The 2026 NHL playoff picture is rapidly taking shape, with several teams already clinched and a historically tight wild card battle in the Eastern Conference coming down to the final weeks of the regu
With the 2026 NHL regular season entering its final stretch, the postseason field is beginning to take shape. Several teams have already locked up their spots, while others are locked in one of the most competitive wild card races in recent memory. In the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild have all clinched playoff berths. In the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres have secured their places in the postseason as well.
The real drama, however, is unfolding in the wild card picture — particularly in the East, where five teams are separated by a single point and every remaining game carries enormous weight.
Current Eastern Conference standings
The Atlantic Division is led by the Tampa Bay Lightning at 102 points, followed closely by the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, both sitting at 100 points. In the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes have been the class of the conference at 109 points, with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 94 and the New York Islanders at 89 rounding out the division’s playoff spots.
The wild card picture in the East is where things get genuinely compelling. The Boston Bruins currently hold the first wild card spot at 94 points, while the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets are all deadlocked at 88 points. The Washington Capitals are one point back at 87, keeping the race alive for at least six teams simultaneously. Already eliminated from contention are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.
Current Western Conference standings
Out West, the Colorado Avalanche have been dominant, leading the Central Division with 110 points. The Dallas Stars sit second at 102, with the Minnesota Wild third at 98. In the Pacific Division, the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks are tied at 87 points apiece, with the Vegas Golden Knights just one point behind at 86.
The Western wild card race is less compressed than its Eastern counterpart but no less meaningful. The Utah Mammoth lead the wild card group at 86 points, followed by the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings at 81, the San Jose Sharks at 79 and the Winnipeg Jets at 78. The St. Louis Blues, Seattle Kraken and Calgary Flames are also mathematically alive but face steep climbs. The Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks have been eliminated.
Projected playoff bracket
Based on current standings, the projected first-round matchups shape up as follows.
In the Eastern Conference, the 4 projected series are: 1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators, 2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins, 3) Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres and 4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders.
In the Western Conference, the 4 projected series are: 1) Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings, 2) Edmonton Oilers vs. Utah Mammoth, 3) Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild and 4) Anaheim Ducks vs. Vegas Golden Knights.
The race every fan should be watching
No storyline in the final weeks of the regular season is more gripping than the Eastern Conference wild card battle. The Ottawa Senators have shown real consistency in recent weeks, picking up wins against the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres to build momentum. However, a loss to the already-eliminated Florida Panthers served as a reminder of just how unpredictable this stretch run can be for teams feeling playoff pressure.
The schedules ahead will test all of the contenders severely. The Senators still face the Hurricanes and Lightning, two of the conference’s elite teams. The Red Wings have similarly daunting matchups against Minnesota and Tampa Bay. The Flyers and Blue Jackets face equally difficult closing schedules, and the Capitals are close enough at 87 points to make any stumble by the teams ahead of them immediately consequential.
With the margins this thin and the schedules this demanding, the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference could realistically remain undecided until the last game of the regular season.