On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal analyzed the underwhelming performances of three NHL teams struggling to meet expectations this season: the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, and Nashville Predators.

All three teams entered the season with hopes of competing for playoff spots, if not more, yet they sit well outside contention. The Rangers, touted as potential President’s Trophy contenders, are 15-15-1, good for 31 points and sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. Buffalo, riding a league-worst 11-game losing streak, has plummeted to 11-17-4 (26 points) and is last in the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, despite a splashy offseason, Nashville has an uninspiring 9-17-6 record and is anchoring the NHL with 24 points.

The discussion began with an assessment of which team’s struggles were the most surprising.

“Given expectations, the Rangers are probably the biggest disappointment,” said Quads. “They were expected to be a President’s Trophy-level team. Buffalo looked like a team ready to take the next step, but they didn’t take that step and are now back to where they were before. Nashville spent all that money, and we thought they’d contend in the West. But missing the playoffs entirely? That’s where the Rangers’ situation is most shocking right now, so I’d give them the edge.”

Harm countered, offering a different perspective. “I’d say Nashville because they’re 32nd in the NHL right now, not just out of a playoff spot — they’re worse than San Jose, Anaheim, Chicago, Montreal. They’re dead last in the NHL after signing [Steven] Stamkos, [Jonathan] Marchessault, and [Brady] Skjei to long-term contracts they’re now handcuffed to, which is a massive disappointment.

“But if we’re talking about which fanbase has the most reason to be upset, it’s Buffalo. This isn’t just about this season; it’s 13 or 14 years of not making the playoffs. They’ve been mired in dysfunction for over a decade. Heading into the season, I thought Buffalo could be competitive, but I didn’t expect them to be a lock for the playoffs.

“For the Rangers, I expected them to dominate the Metro Division, especially with Carolina losing so many pieces. Instead, they’re spiralling, and it’s clearly more than just on-ice issues. There’s deeper dysfunction and turmoil within the franchise. Whether it’s Chris Drury or the coaching staff, the Rangers have cultural problems that run deeper than wins and losses.”

As the conversation shifted to the Predators’ predicament, Harman laid out their limited options.

“Nashville has to re-tool,” Harm explained. “They’re not in a position to rebuild because they’ve got $25 million per season tied up in Stamkos, Marchessault, Skjei, and [Ryan] O’Reilly, and those contracts are immovable. A full teardown just isn’t feasible, but doubling down on the win-now strategy isn’t realistic either.

“They need to lean on their decent prospect pool, which has been consistently ranked above average. They’ve got three first-round picks this year and two second-rounders next year. They’ll have to try threading the needle by integrating younger players into their lineup.

“They may also have to look at moving one of their cornerstone pieces like Roman Josi or Filip Forsberg. Josi is 34, and I don’t think the Predators can turn things around quickly enough to capitalize on his remaining years. Trading him could bring back significant value and help Nashville commit to a re-tool without fully tearing it down.”

You can watch the full segment below: