NHL Playoff Picture 2023: Wild-Card Hunt and Updated Stanley Cup Odds

The Eastern and Western Conference wild-card races in the NHL appear to be down to a few teams fighting for one spot.

The New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken have created enough separation in the top wild-card position to feel comfortable about their playoff prospects.

Seattle reinforced its advantage over the Winnipeg Jets and other chasers in the West with a win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. Seattle is five points clear of Winnipeg with an extra game to play.

The Islanders possess a smaller lead of three points over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the East, but no one has been able to supplant them from their position in the standings for the last week.

Pittsburgh should be more concerned about fending off the Florida Panthers than rising up to the first wild-card position at the moment.

The Penguins were unable to shake the Panthers on Thursday. Pittsburgh beat the Nashville Predators at home, while the Panthers took down the Montréal Canadiens on the road.

There are a few other chasers in the East wild-card race, but they need both Pittsburgh and Florida to slip up to pounce on the final playoff position.

Stanley Cup Odds

Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 30: Jakub Zboril #67 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the TD Garden on March 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Boston (+380; bet $100 to win $380)

Colorado (+650)

Carolina (+850)

Toronto (+900)

Edmonton (+1000)

New York Rangers (+1200)

New Jersey (+1200)

Vegas (+1200)

Tampa Bay (+1400)

Dallas (+1500)

Los Angeles (+2200)

Minnesota (+2200)

Seattle (+3000)

Pittsburgh (+4500)

New York Islanders (+5000)

Calgary (+5500)

Winnipeg (+5500)

Florida (+6000)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Eastern Conference

Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 30: Jason Zucker #16 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Nashville Predators at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 30, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Atlantic Division

1. Boston - 121 points

2. Toronto - 98

3. Tampa Bay - 94

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina - 103

2. New Jersey - 102

3. New York Rangers - 98

Wild-Card Race

1. New York Islanders - 87

2. Pittsburgh - 84

3. Florida - 83

4. Ottawa - 79

5. Buffalo - 77

6. Washington - 77

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The Islanders are as comfortable as a team could be in a wild-card race with two weeks left in the regular season.

New York has a three-point advantage over Pittsburgh and a four-point gap back to Florida going into its Saturday meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Islanders may have to rely on their cushion over Pittsburgh to soften the blow of potential losses to Tampa Bay and the Carolina Hurricanes.

New York comes into the two weekend battles in terrific form, as it won five of its last seven games. It is 6-3-1 in its last 10 games, which is the third-best mark of East teams in playoff positions.

The top wild-card team in the East needs to earn points from at least one of those road games to keep its level of comfort going into the final stretch of games, in which three of its last four are at home.

Pittsburgh could be in position to pounce if New York slips up since it plays the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and Sunday. Boston clinched the Presidents' Trophy on Thursday, so it may suffer from a celebration hangover on Saturday.

The Penguins' primary weekend goal may be to just hold off Florida's recent surge. The Panthers should beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday to keep the pressure on the Penguins.

Florida can knock out two lingering wild-card contenders next week, as it hosts the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. Buffalo and Ottawa are barely holding on in the wild-card race, and they need to win their trips to south Florida to gain ground on the three main teams in the competition.

Unless Florida and Pittsburgh hit a losing run, the teams under 80 points could be too far off to make a closing push in the final week of the regular season.

Western Conference

Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 30:Brandon Tanev #13 of the Seattle Kraken skates with the puck as Mason McTavish #37 of the Anaheim Ducks pursues closely behind during the second period of a game at Climate Pledge Arena on March 30, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)

Central Division

1. Minnesota - 97

2. Dallas - 94

3. Colorado - 94

Pacific Division

1. Vegas - 99

2. Edmonton - 97

3. Los Angeles - 96

Wild-Card Race

1. Seattle - 90

2. Winnipeg - 85

3. Calgary - 83

4. Nashville - 82

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Seattle has one foot inside the postseason.

The Kraken are inching closer to clinching their first playoff berth in franchise history.

They are five points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets with an extra game to play, and they could create enough separation to clinch a postseason berth in the next eight days.

Seattle plays the Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes twice and Chicago Blackhawks at home and visits the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The top Western Conference wild-card team could win all of those games. Saturday's battle with the Kings is the toughest of those contests.

Seattle could even finish off its playoff berth at Arizona on April 10 if it experiences any difficulties during its run of matches over the next week.

That leaves Winnipeg, Calgary and Nashville fighting for the last playoff berth in the West.

Winnipeg hosts Detroit and Calgary visits Vancouver on Friday, and Nashville plays host to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. The Jets are at home on Sunday against New Jersey, and the Flames are back home on Sunday to face Anaheim.

Winnipeg's home game with New Jersey is the only difficult matchup on paper of the weekend contests involving the wild-card contenders. The Jets are tied for the fourth-most home wins in the West, so they at least have the home-ice advantage playing in their favor.

The most important games left in the West wild-card race take place in Manitoba on April 5 and 8. The Flames come to Winnipeg on Wednesday, and then the Predators visit three days later.

If Winnipeg wins those two games, it should join the Kraken in the playoff field. One loss could leave the door open for the Flames or Predators in the final week of the regular season.

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