NHL Playoff Standings 2023: Predicting Which Teams Will Fall Short of Postseason

It's been a few days since the Boston Bruins became the first NHL team to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. Nobody has joined them in the 16-team postseason field yet, although that will change soon.

The 2022-23 regular season is winding down, with the final games set to occur April 14. Then, the battle for the Stanley Cup will truly begin.

There's the potential for the standings to be shaken up a bit between now and then, though. Only four teams have been eliminated from postseason contention, with plenty on the outside of playoff spots who could still force their way in.

Here's a look at the NHL standings, followed by predictions for several teams that will fall short of reaching the postseason.

NHL Standings

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 15: A view of the NHL logo on the net before the game between the Washington Capitals and the Buffalo Sabres at Capital One Arena on March 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Bruins (111 points, clinched playoff berth)

2. Carolina Hurricanes (98)

3. New Jersey Devils (97)

4. Toronto Maple Leafs (93)

5. New York Rangers (92)

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (90)

7. New York Islanders (80)

8. Florida Panthers (79)

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (78)

10. Ottawa Senators (73)

11. Washington Capitals (73)

12. Buffalo Sabres (72)

13. Detroit Red Wings (69)

14. Philadelphia Flyers (62)

15. Montreal Canadiens (60)

16. Columbus Blue Jackets (49, eliminated from playoff contention)

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Western Conference

1. Vegas Golden Knights (92)

2. Los Angeles Kings (92)

3. Dallas Stars (89)

4. Colorado Avalanche (88)

5. Minnesota Wild (88)

6. Edmonton Oilers (88)

7. Seattle Kraken (83)

8. Winnipeg Jets (81)

9. Calgary Flames (77)

10. Nashville Predators (76)

11. St. Louis Blues (67)

12. Vancouver Canucks (67)

13. Arizona Coyotes (65)

14. Anaheim Ducks (56, eliminated from playoff contention)

15. Chicago Blackhawks (54, eliminated from playoff contention)

16. San Jose Sharks (53, eliminated from playoff contention)

Penguins, Capitals Will Miss Out in the East

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) in action during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are two of hockey's all-time greats, and they've both experienced a ton of success throughout their NHL careers (both personally and with their teams). However, neither may end up in the playoffs this season.

Let's start with Ovechkin's Capitals, which are running out of time to make up significant ground. They have only 73 points, six behind the Panthers for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Washington has struggled for a little more than a month, having lost 12 of its past 17 games. But it could start to build some momentum this week, when it has home matchups vs. the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks, which are both already eliminated from playoff contention.

However, if the teams directly ahead of the Caps in the East standings win enough to fend them off, it won't matter. Plus, Washington has some challenging games ahead, so don't expect it to surge into the postseason.

Crosby's Penguins are in a better spot. They're only one point back of Florida for the No. 8 seed, so they could easily go on a run and move back up into a postseason berth.

However, Pittsburgh is on a four-game losing streak after getting defeated by Ottawa on Monday night. The Pens need to turn things around, and that won't be easy, considering they have road matchups against the Avalanche and Stars on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

So, the prediction here is that the Penguins will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

Jets in Danger of Getting Overtaken in West Standings

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ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 19: Kasperi Kapanen #42 of the St. Louis Blues defends against Kyle Connor #81 of the Winnipeg Jets at the Enterprise Center on March 19, 2023 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott RovakNHLI via Getty Images)

Winnipeg hasn't been playing its best hockey over the past month. And because of that, it's in some danger of missing out on a playoff spot, even though it's currently in the No. 8 place in the Western Conference.

The Jets have lost 12 of their past 17 games, and they've won consecutive matchups only once during that stretch. They haven't won a third straight contest since Feb. 14.

While Winnipeg's schedule doesn't look too imposing in the short term, it's worth noting how it ends the season: With a pair of road matchups against Minnesota and Colorado, two of the West's better teams.

So, if the Jets are chasing a playoff berth then, they may have a bit of trouble trying to surge into the postseason, especially considering they're 0-3 in their previous meetings with the Wild this season.

Winnipeg isn't generating enough offense, as it's averaging only 3.01 goals per game, which ranks 21st in the NHL. It's also converting only 20.3 percent of its power plays (also 21st in the league).

Is it possible the Jets get on a hot streak and carry that into the postseason (which they missed last year)? Sure. They're in control of their own destiny at this point.

However, the prediction here is Winnipeg will miss out, getting overtaken by Calgary in the standings and not going to the playoffs for the second year in a row.