from Andrew Knoll of the New York Times,

From 2009 to 2018, the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks and the Chicago Blackhawks combined for 27 playoff appearances, nine trips to Western Conference finals and five Stanley Cups.

With one week left in the N.H.L. regular season, the Kings sit last in the conference with the Ducks directly in front of them, while the Blackhawks find themselves in the Central Division cellar for the second straight season.

“It’s shocking to me, to be honest,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said.

Some peaks and valleys can be expected in a league with a hard salary cap and a draft system in which poor-finishing franchises gain immediate access to elite talent. But this season, particularly in the Western Conference, big-market American powers have largely fallen behind smaller market franchises like the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets and the Pacific-leading Calgary Flames. The upending of the standings has been accelerated by a youth movement across the sport that has not discriminated based on population or popularity.

Entering Saturday’s games, eight of the top 12 scorers are under age 25.

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