2026 NHL Playoff Picture, Standings and Breaking Down Current Postseason Bracket

The NHL regular season is in its final days, with the playoffs slated to kick off on Saturday, April 18, and several teams have clinched their place in the postseason.

Eastern Conference teams the Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, and Pittsburgh Penguins are definitely in while the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Utah Mammoth have all clinched in the Western Conference.

Find out where they sit, which teams still have a shot at a Wild Card, and which team may be the most dangerous entering the NHL Playoffs with this preview of the postseason.

Eastern Conference Standings

Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images

Atlantic Division

1. x-Buffalo Sabres (49-23-8, 106 points)

2. x-Montreal Canadiens (47-22-10, 104 points)

3. x-Tampa Bay Lightning (48-24-6, 102 points)

Metropolitan Division

1. y-Carolina Hurricanes (50-22-6, 106 points)

2. x-Pittsburgh Penguins (41-22-16, 98 points)

3. Philadelphia Flyers (40-27-12, 92 points)

Wild Card

1. Boston Bruins (43-26-10, 96 points)

2. Ottawa Senators (42-27-10, 94 points)

3. Detroit Red Wings (41-29-9, 91 points)

4. New York Islanders (39-28-12, 91 points)

5. Columbus Blue Jackets (39-28-12, 90 points)

6. Washington Capitals (40-30-9, 89 points)

Eliminated from Playoff Contention

New Jersey Devils (40-36-3, 83 points)

Florida Panthers (37-38-4, 78 points)

Toronto Maple Leafs (32-33-14, 78 points)

New York Rangers (33-37-9, 75 points)

Western Conference Standings

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Central Division

1. P-Colorado Avalanche (51-16-10, 114 points)

2. x-Dallas Stars (46-20-12, 106 points)

3. x-Minnesota Wild (45-21-12, 102 points)

Pacific Division

1. Edmonton Oilers (40-29-10, 90 points)

2. Vegas Golden Knights (36-26-16, 89 points)

3. Anaheim Ducks (41-32-5, 89 points)

Wild Card

1. x-Utah Mammoth (41-30-6, 90 points)

2. Los Angeles Kings (32-36-19, 85 points)

3. Nashville Predators (37-31-10, 84 points)

4. Winnipeg Jets 35-31-12, 82 points)

5. San Jose Sharks (37-34-7, 81 points)

6. St. Louis Blues (33-33-12, 78 points)

7. Seattle Kraken (33-34-11, 77 points)

Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Calgary Flames (32-37-9, 73 points)

Chicago Blackhawks (28-37-14, 70 points)

Vancouver Canucks (22-48-8, 52 points)

x-indicates clinched playoffs; y-indicates clinched division