Latest NHL Playoff Standings 2026 and Predicting Teams to Miss Postseason Bracket

The 2025-26 NHL season is winding down, with playoff teams separating themselves from the rest of the field.

The Stanley Cup favorites are making their push for postseason berths, while those plagued with significant issues on the ice or on their roster are struggling to overcome them and establish themselves as real threats to win the sport's most coveted prize.

What does the current playoff picture look like and which three teams still in contention will ultimately fall short of cashing their tickets to the playoffs?

Find out in this preview.

Eastern Conference Standings

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Atlantic

Buffalo Sabres (44-20-7, 95 points)

Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-5, 91 points)

Montreal Canadiens (38-21-10, 86 points)

Metropolitan

Carolina Hurricanes (45-19-6, 96 points)

Pittsburgh Penguins (35-19-16, 86 points)

Columbus Blue Jackets (37-22-11, 85 points)

Wild Card

Boston Bruins (39-23-8, 86 points)

New York Islanders (40-26-5, 85 points)

Detroit Red Wings (38-24-8, 84 points)

Ottawa Senators (36-24-9, 81 points)

Philadelphia Flyers (34-23-12, 80 points)

Washington Capitals (35-27-9, 79 points)

New Jersey Devils (35-32-2, 72 points)

Florida Panthers (34-32-3, 71 points)

Toronto Maple Leafs (29-29-13, 71 points)

New York Rangers (23-33-9, 65 points)

Western Conference Standings

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Central

Colorado Avalanche (x) (46-13-10, 102 points)

Dallas Stars (x) (43-16-11, 97 points)

Minnesota Wild (40-19-12, 92 points)

Pacific

Anaheim Ducks (39-27-4, 82 points)

Vegas Golden Knights (32-25-14, 78 points)

Edmonton Oilers (34-28-9, 77 points)

Wild Card

Utah Mammoth (37-28-6, 80 points)

Nashville Predators (33-28-9, 75 points)

Los Angeles Kings (28-25-17, 73 points)

Seattle Kraken (31-29-6, 71 points)

San Jose Sharks (32-30-6, 70 points)

Winnipeg Jets (29-29-12, 70 points)

St. Louis Blues (28-30-11, 67 points)

Calgary Flames (29-34-7, 65 points)

Chicago Blackhawks (26-31-13, 65 points)

Vancouver Canucks (21-40-8, 50 points)

(x) - indicates clinched playoffs

Which Teams Will Miss Out?

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Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers probably will not make the postseason, but have had a vastly improved season compared to last, with several highlights, including a young foundation.

Owen Tippett has scored 24 goals, 18 assists, and 42 points. Noah Cates found the net 15 times and assisted 23 times for 38 points. Cam York completed the trio of young, budding stars with four goals but 21 assists.

Injuries has not helped, and there are reasons to be optimistic based on the performance of the younger talent, but the team is poised to miss the postseason for the sixth, consecutive season, a streak that will only further dismay the passionate fans in the City of Brotherly Love.

Seattle Kraken

Seattle has gone 3-7 in its last 10 and has been one of the most disappointing teams in hockey since play resumed following the Olympics.

They have not beaten a winning team since their March 2 victory over Carolina.

Inconsistency, a lack of star players needed to push the team forward at this time of the year, and the constant need to play at their absolute best in order to win games have hampered this squad and will ultimately keep them out of the postseason.

That their biggest wins this month have come against the Canucks and Panthers, two teams riding out the rest of the schedule, does nothing to inspire any excitement about their playoff prospects.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are 3-5-2 and while Macklin Celebrini is the most exciting young player in the league, with the rare ability to take over any game and will his team to victory, there is only so much one player with a struggling defensive unit, goaltender inconsistencies, and poor team puck management can do.

San Jose is a potential powerhouse as soon as next season, but this year of enthusiasm and electricity provided by Celebrini's outstanding play will ultimately end with the Sharks on the outside looking in at the postseason.