There isn't much season left to determine playoff seeding and draft lottery order. Here's a rundown of what's on tap.
But April 15 is also the penultimate day of the 2025-26 NHL regular season. Ten teams have completed their seasons already -- including seven of eight in the Metro Division -- while some other teams haveAlthough we know the identity of the 16 postseason teams, not every spot has been clinched for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs -- or the NHL draft lottery, which will take place on May 5.
There was a possible world where this rematch of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final would have had consequences for both teams. In the version of reality that has come to pass, however, the results will not impact either team's postseason standing; the Stars are locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Central Division, while the Sabres clinched the Atlantic Division title. With the Canadiens' loss on Tuesday, this game means a lot less to the Lightning, who are now locked in as the higher seed in their opening-round series with Montreal. On the Rangers' side, their draft lottery position is not yet secure. Currently, they are No. 3, but a win here moves them down to No. 4 . The Panthers' are taking a one-year break from the postseason -- they've earned it, with three straight trips to the Cup Final and two Cups. The Red Wings are continuing what is now the NHL's longest postseason drought, with their last appearance in 2016. Florida is in a pack of teams with 82 or 84 points, currently sitting eighth in the draft lottery order. Why does this matter? Their first-round pick will head to the Blackhawks if it's not in the top 10. Detroit's first-rounder is headed to St. Louis unconditionally, and they are currently 15th in the draft lotto order. Prior to the Bruins' season-ending win on Tuesday, the Senators had a chance to leap over them with a win, becoming the first wild card instead of the second. As it stands, they are locked in as WC2, with an opening-round matchup with the Hurricanes on tap. Like the Panthers, the Leafs are paying strict attention to their final spot in the draft order for trade condition-related reasons; their first-rounder will be shipped up to Boston unless it lands in the top five. They're currently fifth in the lottery order, and would move into sixth with a win here . Finishing fifth wouldn't guarantee anything however, as the possibility remains that teams could jump ahead of them on May 5. Tense times in Toronto. Well, if nothing else, this game will be a showcase of two of the top young talents in the NHL, both of whom were recent No. 1 overall picks.became the rare NHL teenager to score 100 points, he looked right at home playing a key role for the superstar-laden Team Canada the Olympics, and he'sgot off to a good start, but an injury derailed his third season for a bit. Nevertheless, he'll easily finish with the highest point total of his career. As it pertains to the standings, both teams are lottery-bound; the Blackhawks are locked in to the No. 2 spot behind the Canucks, while the Sharks are members of the group of 82/84-point teams mentioned above, although with two games remaining, they could drop as low as 12th if they win both. And in the final game of the night, there are some actual playoff seeding concerns on the line! Vegas is currently first in the Pacific, with 93 points and 29 regulation wins. A win or a loss in overtime/shootout in this game clinches the division for them, and a matchup with the first wild-card Mammoth in Round 1. A regulation loss means that the Oilers can pass them with a win against the Canucks on Thursday. The Kraken said goodbye to playoff chances last week, and currently sit sixth in the draft lottery order. They can move up to fifth -- with a Maple Leafs win tonight and by losing their final two -- or could drop down to eighth with two wins . The regular season concludes on Thursday, and we'll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all of the playoff races -- along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.Note: An "x" with a team's name means the club has clinched a playoff spot; a "y" means that they have clinched the division; a "z" indicates that they have clinched the best record in the conference; a "p" means they have clinched the top overall seed. An "e" means that the club has been mathematically eliminated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic number reaches zero and are mathematically eliminated when their tragic number reaches zero.The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick.*Note: The Maple Leafs' pick belongs to the Bruins, unless it lands in the top five. The Panthers' pick belongs to the Flames, unless it lands in the top 10. The Red Wings' pick belongs to the Blues, unconditionally.
Chicago-Blackhawks Edmonton-Oilers New-Jersey-Devils Finland-Finland Philadelphia-Flyers Los-Angeles-Kings Minnesota-Wild Toronto-Maple-Leafs Vegas-Golden-Knights Washington-Capitals Eastern-Conf-All-Stars Team-Chara Pittsburgh-Penguins Western-Conf-All-Stars Nashville-Predators Carolina-Hurricanes Usa-Usa Seattle-Kraken Winnipeg-Jets Anaheim-Ducks Team-Lidstrom Sweden-Sweden St-Louis-Blues New-York-Rangers Colorado-Avalanche Buffalo-Sabres Ottawa-Senators Columbus-Blue-Jackets San-Jose-Sharks Florida-Panthers Team-Staal Detroit-Red-Wings New-York-Islanders Team-Alfredsson Utah-Mammoth Vancouver-Canucks Nhl Team-Toews Tampa-Bay-Lightning Boston-Bruins Dallas-Stars Montreal-Canadiens Calgary-Flames Team-Foligno Canada-Canada 18890100
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