The Sabres clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2011 on Saturday after the Rangers beat the Red Wings. Buffalo had a chance to capture the postseason spot on its own on Thursday night, but lost to the Senators. The Sabres play the Capitals on Saturday night, and now don’t have to worry about clinching that playoff spot anymore.
The 14-season drought for the Sabres was the longest active streak between playoff appearances in the NHL, and it was the longest streak in NHL history. Buffalo rarely even got close to reaching the postseason in that span, too.
This season didn’t seem likely for the Sabres to end the drought as they sat in last place in the Eastern Conference as recently as December. The team went on to start a 10-game winning streak to boost themselves in the standings, and the organization fired general manager Kevyn Adams for a fresh start. Since Adams was fired on Dec. 15, the Sabres posted an NHL-best 32–8–4 record to help them reach the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Now that the Sabres no longer hold the active NHL record for a playoff drought, what team unfortunately claims that title?
NHL teams with the longest active playoff droughts
The Red Wings now hold the longest active streak for missing the NHL playoffs as this season will mark their 10th straight without a postseason appearance. Detroit last made the playoffs during the 2015-16 season. It’s a coincidence that the Sabres handed the Red Wings this unlucky streak on Saturday after Detroit’s loss is what locked up the playoff spot for Buffalo.
Behind the Sabres’ record of 14 seasons in a row of not making the playoffs, the next highest amount in NHL history is 10 seasons, which the Panthers and Oilers all hit during previous streaks.
The 2025-26 season hasn’t ended yet, so some of these streaks may end depending on how the teams finish out the regular season. As of Saturday, April 4, here are the teams with the longest active playoff droughts in the NHL.
| Team | Last Playoff Appearance | Streak |
|---|---|---|
| Red Wings | 2015–16 | 9 seasons |
| Ducks | 2017–18 | 7 seasons |
| Sharks | 2018–19 | 6 seasons |
| Blackhawks | 2018–19 | 6 seasons |
| Blue Jackets | 2019–20 | 5 seasons |
| Flyers | 2019–20 | 5 seasons |
The Blackhawks have already been eliminated from playoff contention, so their streak will increase to seven consecutive seasons.
Longest playoff droughts across sports
Where does the Sabres’ broken streak compare against playoff droughts in other major sports? Buffalo’s streak of 14 seasons was the second-longest active drought amongst major sports as the Jets haven’t made the NFL postseason in 15 seasons. Here’s a look at the top four longest playoff droughts in the NFL right now.
| Team | Last Playoff Appearance | Streak |
|---|---|---|
| Jets | 2010 | 15 seasons |
| Falcons | 2017 | 8 seasons |
| Colts | 2020 | 6 seasons |
| Saints | 2020 | 6 seasons |
The next longest playoff drought in major sports belongs to MLB’s Angels, who have gone 11 years without making a postseason. Here’s a look at the top four longest playoff droughts in MLB right now.
| Team | Last Playoff Appearance | Streak |
|---|---|---|
| Angels | 2014 | 11 seasons |
| Pirates | 2015 | 10 seasons |
| Rockies | 2018 | 7 seasons |
| Nationals | 2019 | 6 seasons |
These streaks don’t truly compare to the longest streaks in MLB history. The Montreal Expos/Nationals hold the all-time MLB record for missing out on the playoffs for 29 straight seasons.
The NBA ranks next as the Hornets currently have a streak of not making the playoffs for the past nine seasons. Charlotte could easily break their franchise-record streak this year as they’re projected to make the play-in tournament. Here’s a look at the top four longest playoff droughts in the NBA right now.
| Team | Last Playoff Appearance | Streak |
|---|---|---|
| Hornets | 2016 | 9 seasons |
| Spurs | 2019 | 6 seasons |
| Trail Blazers | 2021 | 4 seasons |
| Wizards | 2021 | 4 seasons |
More from Sports Illustrated
- Yaxel Lendeborg Vows to Be Ready for Michigan’s Men’s Hoops Title Game
- Michigan Looks Unstoppable Barreling Into Men’s Hoops Title Game Against UConn
- UConn Embraces Underdog Role as March Madness Machine Rolls Into Title Game
- Nikola Jokić vs. Victor Wembanyama Delivers a Battle Worthy of the Hype
- A ‘Fred Couples Lucky Break’ on Par-3 12th Hole Proves Pivotal at Augusta National Women’s Amateur
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Updated List of Longest Playoff Droughts in Sports As Sabres Finally Clinch Postseason.
