The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, but there are still plenty of questions about which teams will be there and which teams they will play. Two teams — the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars — have already clinched playoff spots, but other teams have a lot more work to do over the final dozen games.
In both conferences, the wild card races are incredibly tight. The Boston Bruins hold the first wildcard spot but are only one point ahead of the New York Islanders — the first team outside the postseason. The red-hot Ottawa Senators have pushed their way into the second wild card spot, but they still have little room for error. That doesn’t even factor in the battles for third place in the Atlantic and Metro Divisions, the final guaranteed playoff spot in each, which should be a photo finish.
Out West, Connor McDavid recently described the Pacific Division as a “pillow fight,” and while that’s pretty accurate, it does make for some good drama. Nine Eastern Conference teams have more points than the Anaheim Ducks, which lead the division with 84. Six points separate the Ducks in first and the Vegas Golden Knights in third.
The Western Conference wild card race has recently shifted in a big way. The Nashville Predators have made a strong push and currently occupy the final wild card spot with just 77 points, but the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets are nipping at their heels.
Be sure to take a look at the full schedule with just a few weeks left to play.
Reminder: Here’s how the NHL playoff seeding works
- The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
- Each conference has two wild card spots.
- The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
- The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.
- Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker.
- Regulation plus OT wins are the second tiebreaker
(X) denotes clinched playoff berth; (Y) denotes clinched division; (Z) denotes clinched conference; (P) denotes clinched Presidents’ Trophy
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Buffalo Sabres | 44-20-7 | 95 points
Points percentage: .669
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins
2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 44-21-5 | 93 points
Points percentage: .664
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
3. Montreal Canadiens | 39-21-10 | 88 points
Points percentage: .629
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan Division
1. Carolina Hurricanes | 45-20-6 | 96 points
Points percentage: .676
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Brady Tkachuk
2. Columbus Blue Jackets | 38-22-11 | 87 points
Points percentage: .613
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Pittsburgh Penguins | 35-20-16 | 86 points
Points percentage: .606
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 33
Current first-round matchup: Columbus Blue Jackets
Wild Card
WC1. Boston Bruins | 39-24-8 | 86 points
Points percentage: .606
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: Buffalo Sabres
WC2. Ottawa Senators | 38-24-9 | 85 points
Points percentage: .599
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 35
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
In the hunt
New York Islanders | 40-27-5 | 85 points
Points percentage: .590
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus OT wins: 36
Detroit Red Wings | 38-25-8 | 84 points
Points percentage: .592
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 36
Philadelphia Flyers | 34-24-12 | 80 points
Points percentage: .571
Regulation wins: 21
Regulation plus OT wins: 25
Washington Capitals | 35-28-9 | 79 points
Points percentage: .549
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus OT wins: 34
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 47-13-10 | 104 points (X)
Points percentage: .743
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Nashville Predators
2. Dallas Stars | 43-17-11 | 97 points (X)
Points percentage: .683
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
3. Minnesota Wild | 40-20-12 | 92 points
Points percentage: .639
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1. Anaheim Ducks | 40-27-4 | 84 points
Points percentage: .592
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: Utah Mammoth
2. Edmonton Oilers | 35-28-9 | 79 points
Points percentage: .549
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 35
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
3. Vegas Golden Knights | 32-26-14 | 78 points
Points percentage: .542
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus OT wins: 31
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
Wild Card
WC1. Utah Mammoth | 37-29-6 | 80 points
Points percentage: .563
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Anaheim Ducks
WC2. Nashville Predators | 34-28-9 | 77 points
Points percentage: .542
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 30
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
In the hunt
Los Angeles Kings | 28-25-18 | 74 points
Points percentage: .521
Regulation wins: 18
Regulation plus OT wins: 24
Seattle Kraken | 31-29-10 | 72 points
Points percentage: .514
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 30
Winnipeg Jets | 30-29-12 | 70 points
Points percentage: .507
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus OT wins: 28
San Jose Sharks | 32-31-6 | 70 points
Points percentage: .507
Regulation wins: 20
Regulation plus OT wins: 30
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