Updated 2026 NHL Playoff Picture, Wild Card Hunt and Stanley Cup Bracket Odds

The 2026 NHL Playoffs are rapidly approaching and, for the most part, the field of teams competing for the Stanley Cup remains unsettled.

The Carolina Hurricanes are the only team in the East who have clinched a playoff spot while the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are the only squads in the West to cash their ticket to the postseason.

Who are the teams fighting for their right to hoist the Stanley Cup and which teams are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot?

Find out in this preview of a uniquely jam-packed NHL Playoff picture.

Eastern Conference Standings

Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Atlantic Division

Tampa Bay Lightning (47-22-6, 100 points)

Buffalo Sabres (46-22-8, 100 points)

Montreal Canadiens (44-21-10, 98 points)

Metropolitan Division

x-Carolina Hurricanes (48-21-6, 102 points)

Pittsburgh Penguins (38-22-16, 92 points)

New York Islanders (42-29-5, 89 points)

Wild Card

Boston Bruins (43-35-8, 94 points)

Ottawa Senators (39-36-10, 88 points)

Detroit Red Wings (40-27-8, 88 points)

Columbus Blue Jackets (38-26-12, 88 points)

Philadelphia Flyers (37-26-12, 86 points)

Washington Capitals (38-29-9, 85)

New Jersey Devils (39-34-2, 80 points)

Florida Panthers (37-35-3, 77 points)

e-Toronto Maple Leafs (32-31-13, 77 points)

e-New York Rangers (31-36-9, 71 points)

Western Conference Standings

AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post

Central Division

x-Colorado Avalanche (49-15-10, 108 points)

x-Dallas Stars (45-19-12, 102 points)

x-Minnesota Wild (42-21-12, 96 points)

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks (41-29-5, 87 points)

Edmonton Oilers (39-28-9, 87 points)

Vegas Golden Knights (34-26-16, 84 points)

Wild Card

Utah Mammoth (39-30-6, 84 points)

San Jose Sharks (36-31-7, 79 points)

Nashville Predators (35-31-9, 79 points)

Los Angeles Kings (30-26-19, 79 points)

Winnipeg Jets (32-31-12, 75 points)

Seattle Kraken (32-31-11, 75 points)

St. Louis Blues (31-31-12, 74 points)

Calgary Flames (31-36-8, 70 points)

e-Chicago Blackhawks (27-35-14, 68 points)

e-Vancouver Canucks (22-45-8, 52 points)

x-indicates clinched playoffs, e-indicates eliminated from playoff contention

Stanley Cup Odds

Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images

Colorado Avalanche (+300; bet $100, win $300)

Tampa Bay Lightning (+350)

Carolina Hurricanes (+500)

Dallas Stars (+1100)

Edmonton Oilers (+1400)

Vegas Golden Knights (+1500)

Minnesota Wild (+1800)

Buffalo Sabres (+2000)

Ottawa Senators (+2200)

Utah Mammoth (+3000)

Montreal Canadiens (+3500)

Pittsburgh Penguins (+4000)

Anaheim Ducks (+4500)

New York Islanders (+6500)

Columbus Blue Jackets (+7000)

Boston Bruins (+7500)

Detroit Red Wings (+8000)

Los Angeles Kings (+10000)

Philadelphia Flyers (+20000)

Nashville Predators (+225000)

Washington Capitals (+30000)

San Jose Sharks (+30000)

Winnipeg Jets (+30000)

Seattle Kraken (+225000)

New Jersey Devils (+225000)

Calgary Flames (+225000)

St. Louis Blues (+225000)

Florida Panthers (+225000)

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook