Updated NHL Playoff Picture 2026, Standings and Bracket Outlook

The final push of the NHL regular season carries all sorts of playoff intrigue in the Eastern and Western Conferences.

The East wild-card race could take two or three different turns on any night because of how close the teams are in the standings.

Over in the West, the Pacific Division carries the most drama, as the Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers fight for first place.

Only a few things seem determined at this point, including the top three teams in the East and the order of the top three Central Division squads.

Eastern Conference

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Atlantic Division

1 Buffalo - 95 points

2. Tampa Bay - 91

3. Montreal - 86

Metropolitan Division

1 Carolina - 96

2. Pittsburgh - 86

3. Columbus - 85

Wild-Card Race

1 Boston - 86

2. New York Islanders - 85

3. Detroit - 84

4. Ottawa - 83

5. Philadelphia - 80

6. Washington - 79

Ottawa's win on Monday night at Madison Square Garden put four teams within three points of each other for the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.

Ottawa is on the road in Detroit on Tuesday in the most consequential game in the East on the 15-game slate.

Boston is home against Toronto, while the New York Islanders take on Chicago at home. Both teams are expected to pick up the full two points, which means the Ottawa-Detroit loser could suffer a huge setback.

Philadelphia and Washington are lingering around as well. The Flyers need to beat Columbus at home on Tuesday to carry over the momentum they gained on the west coast. The Capitals, who are 13-16-4 on the road, need to find a way to pick up two points in St. Louis.

Columbus, Pittsburgh and Montreal aren't in the clear from the wild-card race. The Blue Jackets are tied on points with the Islanders, while the Penguins are one point ahead both of them. The Canadiens are level with the Bruins in the Atlantic Division.

Only Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Carolina are safe from the wild-card spots at the moment.

Tampa Bay is poised to make a push at the No. 1 seed in the East with a seven-game homestand starting on Tuesday.

Western Conference

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Central Division

1 Colorado - 102

2. Dallas - 97

3. Minnesota - 90

Pacific Division

1 Anaheim - 82

2. Vegas - 78

3. Edmonton - 77

Wild-Card Race

1 Utah - 80

2. Nashville - 75

3. Los Angeles - 73

4. Seattle - 71

5. San Jose - 70

6. Winnipeg - 70

All eyes in the Western Conference are on the Pacific Division.

Anaheim owns a four-point edge on Vegas with a game-in-hand. The Ducks can pad their advantage in Vancouver and Calgary on Tuesday and Thursday.

The Ducks have one game remaining against the two teams beneath them in the Pacific. That occurs on Saturday night in Edmonton.

Vegas and Edmonton face off in Las Vegas on Thursday and then again in Edmonton on April 4. Those two games may decide which team hosts a potential No. 2-versus-No. 3 first-round series.

Utah has a big stretch ahead to preserve its advantage atop the wild-card race.

The Mammoth play Edmonton twice, visit the Kings and Kraken and host the Predators as part of that run between now and April 9.

Nashville's four-game winning streak catapulted it into the second wild-card spot. A strong three-game week at home is imperative for the Preds because they play the next six on the road, a stretch that could flip the wild-card race if Nashville isn't strong at home.