2026 NHL playoff picture: Standings, schedule, bracket, seedings as Stanley Cup Playoff race heats up

There should be plenty of drama down the stretch

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, but there are still plenty of questions about which teams will be there and which teams they will play. Two teams -- the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars -- have already clinched playoff spots, but other teams have a lot more work to do over the final dozen games.

In both conferences, the wild card races are incredibly tight. The Boston Bruins hold the first wildcard spot but are only one point ahead of the New York Islanders -- the first team outside the postseason. The red-hot Ottawa Senators have pushed their way into the second wild card spot, but they still have little room for error. That doesn't even factor in the battles for third place in the Atlantic and Metro Divisions, the final guaranteed playoff spot in each, which should be a photo finish.

Out West, Connor McDavid recently described the Pacific Division as a "pillow fight," and while that's pretty accurate, it does make for some good drama. Nine Eastern Conference teams have more points than the Anaheim Ducks, which lead the division with 84. Six points separate the Ducks in first and the Vegas Golden Knights in third.

The Western Conference wild card race has recently shifted in a big way. The Nashville Predators have made a strong push and currently occupy the final wild card spot with just 77 points, but the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets are nipping at their heels.

Be sure to take a look at the full schedule with just a few weeks left to play.

Reminder: Here's how the NHL playoff seeding works

• The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
• Each conference has two wild card spots.
• The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
• The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.
• Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker.
• Regulation plus OT wins are the second tiebreaker

(X) denotes clinched playoff berth; (Y) denotes clinched division; (Z) denotes clinched conference; (P) denotes clinched Presidents' Trophy

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Buffalo Sabres | 44-20-7 | 95 points

Points percentage: .669 Regulation wins: 37 Regulation plus OT wins: 40 Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins

2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 44-21-5 | 93 points

Points percentage: .664 Regulation wins: 35 Regulation plus OT wins: 40 Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens

3. Montreal Canadiens | 39-21-10 | 88 points

Points percentage: .629 Regulation wins: 27 Regulation plus OT wins: 37 Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes | 45-20-6 | 96 points

Points percentage: .676 Regulation wins: 32 Regulation plus OT wins: 40 Current first-round matchup: Brady Tkachuk

2. Columbus Blue Jackets | 38-22-11 | 87 points

Points percentage: .613 Regulation wins: 27 Regulation plus OT wins: 32 Current first-round matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins

3. Pittsburgh Penguins | 35-20-16 | 86 points

Points percentage: .606 Regulation wins: 29 Regulation plus OT wins: 33 Current first-round matchup: Columbus Blue Jackets

Wild Card

WC1. Boston Bruins | 39-24-8 | 86 points

Points percentage: .606 Regulation wins: 29 Regulation plus OT wins: 36 Current first-round matchup: Buffalo Sabres

WC2. Ottawa Senators | 38-24-9 | 85 points

Points percentage: .599 Regulation wins: 32 Regulation plus OT wins: 35 Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes

In the hunt

New York Islanders | 40-27-5 | 85 points

Points percentage: .590 Regulation wins: 26 Regulation plus OT wins: 36

Detroit Red Wings | 38-25-8 | 84 points

Points percentage: .592 Regulation wins: 27 Regulation plus OT wins: 36

Philadelphia Flyers | 34-24-12 | 80 points

Points percentage: .571 Regulation wins: 21 Regulation plus OT wins: 25

Washington Capitals | 35-28-9 | 79 points

Points percentage: .549 Regulation wins: 30 Regulation plus OT wins: 34

Western Conference

Central Division

1. Colorado Avalanche | 47-13-10 | 104 points (X)

Points percentage: .743 Regulation wins: 41 Regulation plus OT wins: 44 Current first-round matchup: Nashville Predators

2. Dallas Stars | 43-17-11 | 97 points (X)

Points percentage: .683 Regulation wins: 33 Regulation plus OT wins: 38 Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild

3. Minnesota Wild | 40-20-12 | 92 points

Points percentage: .639 Regulation wins: 25 Regulation plus OT wins: 36 Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars

Pacific Division

1. Anaheim Ducks | 40-27-4 | 84 points

Points percentage: .592 Regulation wins: 24 Regulation plus OT wins: 32 Current first-round matchup: Utah Mammoth

2. Edmonton Oilers | 35-28-9 | 79 points

Points percentage: .549 Regulation wins: 27 Regulation plus OT wins: 35 Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights

3. Vegas Golden Knights | 32-26-14 | 78 points

Points percentage: .542 Regulation wins: 24 Regulation plus OT wins: 31 Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers

Wild Card

WC1. Utah Mammoth | 37-29-6 | 80 points

Points percentage: .563 Regulation wins: 28 Regulation plus OT wins: 37 Current first-round matchup: Anaheim Ducks

WC2. Nashville Predators | 34-28-9 | 77 points

Points percentage: .542 Regulation wins: 25 Regulation plus OT wins: 30 Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche

In the hunt

Los Angeles Kings | 28-25-18 | 74 points

Points percentage: .521 Regulation wins: 18 Regulation plus OT wins: 24

Seattle Kraken | 31-29-10 | 72 points

Points percentage: .514 Regulation wins: 25 Regulation plus OT wins: 30

Winnipeg Jets | 30-29-12 | 70 points

Points percentage: .507 Regulation wins: 24 Regulation plus OT wins: 28

San Jose Sharks | 32-31-6 | 70 points

Points percentage: .507 Regulation wins: 20 Regulation plus OT wins: 30