NHL Playoff Picture 2026, Updated Bracket, Standings After Oilers Clinch Spot

The Edmonton Oilers are getting a shot at redemption after back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses.

The Oilers clinched their ticket to the 2026 postseason after the Philadelphia Flyers claimed a Saturday night regulation win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Here's a look at the playoff picture now that the Oilers are in and the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers are out.

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Eastern Conference (x- clinched, e- eliminated)

Atlantic

1. x- Buffalo Sabres
2. x- Montreal Canadiens
3. x- Tampa Bay Lightning

Metropolitan

1. x- Carolina Hurricanes
2. x- Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Philadelphia Flyers

Wild Card

1. x- Ottawa Senators
2. x- Boston Bruins

Outside Playoff Bubble

1. Washington Capitals
2. e- Detroit Red Wings
3. New York Islanders
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. e- New Jersey Devils
6. e- Florida Panthers
7. e- Toronto Maple Leafs
8. e- New York Rangers

Western Conference (x- clinched, e- eliminated)

Central

1. x- Colorado Avalanche
2. x- Dallas Stars
3. x- Minnesota Wild

Pacific

1. x- Edmonton Oilers
2. Vegas Golden Knights
3. Anaheim Ducks

Wild Card

1. x- Utah Mammoth
2. Los Angeles Kings

Outside Playoff Bubble

1. Nashville Predators
2. Winnipeg Jets
3. San Jose Sharks
4. e- St. Louis Blues
5. e- Seattle Kraken
6. e- Calgary Flames
7. e- Chicago Blackhawks
8. e- Vancouver Canucks

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Projected Bracket

East

• WC1 Ottawa Senators at D1 Buffalo Sabres

• D3 Tampa Bay Lightning at D2 Montreal Canadiens

• WC2 Boston Bruins at D1 Carolina Hurricanes

• D3 Philadelphia Flyers at D2 Pittsburgh Penguins

West

• WC2 Los Angeles Kings at D1 Colorado Avalanche
• D3 Minnesota Wild at D2 Dallas Stars
• WC1 Utah Mammoth at D1 Edmonton Oilers
• D3 Anaheim Ducks at D2 Vegas Golden Knights

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No team except the Panthers has played more hockey than the Oilers over the last two seasons.

The Panthers have since fallen out of playoff contention altogether in large part due to injuries, including a season-long absence from their captain Aleksander Barkov.

The Oilers faced their own injury hurdle when star center Leon Draisaitl suffered a lower-body injury in a March 15 game against the Nashville Predators.

The team announced two days later that Draisaitl would miss at least the rest of the regular season.

That news came after Draisaitl had been directly involved in 41 percent of the Oilers' goals, per ESPN, by racking up 97 points in the first 65 games of the season.

The Oilers have gone 6-3-1 over that span in large part thanks to Connor McDavid, who has posted 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) since losing Draisaitl from the lineup.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said on April 8 that Draisaitl might miss the start of the playoffs but return "sometime in the first round if things go well," per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest.

Edmonton has also been playing without Zach Hyman, who Knoblauch said on April 5 could miss up to two weeks with an undisclosed injury.

Depth players including Adam Henrique, Matt Savoie, Max Jones and Kasperi Kapanen have found their way onto the scoresheet in Draisaitl and Hyman's absence. The Oilers will need to get more depth scoring in the postseason in order to get off to a strong start with two of their top forwards potentially on the sideline.

Another big variable in the Oilers' playoff chances is Connor Ingram, who was named starter over midseason trade acquisition Tristan Jarry in mid-March. Ingram went on to post a .902 save percentage and 7-2-1 record that month.

For the first time in three years, the Oilers have a shot at winning a Cup without getting through the Panthers first. This time the team will look to do so without Stuart Skinner, who backstopped the Oilers to each of their last two Final appearances.

How Ingram is able to hold up in his first playoff action since 2022 will impact how many postseason victories Edmonton can stack up ahead of Draisaitl's potential return.