The Buffalo Sabres’ 14-year wait for playoff action is over, with Lindy Ruff and Co. among the Stanley Cup odds front-runners at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
While a trip to the playoffs will delight the Sabres’ faithful, they will be hungry for more, especially with the team among the best in the league.
With Buffalo officially off the longest-drought list, which franchise adopts its unwanted and ignominious crown, and is there any hope on the horizon?
NHL Teams With Longest Postseason Droughts
| Team | Last Playoff | Last Championship |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2016 | 2008 |
| San Jose Sharks | 2019 | Never |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2020 | Never |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2020 | 2015 |
| Calgary Flames | 2022 | 1989 |
| Seattle Kraken | 2023 | Never |
| Nashville Predators | 2024 | Never |
| Vancouver Canucks | 2024 | Never |
| New York Rangers | 2024 | 1994 |
| New York Islanders | 2024 | 1983 |
Who Has the Longest Playoff Drought in the NHL?
The Detroit Red Wings are now the team enduring the longest playoff drought in the NHL. The Red Wings haven’t seen playoff action since 2016, when they lost in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The last time the franchise won a playoff series was in 2013, when it defeated the Anaheim Ducks in the first round.
The 2025-26 season will go down as one of the most frustrating for the Red Wings, who were tied atop the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning after 51 games.
Their subsequent unravelling was painful for fans, having to watch their team finish with the fifth-worst record (11-15-6) in the final third of the season, tied with the Calgary Flames.
I get the impression that time is running out for general manager Steve Yzerman, who took the helm in 2019.
The San Jose Sharks have the second-longest drought, last participating in 2019. However, the future is bright for the Sharks with teenage megastar Macklin Celebrini, who enjoyed one of the best NHL sophomore seasons, leading the charge.
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks are next on the list, with neither team appearing in the playoffs since 2020.
The Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers secured playoff spots for the first time since 2020, and the Pittsburgh Penguins will take part in the dance for the first time since 2022, a testament to Sidney Crosby and his record for the most point-per-game seasons in the NHL.
The New York Jets, who last appeared in the NFL playoffs in 2010, have the longest playoff drought among North American professional sports teams.
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