NHL standings 2026: Updated Stanley Cup playoff bracket, clinching scenarios through April 15 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The end of the 2025-2026 NHL regular season is approaching, but worry not, fans, playoff hockey rises above all other sports, so some of the most exciting action of the entire year is almost upon us.
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Sixteen teams, eight from each conference, will make the playoff field. The final games of the regular season are scheduled for Thursday, April 16, with the first-round playoff matchups set to begin the following weekend. The Stanley Cup Finals will be held in June, giving us almost two months of playoff hockey.
The Florida Panthers won the 2025 Stanley Cup, the franchise’s second consecutive trophy. Ironically, they played the Edmonton Oilers both years. The Panthers are out of the playoff picture, meaning a new champion will be crowned in 2026.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
SN’s NHL HQ: Live NHL scores | Updated NHL standings | Full NHL schedule
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NHL playoff bracket 2026
Eastern Conference
(A1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (WC1) Boston Bruins
(A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Montreal Canadiens
(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Ottawa Senators
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (M3) Philadelphia Flyers
Western Conference
(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Los Angeles Kings
(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Minnesota Wild
(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Utah Mammoth
(P2) Edmonton Oilers vs. (P3) Anaheim Ducks
NHL standings 2026
The tables below will be updated daily with the latest NHL standings until the playoffs begin (current through April 16).
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Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
|
Seed |
Team |
Games |
Record |
Points |
|
1 |
Sabres – Y |
82 |
50-23-9 |
108 |
|
2 |
Lightning – X |
82 |
50-26-6 |
106 |
|
3 |
Canadiens- X |
82 |
48-24-10 |
106 |
Metropolitan Division
|
Seed |
Team |
Games |
Record |
Points |
|
1 |
Hurricanes – Y |
82 |
53-22-7 |
113 |
|
2 |
Penguins – X |
82 |
41-25-16 |
98 |
|
3 |
Flyers-X |
82 |
43-27-12 |
98 |
Wild Card
|
Seed |
Team |
Games |
Record |
Points |
|
1 |
Bruins – X |
82 |
45-27-10 |
100 |
|
2 |
Senators – X |
82 |
44-27-11 |
99 |
|
Capitals – E |
82 |
43-30-9 |
95 |
|
|
Red Wings – E |
82 |
41-31-10 |
92 |
|
|
Blue Jackets – E |
82 |
40-30-12 |
92 |
|
|
Islanders – E |
82 |
43-32-5 |
91 |
|
|
Devils – E |
82 |
42-37-3 |
87 |
|
|
Panthers-E |
82 |
40-38-4 |
84 |
|
|
Maple Leafs-E |
82 |
32-36-14 |
78 |
|
|
Rangers – E |
82 |
34-39-9 |
77 |
X = clinched playoff
Y = clinched division title
E = eliminated
Western Conference
Central Division
|
Seed |
Team |
Games |
Record |
Points |
|
1 |
Avalanche -Y |
81 |
54-16-11 |
119 |
|
2 |
Stars – X |
82 |
50-20-12 |
112 |
|
3 |
Wild – X |
82 |
46-24-12 |
104 |
Pacific Division
|
Seed |
Team |
Games |
Record |
Points |
|
1 |
Golden Knights – X |
82 |
39-26-17 |
95 |
|
2 |
Oilers – X |
82 |
41-30-11 |
93 |
|
3 |
Ducks – X |
82 |
43-33-6 |
92 |
Wild Card
|
Seed |
Team |
Games |
Record |
Points |
|
1 |
Mammoth – X |
82 |
43-33-6 |
92 |
|
2 |
Kings – X |
82 |
35-27-19 |
89 |
|
Blues – E |
82 |
37-33-12 |
86 |
|
|
Predators – E |
82 |
38-34-10 |
86 |
|
|
Sharks – E |
82 |
39-35-8 |
86 |
|
|
Jets – E |
82 |
35-35-12 |
82 |
|
|
Kraken – E |
81 |
34-36-11 |
79 |
|
|
Flames – E |
82 |
34-39-9 |
77 |
|
|
Blackhawks – E |
82 |
29-39-14 |
72 |
|
|
Canucks – E |
82 |
25-49-8 |
58 |
X = clinched playoff
Y = clinched division title
E = eliminated
NHL clinching scenarios today
All playoff spots have already been clinched.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
-
Start date: Saturday, April 18
The first round of the NHL playoffs is expected to start on Saturday, April 18, two days after the culmination of the regular season.
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How will the 2026 NHL playoffs work?
Sixteen teams qualify for the NHL playoffs, eight from each conference. The top three teams in each division will get the top six seeds in their respective conference’s playoff bracket. The remaining two spots in each conference will be filled with the next two highest-placed finishers, regardless of division. So, theoretically, one division could send five teams to the playoffs while the other sends only three.
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In the first round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will face the worst wild-card team. Then, the teams that finished second and third in their division will face off. The winners from those games will play each other in the second round.
Those winners will duke it out in the conference finals, sending one representative to the Stanley Cup Finals from each conference. Each round of the playoffs is best-of-seven, so the first team to win four games will advance.