NHL playoff hockey has one absolute, and it's this: There are none. At least when it comes to teams populating the postseason field.
Every new season inevitably produces teams putting the league on notice (we've arrived!) while simultaneously issuing eviction notices (you're out!) to previous postseason incumbents.
Who doesn't love a little parity? And maybe a little hope: Could this season end a franchise's long playoff drought, or generate the Cinderella-like story of the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers careening their way to the Stanley Cup Final?
Let's break it down: Five teams reached the playoffs in 2023 who missed out in 2022.