If the National Hockey League playoffs began Wednesday, five teams that were on the outside looking in a year ago would be part of the first-round carnival. That's about a 30% turnover, which seems like a lot but, given the parity in the league these days, is pretty much par for the course.
So it won't be a surprise if, a year from now, five new teams are looking for postseason glory (or at least looking forward to collecting some of that much-needed playoff revenue).
Who's most likely to join the postseason parade next year? Well, without even considering that any of these teams could land Auston Matthews or one of the other young studs available at the top end of the draft, let's take a look at the top five contenders to rebound in 2017.