So long, trade deadline. Hello, stretch run. Every NHL team’s roster is set for the season’s final leg, give or take an injury recovery or AHL call-up. It’s the time of year when we start doing math about games in hand and checking daily playoff odds.
The stretch run has always been important, as it decides a large percentage of the league’s playoff spots, but it has taken on greater weight in this era of unprecedented parity. When the 2016-17 Nashville Predators can reach the Stanley Cup final as a No. 16 overall seed and the 2018-19 St.