The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, but there are still plenty of questions about which teams will qualify and which matchups we will see in the postseason. The Pittsburgh Penguins just became the second Metro Division team to lock down a spot, and the Utah Mammoth have sewn up the first wild card spot in the West.
In the East, the Ottawa Senators still hold the final playoff spot, and they’ve created some room for error with a three-point lead. The race for the Atlantic Division title just got even more interesting as the Montreal Canadiens topped the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday to move into second place behind the Buffalo Sabres.
Out West, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights have surpassed the suddenly slumping Anaheim Ducks for first and second place, respectively. Edmonton holds a one-point lead over Vegas and Anaheim.
The Western Conference wild card race seems to change every day. The Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings continued their ping pong match in the final playoff spot on Thursday. Los Angeles defeated the Vancouver Canucks to jump Nashville, which lose to the Mammoth.
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 | 49-23-8 | 106 points (X)
Points percentage: .663
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins
2. Montreal Canadiens | 47-22-10 | 104 points (X)
Points percentage: .658
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus OT wins: 43
Current first-round matchup: Buffalo Sabres
3. Tampa Bay Lightning | 48-25-6 | 102 points (X)
Points percentage: .646
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
Metropolitan Division
1. Carolina Hurricanes | 51-22-6 | 108 points (Y)
Points percentage: .684
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus OT wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators
2. Pittsburgh Penguins | 41-22-16 | 98 points (X)
Points percentage: .620
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Philadelphia Flyers
3. Philadelphia Flyers | 40-27-12 | 92 points
Points percentage: .582
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 31
Current first-round matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins
Wild Card
WC1. Boston Bruins | 43-26-10 | 96 points
Points percentage: .608
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
WC2. Ottawa Senators | 42-27-10 | 94 points
Points percentage: .595
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
In the hunt
Detroit Red Wings | 41-29-9 | 91 points
Points percentage: .576
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
New York Islanders | 43-31-5 | 91 points
Points percentage: .576
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Columbus Blue Jackets | 39-28-12 | 90 points
Points percentage: .570
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
Washington Capitals | 40-30-9 | 89 points
Points percentage: .563
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 52-16-10 | 114 points (P)
Points percentage: .731
Regulation wins: 46
Regulation plus OT wins: 49
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
2. Dallas Stars | 47-20-12 | 106 points (X)
Points percentage: .671
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
3. Minnesota Wild | 45-22-12 | 100 points (X)
Points percentage: .646
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1. Edmonton Oilers | 40-29-10 | 90 points
Points percentage: .570
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Utah Mammoth
2. Vegas Golden Knights | 36-26-17 | 89 points
Points percentage: .563
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 35
Current first-round matchup: Anaheim Ducks
3. Anaheim Ducks | 42-32-5 | 89 points
Points percentage: .563
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 34
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
Wild Card
WC1. Utah Mammoth | 42-30-6 | 90 points (X)
Points percentage: .577
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
WC2. Los Angeles Kings | 33-26-19 | 85 points
Points percentage: .545
Regulation wins: 20
Regulation plus OT wins: 28
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
In the hunt
WC2. Nashville Predators | 37-32-10 | 84 points
Points percentage: .532
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
Winnipeg Jets | 35-31-12 | 82 points
Points percentage: .526
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 33
San Jose Sharks | 37-34-7 | 81 points
Points percentage: .519
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 35
St. Louis Blues | 33-33-12 | 78 points
Points percentage: .500
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
