There are just four days left in the 2025-26 NHL season, and four teams remain in contention for first place in the Pacific Division.
One of those teams is the Edmonton Oilers, who have a very good chance at finishing atop their division standings for the first time in 39 years.
Currently, the Oilers are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for second in the Pacific. They each have 90 points, one point behind the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights and two points ahead of the fourth-place Los Angeles Kings.
Related: Every Possible Opponent for the Oilers in Playoffs’ First Round
Vegas, Edmonton and Anaheim all have two games left, while the Kings will play three more times before the season concludes on Thursday (April 16) night.
While Edmonton has officially clinched a playoff berth, the Oilers could still end up with anything from the top seed in the Pacific Division to the Western Conference’s second wild card spot. Here’s a look at how it could all play out.
Comparing Remaining Schedules
Edmonton is in the friendly confines of Rogers Place for its final two games, Monday (April 13) against the Colorado Avalanche and Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. It’s quite a contrast in opponents, as Colorado has secured the Presidents’ Trophy while the Canucks will finish last in the NHL overall standings.
Vegas also plays its last two contests at home, against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday and the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday (April 15). The Jets need at least a point to keep their wild card hopes alive, while Seattle has already been eliminated from postseason contention.
Anaheim finishes with a two-game road trip, visiting the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday (April 14) and the Nashville Predators on Thursday. The Wild have one of the NHL’s better records but are locked into third place in the Central Division and have nothing to play for. The Predators, on the other hand, are in the thick of the wild card chase, and could have their season on the line when they host Anaheim.
All of L.A.’s remaining games will be on the road, against the teams that occupy the bottom three spots in the Pacific Division: Seattle on Monday, Vancouver on Tuesday, and the Calgary Flames on Thursday.  The Kings have the easiest remaining strength of schedule (.439) in the entire NHL.
Oilers Hold Tiebreakers
The first tiebreaker in the Pacific Division standings is regulation wins (RW), and Edmonton holds the edge in that category over all three of the other teams in the race.
Edmonton has 31 RW, while Vegas can finish with no more than 30 RW. Anaheim can finish with a maximum of 27 RW, and Los Angeles can total no higher than 24 RW.
How Oilers Can Finish First
If the Oilers go 2-0-0 to finish the season, all they need to finish first is for Vegas to lose one of its last two games, in either regulation or overtime/shootout.
Should the Oilers go 1-0-1, they need Vegas to drop at least two points over its final two games, and for Anaheim to suffer defeat in at least one of its last two games, in either regulation or overtime/shootout.
If the Oilers get two points from their last two games, either by going 1-1-0 or 0-0-2, they will then need Vegas to get no more than one point, Anaheim to get a maximum of two points, and Los Angeles to lose at least one more game, in either regulation or overtime/shootout.
Should the Oilers manage just one point the rest of the way, their only hope for finishing atop the Pacific Division is if Vegas loses both of its games in regulation, Anaheim gets no more than one point, and Los Angeles drops at least two points over its remaining three contests.
Oilers Can Guarantee Home Ice Advantage
Edmonton does not control its fate for winning the division. However, by winning both of their games, the Oilers are guaranteed to finish no worse than second in the Pacific, thus securing home ice advantage for Round 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On the flip side, if the Oilers drop both remaining games, they will likely finish third, or possibly even drop into a wild card spot.
The worst-case scenario is that the Oilers go 0-2-0, Anaheim picks up at least one point, and Los Angeles picks up four or more points. If that happens, Edmonton will open Round 1 of the postseason on the road against the team that nobody wants to face, the powerhouse Avalanche.
Playoff Picture Could Clear Up Quickly
With Edmonton, Vegas, and Los Angeles all in action tonight, the Pacific’s cloudy playoff picture could become much clearer.
For starters, any combination of two points gained by Vegas and lost by Los Angeles will eliminate the Kings from contention for first place.
As far as the Oilers are concerned, they will move atop the division standings with a victory and a Vegas loss. Edmonton can also assure itself of finishing top three in the Pacific Division and avoiding the wild card with: a win and a Kings loss in regulation or overtime/shootout; or, an overtime loss and an L.A. loss in regulation. However, if the Oilers lose in regulation and the Golden Knights win, Edmonton will no longer be able to catch Vegas.
There has never been a playoff chase like this in Oilers history. Fans at Rogers Place this week will be checking the scores on their phones as much as they are watching Connor McDavid and his Oilers teammates on the ice.
