Six of the NHL's eight playoff series are set, and the last two will be determined on the final day of the 2025-26 regular season.
The Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, who are playing other opponents, can finish in either the second or third seed in the Pacific Division or the second wild card spot in the West.
The second-place team would host the third place team in the first two games of the first round, while the second wild team would visit the No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche.
There's a possibility that the Oilers and Kings would face each other for the fifth year in a row in the first round.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, Wednesday's clinching scenario and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season before the postseason begins on April 18:
Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: Carolina, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Boston, Ottawa
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Vegas, Edmonton, Anaheim, Utah, Los Angeles
Who can clinch an NHL playoff seed today?
Here are some of the permutations for determining the final Pacific Division seedings:
- The Edmonton Oilers would clinch second in the Pacific if they beat the Vancouver Canucks or if they get one point and the Ducks and Kings lose. They would finish third if they lose in regulation, the Ducks win and the Kings lose. They would finish in the second wild card if they lose in regulation and the Ducks and Kings win.
- The Anaheim Ducks would clinch second place if they beat the Nashville Predators and the Oilers lose in regulation. They would finish third if the Oilers get at least one point and Anaheim gains one more point than the Kings during the night. They would get the second wild card if they lose and the Kings win.
- The Kings would clinch second place if they beat the Calgary Flames, the Oilers lose in regulation and the Ducks lose. They would finish third if they win, the Oilers get a point and the Ducks lose. They would stay in the second wild-card spot if they lose in regulation or if they gain the same number of points or fewer points than the Oilers and Ducks during the course of the night.
Today's NHL games
- St. Louis at Utah, 7:30, ESPN
- Anaheim at Nashville, 8
- San Jose at Winnipeg, 8
- Los Angeles at Calgary, 9
- Vancouver at Edmonton, 9
- Seattle at Colorado, 10, ESPN
NHL playoff standings
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
After April 15 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Metropolitan Division
- y-Carolina Hurricanes (113) Eastern Conference winner
- x-Pittsburgh Penguins (98)
- x-Philadelphia Flyers (98)
Atlantic Division
- y-Buffalo Sabres (109)
- x-Tampa Bay Lightning (106)
- x-Montreal Canadiens (106)
Wild card
- x-Boston Bruins (100)
- x-Ottawa Senators (99)
Out of the playoffs: z-Washington Capitals (95), z-Detroit Red Wings (92), z-Columbus Blue Jackets (92), z-New York Islanders (91), z-New Jersey Devils (87), z-Florida Panthers (84), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-New York Rangers (77)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
After April 15 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Central Division
- y-Colorado Avalanche (119) - Presidents' Trophy winner
- x-Dallas Stars (112)
- x-Minnesota Wild (104)
Pacific Division
- y-Vegas Golden Knights (95)
- x-Edmonton Oilers (91)
- x-Anaheim Ducks (90)
Wild card
- x-Utah Mammoth (92)
- x-Los Angeles Kings (90)
Out of the playoffs: z-Nashville Predators (86), z-St. Louis Blues (84), z-San Jose Sharks (84), z-Winnipeg Jets (82), z-Seattle Kraken (79), z-Calgary Flames (75), z-Chicago Blackhawks (72), z-Vancouver Canucks (58)
NHL playoffs if they started today
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 15:
- Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2) This series is set
- Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3) This series is set
- Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1) This series is set
- Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3) This series is set
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 15.
- Colorado (C1) vs. Los Angeles (WC2)
- Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3). This series is set
- Vegas (P1) vs. Utah (WC1) This series is set
- Edmonton (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
- Regulation wins
- Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
- Total wins
- Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
- Goal differential
- Total goals
In the Pacific Division, the Oilers have the most regulation wins, followed by the Ducks and Kings.
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 18. There are three openers on Saturday, four on Sunday and one on Monday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket, latest 2026 standings, scenarios and tiebreakers