Bruins, 4 other storied franchises make history by missing playoffs
Boston and four other historic NHL franchises have “accomplished” something that’s never been done before.
Apr 13, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) and Boston Bruins center Casey Mittelstadt (11) take a first period face-off at PPG Paints Arena.
Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesThis Boston Bruins season has been truly historic.
Well, not just because of their own "accomplishments." The B's and four other teams have made NHL history by missing the 2025 playoffs, all at the same time. The other bottom-feeders? The New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Following last Saturday's results, which officially eliminated the Bruins from playoff contention, it marked the first time in NHL history that the B's, Rangers, and Penguins all missed the playoffs in the same season. On top of that, TNT's Liam McHugh confirmed on Sunday that this is also the first time ever that all four American "Original Six" clubs (Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Red Wings) were eliminated in the same campaign (via Ty Anderson).
Entering Tuesday's Bruins season finale, every team in the league has only one or two games left to play in the 2024-25 regular season. The Blackhawks, Bruins, Penguins, Rangers, and Red Wings sit at second, fourth, eighth, 10th, and 12th in the projected 2025 draft order, respectively (via Tankathon).
The B's are not locked into the fourth spot just yet. They sit one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for No. 5 in the draft. If they end up tied, the Flyers would win the tiebreaker based on fewer regulation and non-shootout overtime wins (Philly made it to six shootouts, while Boston only had one). The Flyers need to go pointless over their final two games for a tie to be possible.
Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesUnfortunately for the Bruins, their Tuesday opponent, the New Jersey Devils, are locked into the No. 3 spot in the Metropolitan Division. Thus, they have nothing to play for in terms of seeding, either.
Ultimately, the absolute lowest spot for the Bruins in the 2025 draft is seventh overall, and that would require two teams underneath them to jump to 1-2 in the lottery, and for them to lose the tiebreaker to the Flyers. Odds are, they'll end up in the top-5. As of Tuesday, the B's have a 9.5% chance of landing the first overall pick.
So, if you're interested in where the B's end up in the draft order, there's still some scoreboard-watching to do this week. It starts with the Bruins' regular season finale on Tuesday night at TD Garden, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET.
