NHL Playoff Picture 2026, Updated Bracket, Standings After Golden Knights Clinch Spot

The Vegas Golden Knights are back in the playoffs after a late-season surge under new head coach John Tortorella.

The Golden Knights secured their ticket to the 2026 postseason on Saturday with an overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche.

Here's a look at the playoff picture now that the Knights have clinched a spot for the eighth time in nine years of franchise history.

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Eastern Conference (x- clinched, e- eliminated)

Atlantic

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

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. Columbus Blue Jackets
2. Washington Capitals
3. e- Detroit Red Wings
4. New York Islanders
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- Vegas Golden Knights
2. x- Edmonton Oilers
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 Montreal Canadiens at D2 Tampa Bay Lightning

• 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 Vegas Golden Knights
• D3 Anaheim Ducks at D2 Edmonton Oilers

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The Golden Knights shocked the NHL on March 30 with their decision to fire head coach Bruce Cassidy with just eight games remaining in the season.

The team was in third place in the Pacific at the time, although the Golden Knights had slipped to within four points of the fourth-place Los Angeles Kings following an 8-15-4 stretch.

Vegas decided to try and turn things around ahead of the final stretch of the regular season by bringing in veteran head coach John Tortorella, who hadn't been behind an NHL bench since he was dismissed by the Philadelphia Flyers in March 2025.

Tortorella went on to lead the Knights on a 5-0-1 stretch in order to climb all the way up to the top of the division.

That's not the only major change the Golden Knights made down the stretch of the regular season.

Vegas has also been working on helping Mitch Marner, who spent nine seasons as a winger with the Toronto Maple Leafs, transition to center amid the long-term injury that has sidelined William Karlsson.

The switch initially coincided with a drop in production from Marner, although he bounced back down the stretch with a hot streak including his fourth career hat trick.

The Golden Knights will now be able to deploy a top two lines centered by Eichel and Marner, with Tomas Hertl and Nic Dowd anchoring the bottom six.

Marner's transition to the middle has helped shore up the Golden Knights' forward depth, and the Vegas defense has functioned as one of the best shot-suppressing units in the NHL this season.

One major question remaining for the Golden Knights is their goaltending. Adin Hill missed significant time due to injury earlier this season, and his inconsistency down the stretch has led to questions as to whether Vegas should consider turning to Akira Schmid or Carter Hart.

Whether the Golden Knights are able to find the right setup in net to win a round could determine how soon the franchise gets to see Karlsson, who the franchise has indicated will only have a shot at returning this season if his team goes on a deep run.