4 NHL teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention after winning the Presidents’ Trophy previous season feat. New York Rangers

The New York Rangers hold the dubious distinction of being the only team to win the Presidents’ Trophy one season and then miss the NHL playoffs the next year two times. In fact, since the award was first introduced in the 1985-86 season, only four teams have had the best regular season record one year, only to fail to make the postseason the next.

So, let’s take a look at the four teams that won the Presidents’ Trophy one season and failed to make the NHL playoffs the next.

4 NHL teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention after winning the Presidents’ Trophy the previous season feat. New York Rangers

#4 1992-93 New York Rangers

The 1991-92 New York Rangers had a whale of a season. They won 50 games in an 80-game season, topping the then-Patrick Division with 105 points. That total was enough for the Wales Conference title and the President’s Trophy.

However, the Blue Shirts fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Division Finals (second round) in six games (4-2). That season, the Penguins would go on to win the Stanley Cup.

The following season, the Rangers plunged to last place in the Patrick Division with 79 points, winning 34 games in the new 84-game season.

The good news is that the Blue Shirts would rebound the next year, winning the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup.

#3 2007-08 Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres were the class of the NHL, winning 53 of 82 games, topping the Northeast Division with 113 points. The Sabres locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and would go on to make the Eastern Conference Final, where they fell in five games to the Ottawa Senators.

The next season, the Sabres plummeted to fourth place in the Northeast Division, finishing with 39 wins and 90 points. The club was four points off the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, claimed by the Boston Bruins with 94 points.

The Sabres would last make the playoffs in 2010-11 and haven’t been back since.

#2 2014-15 Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins were the toast of the 2013-14 season, winning the newly-created Atlantic Division with 54 wins in 82 games for 117 points. The B’s claimed the Presidents’ Trophy but were bounced by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round in a tight, seven-game series.

The next season, the Bruins dipped to 41 wins in 82 wins for 96 points. They failed to capture the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference by two points. That spot went to the Pittsburgh Penguins who squeaked in ahead of the Bruins.

#1 2024-25 New York Rangers

The 2023-24 New York Rangers had one of the best seasons in recent memory. They won 55 of 82 games for 114 points. They dominated throughout the regular season, leaving the 111-point Carolina Hurricanes in the rearview.

The Blue Shirts went on to the Eastern Conference Final where they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.

This season, the Rangers entered the campaign with high expectations. However, internal issues, inconsistency, and lack of vision doomed the team from the start. The Rangers sank to sixth in the Metro Division, missing the playoffs by a wide margin, nearly ten points behind the Montreal Canadiens.

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alt=”Nestor Quixtan” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early ’90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can’t for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan