years after the Red Wings’ last playoff visit. Their nine-year non-playoff streak feels even longer considering the Red Wings haven’t advanced past the first round since 2013.
However, things are finally starting to look up in Hockeytown. While the adage ‘good things come to those who wait’ probably didn’t refer to a near-decade duration, Detroit appears, at least at the season’s midway mark, poised to re-enter the playoff fray.
1. Buffalo Sabres (2011)
The Sabres haven’t competed in a playoff game since ‘Game of Thrones’ first hit the airwaves. The franchise’s 14 years, going on 15, of missing the playoffs is the second-longest across North American professional sports.
The New York Jets, who last made the playoffs in 2010, are the only franchise enduring a longer playoff drought. Although in seasons, they were tied at 14 each going into 2025-26.
