On June 9, Hartford selected defenseman Sylvain Cote in the first round, 11th overall pick, at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft held at the Montreal Forum.
During the NHL Waiver Draft held on October 9, the Whalers selected right winger Dave Lumley from the Edmonton Oilers and defenseman Wally Weir from the Quebec Nordiques.
In the playoffs, Lumley scored two goals and seven points in 19 games, helping the Oilers win the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals.
The Whalers opened the season on the road at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers on October 11, as Sylvain Turgeon scored two goals in a 4–4 tie.
The Whalers split the four game road trip, opening with two losses against the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets, before rebounding with wins over the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Black Hawks.
Four nights later, on November 7, the Whalers were shutout for the first time of the season, losing 3–0 to the Winnipeg Jets, dropping their overall record to 6–6–2.
On November 10, Greg Millen stopped all 28 shots he faced, as the Whalers earned their first shutout of the season, defeating the Quebec Nordiques 1–0.
During this slump, on November 16, the Whalers acquired forward Pat Boutette from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Ville Siren.
The Whalers ended their three-game losing skid with a 9–3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 22, as Mark Johnson and Greg Malone each scored two goals.
The Whalers were unable to continue their winning ways, as the club dropped their final two games before Christmas, including a 10–5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
After the Christmas break, the club defeated the New Jersey Devils 5–3 to snap their losing streak, however, Hartford would drop their final two games of the month.
The Whalers remained in last place in the Adams Division, eight points behind the Quebec Nordiques for the fourth and final playoff position.
Hartford ended their losing streak on February 14, as Steve Weeks made 19 saves, as the Whalers shutout the New Jersey Devils 4–0.
On February 23, Liut appeared in his first game with the Whalers, as he made 30 saves, however, the club lost to the Los Angeles Kings 2–1 in overtime.
On March 11, the Whalers acquired center Dean Evason and goaltender Peter Sidorkiewicz from the Washington Capitals in exchange for David Jensen.
On March 16, Steve Weeks made 28 saves in a 5–0 shutout victory over the St. Louis Blues, ending Hartford's winless streak.
Hartford finished 13 points behind the fourth place Boston Bruins for the final playoff position in the Adams Division.