Updated 2026 NHL Playoff Standings, Picture, Projected Bracket and Races to Watch

The 2026 NHL Playoffs continue to take shape after every game, with the Stanley Cup contenders separating themselves from the pretenders.

Colorado, Minnesota, and Dallas have clinched in the Western Conference, while Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo have ensured their spot in the dance.

The Wild Card race is as hot as it has ever been, particularly in the East, where five teams are within one point of each other.

Dive deeper into the current standings and the hottest race to watch with this look at the current postseason picture.

Current Eastern Conference Standings

Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images

Atlantic Division

x-Tampa Bay Lightning (48-22-6, 102 points)

Montreal Canadiens (45-21-10, 100 points)

x-Buffalo Sabres (46-23-8, 100 points)

Metropolitan Division

x-Carolina Hurricanes (49-21-6, 109 points)

Pittsburgh Penguins (39-22-16, 94 points)

New York Islanders (42-31-5, 89 points)

Wild Card

Boston Bruins (43-26-8, 94 points)

Ottawa Senators (39-27-10, 88 points)

Detroit Red Wings (40-28-8, 88 points)

Philadelphia Flyers (38-26-12, 88 points)

Columbus Blue Jackets (38-27-12, 88 points)

Washington Capitals (39-29-9, 87 points)

New Jersey Devils (39-34-3, 81 points)

Eliminated from Postseason Contention

Toronto Maple Leafs (32-31-14, 78 points)

Florida Panthers (37-36-3, 77 points)

New York Rangers (32-36-9, 73 points)

Current Western Conference Standings

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Central Division

x-Colorado Avalanche (50-15-10, 110 points)

x-Dallas Stars (45-20-12, 102 points)

x-Minnesota Wild (43-21-12, 98 points)

Pacific Division

Edmonton Oilers (39-29-9, 87 points)

Anaheim Ducks (41-31-5, 87 points)

Vegas Golden Knights (35-26-16, 86 points)

WIld Card

Utah Mammoth (40-30-6, 86 points)

Nashville Predators (36-31-9, 81 points)

Los Angeles Kings (31-26-19, 81 points)

San Jose Sharks (36-32-7, 79 points)

Winnipeg Jets (33-31-12, 78 points)

St. Louis Blues (32-31-12, 76 points)

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

Calgary Flames (32-36-8, 72 points)

Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Chicago Blackhawks (28-35-14, 70 points)

Vancouver Canucks (22-46-8, 52 points)

x-indicates clinched playoffs

Projected Bracket

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Eastern Conference

M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators

A1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC1 Boston Bruins

A2 Montreal Canadiens vs. A3 Buffalo Sabres

M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 New York Islanders

Western Conference

C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Los Angeles Kings

P1 Edmonton Oilers vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth

C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild

P2 Anaheim Ducks vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights

Top Race to Watch

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The Wild Card race in the Eastern Conference will likely come down to the wire, with Ottawa, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Columbus all tied with 88 points apiece.

The Senators are the most consistent of the bunch and have scored big wins over the last two weeks against the Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres. They have also lost to the eliminated Florida Panthers, surrendering six goals and proving how volatile the hunt for the second and final Wild Card will be.

Ottawa has remaining games against Carolina, Tampa Bay, Florida, the New York Islanders, New Jersey, and Toronto.

Detroit wraps up the season against Minnesota, Columbus, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Florida.

The Flyers get the Devils, Red Wings, Jets, Hurricanes, and Canadiens, while the Blue Jackets finish out with Detroit, Buffalo, Montreal, Boston, and Washington.

None of the paths is particularly easy, but Philadelphia and Detroit face the toughest roads to the postseason, with each playing five teams that have clinched a playoff berth or are playing for their postseason lives.

With the competition intensifying with every passing game, do not be surprised if the chase for that last spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs comes down to the final game of the season, with the bracket not fully realized until the very end.

Even more so with the Capitals hot on those four teams' heels at 87 points.