There are six games left to finalize playoff seeding and draft lottery order. Here's a rundown of what's on tap.
The saying goes, 'don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.' It's applicable in regards to the 2025-26 NHL regular season after Thursday night's games, the final six of the campaign. But another reason for hockey fans to smile: the 'second season' -- i.e. the Stanley Cup playoffs -- is about to begin, on Saturday.
All 16 teams have been determined for the postseason, but there are three teams in the Pacific Division still battling it out for seeding. And over on the non-playoff team side, there are still some unresolved spots in the draft lottery order ahead of that event on May 5.
The Mammoth clinched the first wild-card spot earlier this week, and they learned the identity of their opponent on Wednesday: the Golden Knights, who clinched another division title. The Blues are currently 10th in the draft lottery order. But with a loss here, they move ahead of the Panthers , and could move ahead of the Sharks if San Jose beats Winnipeg.
The Ducks held down the top spot in the Pacific for a sizable portion of the season, which is impressive considering they finished 16 points back of thelast season. They're currently third in the division, but can move up to second with a win of any kind and a regulation loss by the Oilers.
Nashville's bid for a wild-card spot ended this week, and they enter play in 11th in the draft lottery order. A win of any kind puts them 12th, an overtime/shootout loss keeps them 11th, and a regulation loss paired with a Blues win in any fashion moves them up a spot to 10th., but they dropped too many games this spring and will just miss out on the postseason.
The Jets were alive until this week also, but their fall from grace is pretty dramatic given that they finished with 116 points last season, the most in the NHL. Winnipeg enters the evening seventh in the draft lottery order, with San Jose ninth. If the Jets win in regulation, the Sharks move up to seventh and the Jets move down one spot to eighth. If the Jets win in OT/shootout, they hold their spot, but the Sharks could move down .
The Kings have the ultimate motivation heading into this game. They are currently slated to face the juggernaut Avalanche in Round 1, but with a win -- and some help -- they can move out of that slot and take on one of their Pacific Division foes. Alas, their regulation wins total puts them at a significant disadvantage when it comes to tiebreaks. They begin the day tied in standings points with Anaheim, and one back of Edmonton. They can move up all the way to second place with a win of any kind, a regulation loss by the Oilers and a loss of any kind by the Ducks. They can move up to third by getting one more point than Anaheim. Unfortunately, either of these scenarios would give them a matchup against the Oilers, who have beaten them in the first round for the past four years. Maybe the fifth time is the charm?
With the Rangers' win on Wednesday, the Flames moved up to third in the draft lottery order. A loss of any variety keeps them there; a win of any kind puts them back into fourth. It's fairly simple for the Oilers; with a one-point advantage in points and an insurmountable lead in RW over the Ducks and Kings, they just need one point here to clinch the No. 2 position in the Pacific. A regulation loss could drop them down to No. 3 or even the wild-card spot if both the Kings and Ducks win.
It's even more simple for the Canucks; their result here will not influence their spot in the standings. They clinched the NHL's worst record -- and the No. 1 spot in the draft lottery order -- weeks ago. The season closes out with a game between two teams firmly entrenched in their positions. The Avalanche clinched the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the best regular-season record on April 10. They will have home-ice advantage this postseason for as long as they alive. The Kraken are locked in to the No. 6 position in the draft lottery order. The past several No. 6 picks have been a mixed bag of superstars and players who have failed to launch: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 18897502
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Victor Eklund NHL's debut gives Islanders first taste of what could beELMONT, NY — New York Islanders top prospect Victor Eklund wanted to get his feet wet in the North American hockey pool as soon as his season with Djurgarden
Read more »
Alex Ovechkin's Wife Anastasia Shares Sidney Crosby Photo Amid NHL Retirement TalkThe wife of Alex Ovechkin shared a photo of him and Sidney Crosby after what might be Ovechkin's last game before retiring.
Read more »
Victor Eklund picks up first career point, impresses Islanders in NHL debutELMONT, NY — New York Islanders top prospect Victor Eklund's NHL debut came with a disagreement with one of his team's most prominent players, Bo Horvat
Read more »
Islanders' Victor Eklund gets first point in NHL debut on Bo Horvat’s 300th goalVictor Eklund, the 16th pick in last summer’s draft, was called up to make his NHL debut in the otherwise meaningless 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes.
Read more »
Inside the NHL: Playoff Predictions from Players, Coaches, and GMsGet an exclusive look at the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs with predictions from an Eastern Conference player, a Western Conference coach, and an NHL general manager. They offer unique insights into the teams, matchups, and potential upsets.
Read more »
NHL playoff watch: What's on the line in Wednesday's gamesThere isn't much season left to determine playoff seeding and draft lottery order. Here's a rundown of what's on tap.
Read more »