How Concerning Are The Capitals, Kings, Stars & Other Contenders Slumps?

The Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Washington Capitals are three win-now teams seeing their contention windows closing. All three teams have struggled lately, with the Kings and Stars winning only four of their last 10 games, while the Capitals lost five of their last six. All three teams will presumably add at the trade deadline, so between the three, which team’s struggles are the most concerning and which are the least?

Stars: No Concern

The Stars had a stretch earlier in the season where they looked like the best team in the NHL, even better than the Colorado Avalanche. They’ve proven that when needed, they can play at another gear and overwhelm anyone. They’ve struggled lately because, for them, the regular season doesn’t matter. 

It’s also worth adding that the Stars have the cap space to make a big trade and will do so. They have needs to address and have proven a willingness to take a swing, as they did last season with the Mikko Rantanen trade. Don’t put it past them to do something similar this time around. 

Capitals: Slight Concern

The Capitals should be fine in the long run. The underlying numbers suggest they are better than their record, and they have plenty of talent to make the playoffs and go on a run. Better yet, the Capitals are getting elite goaltending from Logan Thompson, which only helps their case for a Cup run. 

Related: Capitals Are Hitting Critical Juncture

Yet, the Capitals have struggled lately. The Eastern Conference is clustered together, allowing them to make up ground easily but if they don’t watch out, they could end up in a hole too big to climb out of. 

They should be fine in the end. The Capitals also have the prospects to make a trade, whether it’s a splash like Artemi Panarin or a depth addition like Blake Coleman. That said, the Capitals have become a team to keep an eye on. 

Kings: Major Concerns

Some of the talent evaluators have noted that the Kings look slow this season and like an aging group. There’s a disconnect between the front office and how they view this team compared to the rest of the league. It’s why the Kings keep pushing the chips into the middle of the table. 

The Kings can use a reset, and instead, they keep buying in. They are one of the teams interested in Panarin but with the way they’ve played, that move would ironically make them look a lot like the New York Rangers now. 

Other Teams to Watch 

The Toronto Maple Leafs looked like they figured everything out but they are back to playing poorly. They’ve lost three games in a row and five of their last six. Taking a step back, the Maple Leafs play is concerning, and it might result in a different approach at the trade deadline for a team that normally buys in. 

The New Jersey Devils have played well lately, with three wins in a row but they’ve also been a mess all season. It makes them an interesting team to watch since they might be sellers at the end of the day. 

The Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders have played well all season but both teams have lost consecutive games recently. So, keep a close eye on them as well.