NHL Playoff Standings 2018: Top Seeds, Wild-Card Update and Predictions

With the NHL regular season set to conclude on April 8, at least four playoff positions in each conference are up for grabs.

In the playoff format, three teams from each division and two wild-card teams fill out the field of eight teams in each conference.

All eyes are on the four teams from the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division that are separated by four points while the Washington Capitals watch from above.

The Western Conference presents the more heated wild-card race, as four teams are still alive, and all of them could jump into third place in their respective divisions.

NHL Playoff Standings

Eastern Conference

Metropolitan Division

1. Washington: 99 points

2. Pittsburgh: 92

3. Philadelphia: 92

Atlantic Division

1. Tampa Bay: 106*

2. Boston: 105*

3. Toronto: 99

Wild-Card Race

1. Columbus: 91

2. New Jersey: 88

3. Florida: 85

4. Carolina: 79

Western Conference

Central Division

1. Nashville: 109*

2. Winnipeg: 104*

3. Minnesota: 94

Pacific Division

1. Vegas: 103*

2. San Jose: 98

3. Los Angeles: 91

Wild-Card Race

1. St. Louis: 91

2. Anaheim: 91

3. Colorado: 90

4. Dallas: 86

*Team has clinched playoff berth.

Predictions

East 

Washington (No. 1 Metropolitan) vs. Columbus (No. 1 wild card)

Philadelphia (No. 2 Metropolitan) vs. Pittsburgh (No. 3 Metropolitan)

Boston (No. 1 Atlantic) vs. New Jersey (No. 2 wild card)

Tampa Bay (No. 2 Atlantic) vs. Toronto (No. 3 Atlantic)

The Eastern Conference playoff field appears to be set, with just the positions waiting to be hashed out.

The Metropolitan Division should possess both wild-card berths, with the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils well ahead of the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes entering Thursday's games.

New Jersey could move into the top wild-card position since it has an extra game remaining on its schedule, but showdowns against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington take place before the end of the regular season.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Columbus needs to pick up points from its trips to face the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks to stay ahead of the Devils and remain in the hunt for third place in the Metropolitan before returning home for games versus the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh.

The fight for home-ice advantage in the series between the second- and third-place teams in the Metropolitan is heating up, with the Penguins and Flyers tied on 92 points.

With four games left, the Flyers are at a disadvantage, but they have a fairly easy schedule and three days off until their next game, which is against the Boston Bruins.

The Penguins have three playoff teams on their remaining schedule compared to Philadelphia's one, starting with Thursday's clash at home with the Devils.

With the easier schedule in hand, the Flyers will sneak ahead of their hated rival and slide into the No. 2 seed.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Over in the Atlantic, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston have a pair of games remaining against each other, with Thursday's showdown at TD Garden being the first of the two.

The Bruins won both of their previous games against the Lightning this season, with the latest victory coming by a 3-0 score March 17.

Although the Lightning put together a strong regular season, they won't be able to get past the Bruins, who will lock up the No. 1 overall seed in the East.

Western Conference

Nashville (No. 1 Central) vs. Anaheim (No. 2 wild card)

Winnipeg (No. 2 Central) vs. Minnesota (No. 3 Central)

Vegas (No. 1 Pacific) vs. St. Louis (No. 1 wild card)

San Jose (No. 2 Pacific) vs. Los Angeles (No. 3 Pacific)

The race for playoff positions in the Western Conference is going to be chaotic.

The Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks are clear of the danger at the top of their respective divisions, but beneath them, any combination of six teams could qualify for the postseason.

Minnesota has the best path to safety, as it sits three points ahead of the St. Louis Blues in the Central Division with six games remaining.

However, the Wild must win their next two games—a home-and-home series against the Dallas Stars—and avoid any slip-ups on a three-game road trip to California to close out the regular season.

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Blues finish with four of their six games on the road, including back-to-back contests against Vegas and the Arizona Coyotes on Friday and Saturday.

The Colorado Avalanche is lurking behind Minnesota and St. Louis for third place in the Central and in the wild-card race, but they need a bit of help.

Just like the Wild, the Avalanche have a three-game California swing left, with theirs beginning Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks.

If Colorado finds a way to hold on through its road trip, it sets up a home game with the Blues on the final day of the regular season with a playoff berth on the line.

The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim have jockeyed for third position in the Pacific recently, and Friday's clash between the teams at Honda Center could go a long way in deciding which team stays out of the wild-card spots.

Harry How/Getty Images

If the Kings conquer the Ducks on the road a day after they should trounce Arizona at home, they should be able to secure third in the Pacific with three home games left.

Down in the wild-card race, the Blues and Ducks are in the best positions to succeed given the Avalanche and Stars' difficult schedules.

Unless Dallas sweeps Minnesota and Colorado wins two of its three games in California, the eight playoff teams in the West should be set by the final day of the regular season.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.