NHL Playoff Standings 2023: Updated Postseason Picture and Stanley Cup Bracket

With the NHL regular season coming to a close, many playoff fates are set. 13 teams have clinched a berth, including the second-year Seattle Kraken, but the battle for the remaining three spots is tight.

Winnipeg, Calgary and Nashville are all in contention for the final wild card spot in the West, with the Jets in control of their playoff destiny. A 2-0 victory over the Predators was a huge boost, but they will likely need to take down either defending champion Colorado or 100-point Minnesota to guarantee entry into the postseason.

The Flames and Predators both need some help to get in, but a Monday matchup between the two will likely knock one team out of the race. If the Predators are unable to qualify, it would be the first time since 2014-15 that Nashville is not in the postseason.

In the East, both wild card spots are available and three teams are within a point. Florida and the New York Islanders are the current placeholders with 91 points apiece, but Pittsburgh is right on their tail with 90. The Penguins' two remaining games are against lottery hopefuls in Chicago and Columbus, and the Islanders have a relatively easy slate with Washington and Montreal.

Florida, on the other hand, face a Metropolitan division-leading Carolina and a 105-point Toronto team to end the season. This could be a tough break, unless those teams decide to rest stars as they approach the postseason.

Buffalo is still hanging around as well, but it needs a lot of help.

Eastern Conference

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BOSTON, MA - APRIL 08: The Bruins wait to celebrate as tensions flare after a game between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils on April 8, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Atlantic Division

1. Boston- 129
2. Toronto- 105
3. Tampa Bay- 96

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina- 109
2. New Jersey- 108
3. New York Rangers- 106

Wild-Card Race

1. Florida- 91
2. New York Islanders- 91
3. Pittsburgh- 90
4. Buffalo- 85

The Bruins have had a storybook season, but they still have a lot to play for as they just tied the single-season wins record Saturday night. Boston will have three opportunities against non-playoff-bound teams to get the job done.

Toronto has second place in the Atlantic locked up, but that means a date with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1. This will be a rematch of last season, a series that Tampa took in game seven. If Toronto wants to make it out of the first round for the first time since 2004.

The Metropolitan is still wide open, as the top three teams all could win the division. The Hurricanes control their own destiny and have a game in hand on both New Jersey and the New York Rangers. Still, the Devils are right there, and the Rangers are red-hot, going 6-2-2 over their last 10.

Western Conference

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DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 08: Brett Howden #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal during the first period against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on April 08, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/NHLI via Getty Images)

Central Division

1. Dallas- 102
2. Colorado- 100
3. Minnesota- 100

Pacific Division

1. Vegas- 107
2. Edmonton- 105
3. Los Angeles- 100

Wild-Card Race

1. Seattle- 96
2. Winnipeg- 91
3. Calgary- 89
4. Nashville-88

The West has a lot of potential for some shaking up. Colorado looked dead in the water just a few months ago, but now it is mathematically possible that they could win the conference. The defending champions are peaking at the right time, going 8-2 over the last 10.

Still, Dallas has led this division for most of the season, and Jason Robertson and company want to keep it that way in the quest to show that the 2020 Cup final run was not a fluke. The Wild are in the mix as well.

In the Pacific, Vegas has led the division for most of the year, but Edmonton is surging, going 9-0-1 over the last 10. Connor McDavid also just notched his 150th point of the season, as the Oilers are looking to build on last season's run to the conference final.

Los Angeles is out of the running for the Pacific crown but could climb into second place if it won its final three games and Edmonton collapsed. They also need to fend off the Kraken, who are four points out of third place and have a game in hand on the Kings.

Stanley Cup Bracket

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 08: Adam Larsson #6 of the Seattle Kraken celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena on April 08, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

If the playoffs started today, this is how it would look

Round 1:

Atlantic Side

• Boston vs. New York Islanders
• Toronto vs. Tampa Bay

Metropolitan Side

• Carolina vs. Florida
• New Jersey vs. New York Rangers

Central Side

• Dallas vs. Seattle
• Colorado vs. Minnesota

Pacific Side

• Vegas vs. Winnipeg
• Edmonton vs. Los Angeles

Two rematches from 2022 (TOR vs. TB, EDM vs. LA) would occur, and both those matchups feature the same seeding as last year.

The Atlantic side is a gauntlet, and the team to emerge from that will likely be very depleted. The Bruins should be the favorite, but Toronto and Tampa Bay are both true title contenders in their own right.

If both Vegas and Edmonton advance out of the first round, the 2015 No.'s 1 and 2 picks Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel would meet for the first time in the postseason. This year will be Eichel's first trip to the dance ever.

The Devils-Rangers matchup, in a similar vein, will feature a battle between the 2019 No.'s 1 and 2 picks Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, but it is also a series with close proximity between the teams (14.2 miles).