NHL Playoff Picture 2026-27

The 2026-27 NHL playoff picture if the season ended today: the top three in each of the four divisions qualify, plus the two best remaining teams in each conference as wild cards. Teams are ranked by points (two for a win, one for an overtime or shootout loss). East wild cards: Ottawa Senators (26 points) and Florida Panthers (24 points). West wild cards: Utah Mammoth (21 points) and Winnipeg Jets (21 points).

TableCards

Updated Nov 13 · 6:27 AM EST

East Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: Florida Panthers (11-7-2)

1Carolina HurricanesMetropolitan · Conf 7-2 · W3Metropolitan winner15-4-1+362Montréal CanadiensAtlantic · Conf 7-3 · W1Atlantic winner12-3-4+103New Jersey DevilsMetropolitan · Conf 6-3 · W1Metropolitan 2nd14-6+164New York RangersMetropolitan · Conf 5-6 · W1Metropolitan 3rd11-8-1+35Boston BruinsAtlantic · Conf 4-3 · L1Atlantic 2nd13-5-1+246Tampa Bay LightningAtlantic · Conf 6-2 · W2Atlantic 3rd13-5-1+177Ottawa SenatorsAtlantic · Conf 8-3 · W1Wild card 112-6-2+48Florida PanthersAtlantic · Conf 4-6 · W2Wild card 211-7-2+5–Washington CapitalsMetropolitan · Conf 9-3 · L14 points back10-70–Buffalo SabresAtlantic · Conf 3-7 · L35 points back8-8-3-13–New York IslandersMetropolitan · Conf 2-6 · W16 points back8-8-20–Toronto Maple LeafsAtlantic · Conf 3-6 · L57 points back8-12-1-6–Pittsburgh PenguinsMetropolitan · Conf 3-4 · W19 points back7-11-1-6–Detroit Red WingsAtlantic · Conf 3-5 · L59 points back7-12-1-9–Philadelphia FlyersMetropolitan · Conf 2-11 · L19 points back5-11-5-22–Columbus Blue JacketsMetropolitan · Conf 4-6 · L310 points back7-10-12

Seed	Team	W-L-OTL	PTS	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	Carolina HurricanesMetropolitan	15-4-1	31	5-1	7-2	+36	W3	64	Metropolitan winner
2	Montréal CanadiensAtlantic	12-3-4	28	6-0	7-3	+10	W1	65	Atlantic winner
3	New Jersey DevilsMetropolitan	14-6	28	4-2	6-3	+16	W1	64	Metropolitan 2nd
4	New York RangersMetropolitan	11-8-1	23	2-3	5-6	+3	W1	64	Metropolitan 3rd
5	Boston BruinsAtlantic	13-5-1	27	1-2	4-3	+24	L1	65	Atlantic 2nd
6	Tampa Bay LightningAtlantic	13-5-1	27	2-0	6-2	+17	W2	65	Atlantic 3rd
7	Ottawa SenatorsAtlantic	12-6-2	26	4-1	8-3	+4	W1	64	Wild card 1
8	Florida PanthersAtlantic	11-7-2	24	1-4	4-6	+5	W2	64	Wild card 2
	Washington CapitalsMetropolitan	10-7	20	5-2	9-3	0	L1	67	In the hunt · 4 points back
	Buffalo SabresAtlantic	8-8-3	19	2-4	3-7	-13	L3	65	In the hunt · 5 points back
	New York IslandersMetropolitan	8-8-2	18	1-3	2-6	0	W1	66	In the hunt · 6 points back
	Toronto Maple LeafsAtlantic	8-12-1	17	0-4	3-6	-6	L5	63	In the hunt · 7 points back
	Pittsburgh PenguinsMetropolitan	7-11-1	15	1-2	3-4	-6	W1	65	In the hunt · 9 points back
	Detroit Red WingsAtlantic	7-12-1	15	2-3	3-5	-9	L5	64	In the hunt · 9 points back
	Philadelphia FlyersMetropolitan	5-11-5	15	0-7	2-11	-22	L1	63	In the hunt · 9 points back
	Columbus Blue JacketsMetropolitan	7-10	14	3-1	4-6	-12	L3	67	In the hunt · 10 points back

East clinch watch

Points still needed to finish above the first team out (Washington Capitals): points gained and points the chaser drops both count.

Magic number (points)124Hurricanes 15-4-1

Magic number (points)127Canadiens 12-3-4

Magic number (points)127Devils 14-6

Magic number (points)128Bruins 13-5-1

Magic number (points)128Lightning 13-5-1

Magic number (points)129Senators 12-6-2

East bubble

Capitals10-7 · 4 points back · 67 leftSabres8-8-3 · 5 points back · 65 leftIslanders8-8-2 · 6 points back · 66 leftMaple Leafs8-12-1 · 7 points back · 63 leftPenguins7-11-1 · 9 points back · 65 leftRed Wings7-12-1 · 9 points back · 64 leftFlyers5-11-5 · 9 points back · 63 leftBlue Jackets7-10 · 10 points back · 67 left

West Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: Winnipeg Jets (9-8-3)

1Minnesota WildCentral · Conf 7-3 · W2Central winner14-3-4+242Edmonton OilersPacific · Conf 9-3 · W3Pacific winner14-5-1+233Colorado AvalancheCentral · Conf 6-4 · L1Central 2nd11-7-2+184Nashville PredatorsCentral · Conf 7-3 · W6Central 3rd10-7-2+65Vegas Golden KnightsPacific · Conf 7-3 · W4Pacific 2nd13-6-1+156Anaheim DucksPacific · Conf 6-4 · L1Pacific 3rd10-8-1+17Utah MammothCentral · Conf 2-5 · L4Wild card 110-9-1-38Winnipeg JetsCentral · Conf 4-4 · W5Wild card 29-8-3-7–Dallas StarsCentral · Conf 5-4 · L11 point back10-8+3–St. Louis BluesCentral · Conf 4-6 · W21 point back9-8-2-1–Seattle KrakenPacific · Conf 4-4 · L22 points back9-7-1-3–Calgary FlamesPacific · Conf 4-10 · L14 points back8-10-1-19–San Jose SharksPacific · Conf 4-6 · L15 points back8-13-21–Los Angeles KingsPacific · Conf 1-6 · L39 points back5-10-2-13–Chicago BlackhawksCentral · Conf 3-4 · W110 points back5-13-1-36–Vancouver CanucksPacific · Conf 3-7 · L614 points back3-16-1-34

Seed	Team	W-L-OTL	PTS	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	Minnesota WildCentral	14-3-4	32	3-1	7-3	+24	W2	63	Central winner
2	Edmonton OilersPacific	14-5-1	29	7-2	9-3	+23	W3	64	Pacific winner
3	Colorado AvalancheCentral	11-7-2	24	3-4	6-4	+18	L1	64	Central 2nd
4	Nashville PredatorsCentral	10-7-2	22	5-1	7-3	+6	W6	65	Central 3rd
5	Vegas Golden KnightsPacific	13-6-1	27	4-1	7-3	+15	W4	64	Pacific 2nd
6	Anaheim DucksPacific	10-8-1	21	5-3	6-4	+1	L1	65	Pacific 3rd
7	Utah MammothCentral	10-9-1	21	1-2	2-5	-3	L4	64	Wild card 1
8	Winnipeg JetsCentral	9-8-3	21	3-3	4-4	-7	W5	64	Wild card 2
	Dallas StarsCentral	10-8	20	3-4	5-4	+3	L1	66	In the hunt · 1 point back
	St. Louis BluesCentral	9-8-2	20	3-5	4-6	-1	W2	65	In the hunt · 1 point back
	Seattle KrakenPacific	9-7-1	19	3-3	4-4	-3	L2	67	In the hunt · 2 points back
	Calgary FlamesPacific	8-10-1	17	3-8	4-10	-19	L1	65	In the hunt · 4 points back
	San Jose SharksPacific	8-13	16	2-3	4-6	-21	L1	63	In the hunt · 5 points back
	Los Angeles KingsPacific	5-10-2	12	1-3	1-6	-13	L3	67	In the hunt · 9 points back
	Chicago BlackhawksCentral	5-13-1	11	2-3	3-4	-36	W1	65	In the hunt · 10 points back
	Vancouver CanucksPacific	3-16-1	7	3-5	3-7	-34	L6	64	In the hunt · 14 points back

West clinch watch

Points still needed to finish above the first team out (Dallas Stars): points gained and points the chaser drops both count.

Magic number (points)121Wild 14-3-4

Magic number (points)124Oilers 14-5-1

Magic number (points)129Avalanche 11-7-2

Magic number (points)131Predators 10-7-2

Magic number (points)126Golden Knights 13-6-1

Magic number (points)132Ducks 10-8-1

West bubble

Stars10-8 · 1 point back · 66 leftBlues9-8-2 · 1 point back · 65 leftKraken9-7-1 · 2 points back · 67 leftFlames8-10-1 · 4 points back · 65 leftSharks8-13 · 5 points back · 63 leftKings5-10-2 · 9 points back · 67 leftBlackhawks5-13-1 · 10 points back · 65 leftCanucks3-16-1 · 14 points back · 64 left

Division Races

AtlanticCanadiens 12-3-4vsLightning 13-5-11 point lead

MetropolitanHurricanes 15-4-1vsDevils 14-63 points lead

CentralWild 14-3-4vsAvalanche 11-7-28 points lead

PacificOilers 14-5-1vsGolden Knights 13-6-12 points lead

Seeds 1-2 division winners · 3-6 division 2nd and 3rd · 7-8 wild cards · Ranked by points (2 per win, 1 per overtime or shootout loss) · Clinch/eliminated flags use games remaining, not the full tiebreaker list.

How the NHL Playoff Picture Is Calculated

The top three teams in each division qualify, plus the two best remaining teams in each conference as wild cards. Teams are ranked by points: two for a win, one for an overtime or shootout loss. A team is marked clinched when no result can drop it out of the top 8, and eliminated when it can no longer catch the last spot. Magic numbers count the wins and rival losses still needed. Tiebreakers follow the league order.

The NHL playoff picture is recalculated after every game from the full standings, so seeds, magic numbers and points back are always current. Check the tiebreaker rules for how close races are settled, and the projected bracket to see what today’s seeds would produce.