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The 2023-24 NHL regular season was an entertaining one, with races for playoff position, point and goal leaders, and major trophies all coming down to the bitter end.

But not every fan base got to enjoy all of it so much.

With the postseason over, it’s time to look ahead to the offseason. Clubs that didn’t quite hit the mark this season will use the draft, free agency and trades in an effort to be more competitive in 2024-25.

Read on for a look at what went wrong for each eliminated team, along with a breakdown of its biggest keys this offseason and realistic expectations for next season. Note that more teams will be added to this story as they are eliminated.

Note: Profiles for the Atlantic and Metro teams were written by Kristen Shilton, while Ryan S. Clark analyzed the Central and Pacific teams. Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. Projected cap space per Cap Friendly. Dates listed with each team are when the entry was published.

Jump to a team:
ANA | ARI | BOS | BUF
CGY | CAR | CHI | COL
CBJ | DAL | DET | EDM
FLA | LA | MIN | MTL
NSH | NJ | NYI | NYR
OTT | PHI | PIT | SJ
SEA | STL | TB | TOR
VAN | VGK | WSH | WPG

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Pirates catcher Bart returns from thumb injury

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Pirates catcher Bart returns from thumb injury

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart has been activated from the 10-day injured list after recovering from a left thumb injury.

Bart, who last played for Pittsburgh on May 26, went 6-for-17 during a six-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Pirates acquired Bart, 27, in an April 2 trade, sending right-hander Austin Strickland to the San Francisco Giants. The 2018 No. 2 draft pick out of Georgia Tech, Bart failed to catch on with the Giants as Buster Posey‘s successor.

In 22 games before the injury, Bart was batting .267 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 22 games. In 184 career games, he has a .224 average with 15 homers, 50 RBIs and 197 strikeouts.

In a corresponding move, the Pirates sent catcher Jason Delay, 29, to Indianapolis.

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Escalator malfunction at Brewers’ park injures 11

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Escalator malfunction at Brewers' park injures 11

Eleven people were injured after an escalator at the Milwaukee Brewers‘ American Family Field malfunctioned, resulting in “an increased downward speed.”

The incident occurred after the Brewers’ 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs while fans were taking the escalator from the terrace to the loge level.

Five of the people injured were treated at the ballpark while the other six were transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, according to the team.

The Brewers, in a statement Sunday, said they were in the process of reaching out to those who were injured to “check on their condition and express our best wishes for a complete and speedy recovery.”

The team also said that all of the ballpark escalators were inspected overnight and deemed safe for use. The Brewers host the Cubs again Sunday at 1:10 p.m. CT.

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Guardians send struggling P McKenzie to minors

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Guardians send struggling P McKenzie to minors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Cleveland Guardians are sending Triston McKenzie to the minors to work out his pitching problems.

The AL Central leaders optioned the right-hander to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, two days after he went a season-low 2⅓ innings in a 10-3 loss to the Royals. McKenzie hasn’t gone past the third inning in any of his last three starts.

McKenzie is 3-5 with a 5.11 ERA in 16 starts. He has given up 19 homers in 75⅔ innings.

To take McKenzie’s spot, the team activated right-hander Gavin Williams from the 60-day injured list. Williams hasn’t pitched for Cleveland this season after he injured his elbow while throwing a weighted ball during a workout in spring training.

Williams had to build back his arm strength the past two months and made seven minor league appearances before the Guardians were comfortable bringing him up. He made 82 pitches in his last outing.

On Saturday, Chris Antonetti, the team’s president of baseball operations, said the club will continue to be patient with Williams, who likely will be on a pitch count for now.

A former first-round draft pick, the 24-year-old Williams went 3-5 with a 3.29 ERA in 16 starts as a rookie in 2023.

The Guardians could be looking to add another starter before the trade deadline. They signed veteran left-hander Matthew Cook to a one-year contract Saturday, but he won’t be ready to join the rotation until August after having Tommy John surgery last year.

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