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

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, but there are still plenty of questions about which teams will qualify and which matchups we will see in the postseason. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars have already clinched playoff spots, but other teams have a lot more work to do over the final two weeks of the season.

In both conferences, the wild card races are incredibly tight. The Columbus Blue Jackets hold onto the final spot in the East, but four teams are separated by just two points. The race for the Atlantic Division crown is also coming down to the wire with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres jockeying for the top spot.

Out West, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have taken possession of the second-place spot in the Pacific Division, but they're chasing down the Anaheim Ducks, which sit in first place. The reeling Vegas Golden Knights have made a coaching change in hopes of stopping their late-season slide as they sit in third place.

The Western Conference wild card race has recently shifted in a big way. The Los Angeles Kings have passed the Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot, but those teams play one another twice in less than a week.

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 | 46-21-8 | 100 points

Points percentage: .667
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins

2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 46-22-6 | 98 points

Points percentage: .662
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens

3. Montreal Canadiens | 43-21-10 | 96 points

Points percentage: .649
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes | 47-21-6 | 100 points

Points percentage: .676
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Columbus Blue Jackets

2. Pittsburgh Penguins | 38-21-16 | 92 points

Points percentage: .613
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 35
Current first-round matchup: New York Islanders

3. New York Islanders | 42-29-5 | 89 points

Points percentage: .586
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins

Wild Card

WC1. Boston Bruins | 43-24-8 | 94 points

Points percentage: .627
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Buffalo Sabres

WC2. Columbus Blue Jackets | 38-25-12 | 88 points

Points percentage: .587
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes

In the hunt

Ottawa Senators | 38-26-10 | 86 points

Points percentage: .581
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 35

Detroit Red Wings | 39-27-8 | 86 points

Points percentage: .581
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 37

Philadelphia Flyers | 37-25-12 | 86 points

Points percentage: .581
Regulation wins: 23
Regulation plus OT wins: 28

Washington Capitals | 38-28-9 | 85 points

Points percentage: .567
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 36

Western Conference

Central Division

1. Colorado Avalanche | 49-15-10 | 108 points (X)

Points percentage: .730
Regulation wins: 43
Regulation plus OT wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings

2. Dallas Stars | 44-19-12 | 100 points (X)

Points percentage: .667
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild

3. Minnesota Wild | 41-21-12 | 94 points

Points percentage: .635
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus OT wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars

Pacific Division

1. Anaheim Ducks | 41-29-5 | 87 points

Points percentage: .580
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus OT wins: 33
Current first-round matchup: Utah Mammoth

2. Edmonton Oilers | 38-28-9 | 85 points

Points percentage: .567
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights

3. Vegas Golden Knights | 33-26-16 | 82 points

Points percentage: .547
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers

Wild Card

WC1. Utah Mammoth | 38-30-6 | 82 points

Points percentage: .548
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Anaheim Ducks

WC2. Los Angeles Kings | 30-26-18 | 78 points

Points percentage: .527
Regulation wins: 19
Regulation plus OT wins: 26
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche

In the hunt

San Jose Sharks | 35-31-7 | 77 points

Points percentage: .527
Regulation wins: 23
Regulation plus OT wins: 33

Nashville Predators | 34-31-9 | 77 points

Points percentage: .520
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 30

Winnipeg Jets | 32-30-12 | 76 points

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

Seattle Kraken | 32-30-11 | 75 points

Points percentage: .514
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 31

St. Louis Blues | 31-31-12 | 74 points

Points percentage: .500
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 30