Who Has The Longest Playoff Droughts? Sabres Atop Infamous List

The NHL playoffs start this weekend and interest in hockey wagering at Canadian sportsbooks will be high. But the postseason party will begin without Western New York’s team yet again because the team so close to Canada is still far from playoff caliber.

On the heels of the Buffalo Sabres extending the NHL club’s league-leading postseason drought to 14 seasons (and counting), BetCanada.com wanted to see which of the “Big Four” (MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL) clubs have the longest such streaks.

Longest Current Playoff Droughts in NHL, NFL, MLB & NBA

Team	League	Years
Buffalo Sabres	NHL	14*
New York Jets	NFL	14
Los Angeles Angels	MLB	10
Pittsburgh Pirates	MLB	9
Charlotte Hornets	NBA	9*
Detroit Red Wings	NHL	9*
Anaheim Ducks	NHL	7*
Atlanta Falcons	NFL	7
Carolina Panthers	NFL	7

*Includes elimination from 2025 postseason

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More NHL Futility In Buffalo

After missing out on the 2024-25 NHL postseason, Buffalo’s longstanding abstention from playoff hockey now dates to the 2010-11 campaign. That season, Buffalo reached the NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinals for the second straight season.

Buffalo has been eliminated in the first round in its past two playoff appearances, in 2010 and ‘11, and has not won a playoff series since 2007. Not only does Buffalo have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL, it’s the longest in league history. That period without a playoff series win, now at 18 years, is also the league’s driest current spell.

North of the border, Ottawa Senators betting odds are worth pondering as the team ended a seven-year span without a postseason bid, having clinched a spot in this year’s East playoffs. The Sens had been third on the list of longest droughts. The Detroit Red Wings have the NHL’s second-longest playoff drought, now at nine seasons without a playoff berth in the Motor City.

Sabres Tied For Longest Drought In Big 4 Leagues

Across the four traditional major North American leagues, the New York Jets of the NFL (also 14 seasons) are the only team that can match misery with the Sabres.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Toronto Maple Leafs are making their ninth consecutive appearance, the longest in the NHL. BetMGM lists the Leafs at +1200 in Stanley Cup odds as of April 14.

Getting back to struggling franchises, the Los Angeles Angels of MLB (10 seasons) are the only other franchise with a decade of leaving the scene before the postseason begins. Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates and the NBA's Charlotte Hornets are tied with the Red Wings at nine seasons apiece. The Anaheim Ducks also can start making offseason tee times, as their streak of seasons without a playoff bid has reached seven, matching the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers in a tie for seventh among traditional “Big 4” leagues. Including a fifth sport, Major League Soccer, the Chicago Fire has missed the postseason party for seven consecutive years.

Among the 18 teams still standing in the NHL postseason chase, Ottawa sits 12th in terms of Stanley Cup odds on NorthStar Bets Sportsbook, at +4000, as of April 14. That’s tied with the Minnesota Wild and just ahead of the New Jersey Devils, who are +5000 to win it all this spring. The defending champion Panthers are the favorites at +600 at a few Canada sports betting apps.

USA Today photo by David Kirouac

Author

Christopher Boan

iGaming Reporter

Christopher Boan is a reporter and writer with BetCanada.com. He's covered the gambling industry for nearly a decade, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News.