With the 2025-26 NHL regular season ending on Thursday, April 16th, this means we are less than a week away from the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs! Most hockey fans will tell you that the first round of the postseason is one of the most exciting moments in all of sports, as there is just an overwhelming amount of spectacular hockey taking place every night.
While the playoffs are days away, we actually have a mostly clear picture of who will be taking part in the postseason. After a blistering Saturday with 15 games played, seven of eight teams in the East have officially punched their tickets, while out West, six of eight are locked in.
However, we still don’t know who is going to win the Pacific and Atlantic Divisions, and the only matchup that really feels like a sure thing are the Dallas Stars versus the Minnesota Wild. So, with only two games left on the calendar, there is still so much to play for across the NHL, which has not been the case in recent years.
So, for one last time, let’s jump into Week 24 of THW’s 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings, as we excitedly wait for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs!
32-19: Kings Proving Their 2026 NHL Playoff Potential
32. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously: 28) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
31. Vancouver Canucks (Previously: 32) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
30. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously: 30) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
29. New York Rangers (Previously: 27) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
27. Florida Panthers (Previously: 29) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
28. Calgary Flames (Previously: 25) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
26. Seattle Kraken (Previously: 31) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
25. San Jose Sharks (Previously: 24)
24. Winnipeg Jets (Previously: 23)
23. Nashville Predators (Previously: 22)
22. St. Louis Blues (Previously: 21) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
21. New Jersey Devils (Previously: 20) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
20. Anaheim Ducks (Previously: 17)
19. Los Angeles Kings (Previously: 26)
All season long, I have been disappointed in the Kings, who were one of my teams to watch heading into 2025-26 for better and for worse. Between an offseason change to their general manager, interesting free-agent signings, and the announcement of Anze Kopitar’s retirement after 20 seasons in the league, the franchise had a lot going on with expectations to match.
On the ice, however, nothing worked as planned, as the team played dysfunctionally, fired their head coach, and really should have been out of the playoff race. Somehow, the Kings still found a way to keep themselves in the hunt thanks to the overtime loser point and a weak Pacific Division. With an NHL record 19 overtime losses, a recent four-game winning streak, and some help from every team around them falling down along the way, they are in control of their future and look ready to back into the postseason.
Elsewhere at the bottom of the Rankings, one of the most interesting stories of the season is taking place in Toronto. Objectively, the Maple Leafs have been a dumpster fire on the ice, and they are well out of the playoff race. However, the team needs to finish with the fifth overall pick or better to avoid sending their 2026 first-round pick to the Boston Bruins due to a trade they made back in 2025.
I don’t care if you’re a fan of either team or hate them both with a passion; this is a fascinating example of what can happen when you sell the future at the wrong time. It wouldn’t be the first time a top pick was traded accidentally, but it would still be a catastrophe if Toronto decided to win their remaining games for no reason and send Boston the sixth-overall pick. So, if nothing else, the Maple Leafs’ remaining games will be must-watch for all the wrong reasons.
18-8: Red Wings Miss Playoffs Again
18. Detroit Red Wings (Previously: 14) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
17. Boston Bruins (Previously: 8) – Clinched Playoff Berth
16. New York Islanders (Previously: 16) – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
15. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously: 18)
14. Washington Capitals (Previously: 15)
13. Edmonton Oilers (Previously: 11) – Clinched Playoff Berth
12. Utah Mammoth (Previously: 12) – Clinched Playoff Berth
11. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously: 19) – Clinched Playoff Berth
10. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously: 9) – Clinched Playoff Berth
9. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously: 10)
8. Ottawa Senators (Previously: 13) – Clinched Playoff Berth
For the second time in three seasons, the Red Wings will miss the postseason after having a fantastic start to the season before injuries derailed their grand comeback. Back in January, the team was far from perfect, but they played well enough to look like a lock for a top spot in the Atlantic Division. However, despite adding talent at the 2026 Trade Deadline, Detroit just kept losing games and could not find their form again.
Now, you have to have the Steve Yzerman conversation as the Red Wings miss the playoffs for the 10th straight season. Yzerman is a living legend of the sport, but even he has to show results with playoff dates. The NHL is better when Detroit is competing for the Stanley Cup, and it’s still hard to imagine that ‘Hockeytown’ hasn’t hosted a playoff game since opening their nine-year-old arena. I am expecting to see changes this offseason.
When it comes to teams making the playoffs, we are all but set in the Eastern Conference. Barring a meltdown from the Flyers, they will claim third place in the Metropolitan Division, joining the Bruins and Senators, who also claimed their places this week. Boston should be a bit concerned, however, as they lost five straight games and just don’t look right at the moment, despite a big win against Columbus on Sunday.
Out West, the Golden Knights are 5-0-1 under John Tortorella, so it appears that their late-season experiment has been a massive success. With this late-season surge, they have retaken first place in the Pacific Division and look ready to go on a deep playoff run. Not bad for a team I wrote off a few weeks ago.
However, a late-season coaching change doesn’t guarantee success. The Islanders, despite posting 91 points so far, were eliminated from contention Sunday. This is a bit of a shame given how well the team played throughout the 2025-26 NHL season, but a 3-7-0 record in their last 10 games played sealed their fate.
7-1: Hurricanes Continue NHL Excellence
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously: 4) – Clinched Playoff Berth
6. Minnesota Wild (Previously: 5) – Clinched Playoff Berth
5. Dallas Stars (Previously: 7) – Clinched Playoff Berth
4. Buffalo Sabres (Previously: 6) – Clinched Playoff Berth
3. Montreal Canadiens (Previously: 1) – Clinched Playoff Berth
2. Colorado Avalanche (Previously: 3) – Clinched Playoff Berth
1. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously: 2) – Clinched Playoff Berth
Since it’s the final week of the 2025-26 NHL season, it feels right to place the Hurricanes first in the Rankings. Over the last month, Carolina has sat in second place, always winning games and piling up points, but also getting passed by teams on flashier winning streaks.
However, with another solid three-game winning streak under their belt and the top spot in the Eastern Conference all but secured, it was time to move Carolina into first place. Don’t sleep on this team on your postseason brackets, as it feels like time for the Hurricanes to return to the Stanley Cup Final.
This week also saw the Avalanche wrap up the 2026 Presidents’ Trophy. Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long, given Colorado’s lead over the rest of the league for most of the season. However, you now get to ask about the Presidents’ Trophy curse, which, while totally not a thing, will also continue to be a thing until the best team in the league wins the Stanley Cup again.
2025-26 NHL Season is Almost Complete
Once again, I want to thank the readers for another fantastic NHL season. These Rankings are a blast of fun that I always look forward to assembling each week.
Related: NHL Rumors: Roy’s Future, DeBrincat Move, and Maple Leafs Talk to Fans
From the Olympics to late-season head coach firings to league-shifting blockbuster trades, the 2025-26 season truly had everything. Who knows what the 2026-27 season will bring, but for now, let’s all turn our attention to the 2026 NHL Playoffs and the start of the best time of the year!
