NHL's best this week: The case for a new 'playoff cutoff' date
I’m sick of the “American Thanksgiving playoff position” conversation that happens every single year in the hockey world. I say this with complete respect to longtime NHL executive Ken Holland, who is credited with introducing the idea. You know exactly what I’m talking about: If an NHL team is in a playoff position by American…
I’m sick of the “American Thanksgiving playoff position” conversation that happens every single year in the hockey world. I say this with complete respect to longtime NHL executive Ken Holland, who is credited with introducing the idea.
You know exactly what I’m talking about: If an NHL team is in a playoff position by American Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November, this year on the 27th), they will probably make the playoffs. From 2005-06 through last season, 77.1% of NHL teams in a playoff spot on American Thanksgiving made the postseason. That ratio was as spot-on as mathematically possible last season, with six of eight teams in each conference that were in playoff position on Nov. 28 remaining there at season’s end.
Here’s why this season could be different: in the past 10 seasons (taking out the season that COVID-19 affected the Thanksgiving mark), the average gap between top and bottom of the East was 20.4 points. In the West, 20.5; that makes the NHL average a 20.45-point gap.
If the current eight-point gap in the East as of Monday holds through the next few days, it will be the smallest gap in either conference at American Thanksgiving in the past decade. Before this season, the smallest in the past decade was 14 points, which was last season in the East. Even with that smaller gap, six of eight teams in playoff position on Turkey Day made it in the spring; the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins were replaced by the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, the latter of whom were in last place in the conference on Thanksgiving.
So yes, history will tell us that the 77.1% success number will roughly hold. But given the tight standings in the East, we could be in store for a healthy amount of absolute pandemonium and more juggling around than at a circus — and let’s be real, that would be a lot more entertaining to hockey fans!
But I have another new idea; what if we hold off on the playoff talk until a slightly later date? We don’t need to crowd Thanksgiving. Let it have its day. Let’s not be like stores that sell Christmas decorations on Sept. 15.
Thanksgiving roughly lands around the Game Nos. 18-22 mark for teams. Why don’t we make the cutoff date the first Monday of December instead? That would be one to three more games per team.
So let’s have the “Stanley Cup playoff Mendoza line” discussion be its own day on the first Monday in December. From the content angle, Thanksgiving already gives us enough themes to work with: What are we thankful for in hockey, which NHL players would you invite to Thanksgiving dinner, etc. We don’t need to stuff in the playoff talk.
Consider this my official petition to start the movement: I will see you all on Monday, Dec. 1 for our playoff team predictions and laments! For those who are back to work after a four-day Thanksgiving weekend, we’ll hit you with all of those sweet playoff positioning prognostications. Boom! (And again, sorry, Mr. Holland.)
Jump ahead:
Games of the week
What I loved this weekend
Hart Trophy candidates
Social post of the week
Stick taps
Biggest games of the week
But speaking of American Thanksgiving, it is a unique week on the NHL calendar. There are 15 games on Wednesday and another 15 on Friday — and none on Thursday, because we will all be too busy eating turkey and not talking about playoff teams, right?
So, as a slight swerve from the usual department, here’s a ranking of all 15 games on Friday’s all-day slate, which starts at noon ET and runs through a pair of games with an 8 p.m. ET puck drop. Enjoy the hockey holiday!
1 p.m. ET | TNT
The Bruins have eventual 50-goal scorer (according to teammate David Pastrnak) Morgan Geekie, who is one goal behind Nathan MacKinnon in the Rocket Richard race. Meanwhile, the Rangers continue their reverse home-road split; world beaters away from MSG, quite fallible on home ice. And coincidentally, the teams’ No. 1 netminders, Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman, have virtually identical .909 and .907 save percentages as the week begins.
Give me an Original Six matchup between two teams who definitely need the points. But there’s always something a little extra when it’s Boston vs. New York in any sport, no matter the standings.
Here’s the rest of my rankings for Friday’s schedule:
3:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+
4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
7 p.m. ET | NHL Network
8 p.m. ET | ESPN+
12 p.m. ET | ESPN+
4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
5 p.m. ET | ESPN+
5 p.m. ET | ESPN+
4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
8 p.m. ET | ESPN+
4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
What I loved this weekend
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is a joy to watch so young in his career. He’s already calling out spots like a veteran on the ice, skating really well with great positioning, battling for pucks and making smart passes. Seeing him play in person for the first time on Saturday was an absolute treat. He’s appointment viewing for me already.
I’m not ready to make big comparisons yet to what he’ll be when he hits his peak, but I will say that the way Schaefer strips players of the puck on the defensive end and makes it look so effortless reminds me of how Cale Makar is able to do that seemingly with ease, often against superstars such as Connor McDavid.
Hart Trophy candidates if the season ended today
Nathan MacKinnon might be on this list for the rest of the season the way he’s going. After 22 games, he has 37 points and 17 goals, leading the league in points and tied for the league lead in goals.
Speaking of the Art Ross race (for the NHL’s leading point scorer), Nos. 2, 3 and 4 are currently McDavid, Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard. Sign me up for the “kids” fighting the established superstars for the point-scoring lead all season.
In fact, since both Celebrini and Bedard have more goals than McDavid, I’m making them both Hart Trophy finalists for the week. I hope this changes again, because the constant shifting in the race has become a storyline I absolutely love this season.
Social media post of the week
Speaking of Matthew Schaefer, he showed incredible poise and strength for the kids he interacted with during Hockey Fights Cancer Day at UBS Arena. Schaefer’s mother Jennifer died from cancer, and the game was played on her birthday.
Today is a day that Matthew Schaefer holds close to his heart. 💜
It is the @NYIslanders‘ #HockeyFightsCancer game, and it is Jennifer Schaefer’s birthday.
(📸: IG/matthew.schaefer48) pic.twitter.com/QjlWpttVqB
— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2025
A very touching post came from Sydney Esiason Martin, with whom Schafer is living this season. Responding to a photo of Schaefer hugging her kids, Martin replied "My girls are lucky to have him in their lives":
My girls are lucky to have him in their lives 💜 https://t.co/JKvN9jZf2s
— Sydney Esiason Martin (@sydneyemartin) November 23, 2025
On a lighter note, a shoutout to Grant Joseph and his daughter Skyla, whom I met at UBS Arena. Their videos, where daughter Skyla chirps dad Grant for being a Maple Leafs fan, crack me up. Grant bravely wore a Leafs John Tavares jersey to the game.
We filmed a collab -- it didn't go well for me:
Stick taps
As noted in the sections above, I was on site for the Islanders' Hockey Fights Cancer game to see how the organization did such a terrific job showing the kids that were present an incredible time. It started right off the hop at the ceremonial puck drop; shoutout to Blues captain Brayden Schenn, who positioned the kids so that the pictures would look great, one they will no doubt cherish.
Three of the young warriors got to ring the bell for beating cancer, which drew an incredible, emotional reaction from the crowd.
Isles GM Mathieu Darche held a special news conference for the kids. In speaking with them, you could tell it became a core memory.
We see many examples of acts of kindness on social media during Hockey Fights Cancer month, but it's a different perspective to see it in person as opposed to in videos on social media.
The Islanders, like many other teams, have incredible charitable initiatives year round. I was told that money raised from auctions regularly allows winners to sit in the owners box, often meeting with Isles co-owner Jon Ledecky, or sitting against the glass, interacting with players (and usually Sparky the Dragon), along with other unique experiences.
