NHL Playoff Picture 2026, Latest Bracket, Standings After Sabres Clinch Spot For 1st Time Since 2011

The Buffalo Sabres' postseason drought is over after 14 years.

The team sealed a place in the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Detroit Red Wings losing 4-1 to the New York Rangers on Saturday.

Buffalo sits second in the Atlantic Division, which would mean a first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens if the current standings hold. Here's how things look in each conference:

Eastern Conference (x- clinched, e- eliminated)

Atlantic

1. x- Tampa Bay Lightning (100 points)

2. x- Buffalo Sabres (100 points)

3. Montreal Canadiens (98 points)

Metropolitan

1. x- Carolina Hurricanes (102 points)

2. Pittsburgh Penguins (92 points)

3. New York Islanders (89 points)

Wild Card

1. Boston Bruins (94 points)

2. Ottawa Senators (88 points)

Outside Playoff Bubble

Detroit Red Wings (88 points)

Columbus Blue Jackets (88 points)

Philadelphia Flyers (88 points)

Washington Capitals (85 points)

New Jersey Devils (80 points)

Florida Panthers (77 points)

e- Toronto Maple Leafs (77 points)

e- New York Rangers (73 points)

Western Conference (x- clinched, e- eliminated)

Central

1. x- Colorado Avalanche (108 points)

2. x- Dallas Stars (102 points)

3. x- Minnesota Wild (96 points)

Pacific

1. Edmonton Oilers (87 points)

2. Anaheim Ducks (87 points)

3. Vegas Golden Knights (84 points)

Wild Card

1. Utah Mammoth (84 points)

2. San Jose Sharks (79 points)

Outside Playoff Bubble

Nashville Predators (79 points)

Los Angeles Kings (79 points)

St. Louis Blues (76 points)

Winnipeg Jets (76 points)

Seattle Kraken (75 points)

Calgary Flames (70 points)

e- Chicago Blackhawks (68 points)

e- Vancouver Canucks (52 points)

When the Sabres lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, few fans would've believed how long it would take them to get back there.

The cracks were starting to appear. The back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2006 and 2007 came amid a stretch of missing the postseason five times in seven years.

Still, nobody foresaw the extent of the Sabres' futility and dysfunction behind the scenes.

Fittingly, it's Lindy Ruff who helped get the organization back in the playoffs. Sometimes, returning to the well with a former coach who delivered past success works out.

The 66-year-old might be rewarded with the Jack Adams Award for his work.

The Sabres were generally considered to be an outsider when the 2025-26 season opened, and the door remains open for them to earn the top seed in the East. Ruff has gotten the squad to far overachieve far beyond its expectations.

His long-term future in Buffalo remains uncertain with his contract up in the summer.

Bringing the playoff drought to an end will remove a significant burden for whoever occupies the bench when the 2026-27 season gets underway.