Traditionally speaking, Thanksgiving in America and then the first few weeks of December tend to be seen as important markers in the NHL season -- the moment at which early-season trends and struggles can no longer be completely waved away as "small-sample-size theater," but instead need to be taken at least a little bit seriously.
That truth goes especially for teams that went into the season with aspirations for a playoff berth, but currently find themselves staring at longer odds to get in than they expected. And in a scrambled-up campaign such as this, the 2025-26 season offers plenty of teams who fit that description.