Latest 2026 NHL Playoff Standings and Predicting Seedings for East, West Brackets

The NHL's two wild-card races should provide drama until the final day of the regular season.

Over the last week, the Western Conference wild-card race tightened up with runs by the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks combined with the Nashville Predators' losing streak.

The Eastern Conference wild-card race has been congested for a few weeks now. A majority of the wild-card contenders lost on Tuesday to keep the standings close.

A handful of games on Thursday and Saturday will flip the standings in other directions. There's no clear favorite on either side to land the No. 2 wild-card positions in either conference, and that will at least make the next two weeks fascinating to watch for fans.

Eastern Conference

Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images

Atlantic Division

1 Buffalo - 100 points

2. Tampa Bay - 98

3. Montreal - 96

Metropolitan Division

1 Carolina - 100

2. Pittsburgh - 92

3. New York Islanders - 89

Wild-Card Race

1 Boston - 94

2. Columbus - 88

3. Ottawa - 86

4. Detroit - 86

5. Philadelphia - 86

6. Washington - 85

Four games on Thursday night will take the Eastern Conference wild-card race in its latest direction.

Detroit visits Philadelphia in the only head-to-head matchup between wild-card contenders.

Ottawa is at home to Buffalo. It's a tough game for the Senators, but they need to find a way to take advantage of their five-game homestand and end their three-game slide.

Columbus is away to Carolina in a tougher contest than what Ottawa has to deal with, while Washington has a winnable road game in New Jersey.

The Senators have the best schedule advantage because of their run of home games. They face mostly playoff contenders during that stretch, but they have the best path to a playoff spot.

The Blue Jackets are in a tough spot on a four-game losing streak and with four of their next five games on the road.

The Red Wings have lost four of their last five, including a 5-3 defeat to the Flyers at home on Saturday. Another defeat to the Flyers could spell trouble for Detroit's playoff hopes.

The Flyers have played the best hockey of the wild-card contenders of late. They've won six of their last eight games.

Philadelphia's schedule is favorable enough where it could complete a final-month surge into a wild-card spot.

With the margins so small, it could take something like Ottawa getting hot at home, or the Flyers riding their recent wave of success to claim the final playoff position.

At the top of the East, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Montreal are locked in a battle for the Atlantic Division title.

The Lightning have a game-in-hand on the Sabres and they play both of their divisional rivals in their final eight contests.

Jon Cooper's team also carries far more playoff experience than the Sabres and Canadiens. That might be the X-factor for the Lightning down the closing stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs.

Playoff Predictions

Ottawa (WC2) vs. Carolina (Metropolitan 1)

Boston (WC1) vs. Tampa Bay (Atlantic 1)

New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh

Montreal vs. Buffalo

Western Conference

Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images

Central Division

1 Colorado - 108

2. Dallas- 100

3. Minnesota - 94

Pacific Division

1 Anaheim - 87

2. Edmonton - 85

3. Vegas - 82

Wild-Card Race

1 Utah - 82

2. Los Angeles - 78

3. San Jose - 77

4. Nashville - 77

5. Winnipeg - 76

6. Seattle - 75

7. St. Louis - 74

Los Angeles moved into the second wild-card spot in the West with its overtime win over St. Louis on Wednesday.

San Jose jumped over Nashville with its win over Anaheim, while the Blues stayed on the fringe with their point from going to overtime in Los Angeles.

The Kings will be back in the spotlight on Thursday, as they host Nashville in the first of two games between the two sides in the next week.

The Predators also have to face the Sharks on Saturday, so their playoff hopes could either rise or tank in the next three games.

Filip Forsberg and Co. enter their west coast road swing on a three-game losing streak. It's not an ideal setup for the Preds, especially with so many teams surging in the West.

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks are fascinating as a wild-card contender because they have one extra game to play in comparison to the rest of the West challengers.

The Sharks could reel off wins against Toronto, Nashville and Chicago before their clash with Edmonton on Wednesday.

Utah is still clear of the mess beneath it. It needs to beat Seattle and Vancouver in its next two games to feel comfortable while the teams below it play each other.

Anaheim's loss in San Jose on Wednesday opened the door further for the Oilers to capture the top spot in the Pacific Division.

Connor McDavid and Co. should beat Chicago and Vegas in their next two games. Anaheim needs to turn around its four-game slide quickly to avoid a drop in the standings.

Playoff Predictions

San Jose (WC2) vs. Colorado (Central 1)

Utah (WC1) vs. Edmonton (Pacific 1)

Minnesota vs. Dallas

Vegas vs. Anaheim