The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, and we now know which 16 teams will be competing for a championship. With just a a couple days remaining in the regular season, teams are still competing for better seeding and home-ice advantage.
In the East, the Philadelphia Flyers clinched the playoffs for the first time in six years with a shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes. That has locked in the Battle of Pennsylvania in the first round. In the Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres have locked up first place, but the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens are fighting for home-ice advantage in their first series.
Out West, the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks have secured the last two playoff positions, but exactly which ones have yet to be determined. The Kings and Ducks — along with the Utah Mammoth — are all trying to avoid the second wild card spot and a first-round clash with the Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado Avalanche.
Be sure to take a look at the full schedule with just a few days 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 | 50-23-8 | 108 points (X)
Points percentage: .667
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus OT wins: 45
Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins
2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 50-25-6 | 106 points (X)
Points percentage: .654
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus OT wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
3. Montreal Canadiens | 48-23-10 | 106 points (X)
Points percentage: .654
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan Division
1. Carolina Hurricanes | 52-22-7 | 111 points (Z)
Points percentage: .685
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus OT wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators
2. Pittsburgh Penguins | 41-24-16 | 98 points (X)
Points percentage: .605
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Philadelphia Flyers
3. Philadelphia Flyers | 42-27-12 | 96 points
Points percentage: .593
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins
Wild Card
WC1. Boston Bruins | 44-27-10 | 98 points (X)
Points percentage: .605
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Buffalo Sabres
WC2. Ottawa Senators | 43-27-11 | 97 points (X)
Points percentage: .599
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 53-16-11 | 115 points (P)
Points percentage: .731
Regulation wins: 46
Regulation plus OT wins: 49
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
2. Dallas Stars | 49-20-12 | 110 points (X)
Points percentage: .679
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
3. Minnesota Wild | 45-24-12 | 102 points (X)
Points percentage: .630
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1, Vegas Golden Knights | 38-26-17 | 93 points (X)
Points percentage: .574
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Utah Mammoth
2. Edmonton Oilers | 40-30-11 | 91 points (X)
Points percentage: .562
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Anaheim Ducks
3. Anaheim Ducks | 42-32-6 | 90 points
Points percentage: .563
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 34
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
Wild Card
WC1. Utah Mammoth | 42-32-6 | 90 points (X)
Points percentage: .570
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
WC2. Los Angeles Kings | 35-26-19 | 89 points
Points percentage: .556
Regulation wins: 22
Regulation plus OT wins: 30
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
