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: Florida Panthers (12 points) and Montréal Canadiens (9 points). West wild cards: Winnipeg Jets (10 points) and Anaheim Ducks (8 points).

TableCards

Updated Oct 19 · 10:41 AM EDT

East Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: Montréal Canadiens (4-3-1)

1Carolina HurricanesMetropolitan · Conf 4-2 · L1Metropolitan winner7-2-1+122Boston BruinsAtlantic · Conf 2-1 · W5Atlantic winner7-2+153New York RangersMetropolitan · Conf 4-4 · L2Metropolitan 2nd6-3-1+64Washington CapitalsMetropolitan · Conf 5-2 · W2Metropolitan 3rd5-3+45Tampa Bay LightningAtlantic · Conf 3-2 · W2Atlantic 2nd6-2+46Ottawa SenatorsAtlantic · Conf 5-2 · L1Atlantic 3rd6-3+17Florida PanthersAtlantic · Conf 2-1 · W3Wild card 15-2-2+58Montréal CanadiensAtlantic · Conf 4-3 · W1Wild card 24-3-1-3–Buffalo SabresAtlantic · Conf 2-3 · L1Tied for last spot4-4-1-7–New York IslandersMetropolitan · Conf 2-4 · W11 point back4-4+6–New Jersey DevilsMetropolitan · Conf 3-3 · L11 point back4-4-2–Detroit Red WingsAtlantic · Conf 2-3 · W22 points back3-4-1-4–Toronto Maple LeafsAtlantic · Conf 1-4 · L32 points back3-5-1-3–Columbus Blue JacketsMetropolitan · Conf 3-1 · L13 points back3-4-5–Pittsburgh PenguinsMetropolitan · Conf 2-2 · L33 points back3-6-4–Philadelphia FlyersMetropolitan · Conf 1-8 · W15 points back1-7-2-20

Seed	Team	W-L-OTL	PTS	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	Carolina HurricanesMetropolitan	7-2-1	15	3-1	4-2	+12	L1	74	Metropolitan winner
2	Boston BruinsAtlantic	7-2	14	0-1	2-1	+15	W5	75	Atlantic winner
3	New York RangersMetropolitan	6-3-1	13	1-3	4-4	+6	L2	74	Metropolitan 2nd
4	Washington CapitalsMetropolitan	5-3	10	4-1	5-2	+4	W2	76	Metropolitan 3rd
5	Tampa Bay LightningAtlantic	6-2	12	0-0	3-2	+4	W2	76	Atlantic 2nd
6	Ottawa SenatorsAtlantic	6-3	12	2-1	5-2	+1	L1	75	Atlantic 3rd
7	Florida PanthersAtlantic	5-2-2	12	0-1	2-1	+5	W3	75	Wild card 1
8	Montréal CanadiensAtlantic	4-3-1	9	4-0	4-3	-3	W1	76	Wild card 2
	Buffalo SabresAtlantic	4-4-1	9	2-2	2-3	-7	L1	75	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	New York IslandersMetropolitan	4-4	8	1-1	2-4	+6	W1	76	In the hunt · 1 point back
	New Jersey DevilsMetropolitan	4-4	8	2-2	3-3	-2	L1	76	In the hunt · 1 point back
	Detroit Red WingsAtlantic	3-4-1	7	1-1	2-3	-4	W2	76	In the hunt · 2 points back
	Toronto Maple LeafsAtlantic	3-5-1	7	0-3	1-4	-3	L3	75	In the hunt · 2 points back
	Columbus Blue JacketsMetropolitan	3-4	6	2-0	3-1	-5	L1	77	In the hunt · 3 points back
	Pittsburgh PenguinsMetropolitan	3-6	6	1-2	2-2	-4	L3	75	In the hunt · 3 points back
	Philadelphia FlyersMetropolitan	1-7-2	4	0-4	1-8	-20	W1	74	In the hunt · 5 points back

East clinch watch

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

Magic number (points)145Hurricanes 7-2-1

Magic number (points)146Bruins 7-2

Magic number (points)147Rangers 6-3-1

Magic number (points)150Capitals 5-3

Magic number (points)148Lightning 6-2

Magic number (points)148Senators 6-3

East bubble

Sabres4-4-1 · tied for last spot · 75 leftIslanders4-4 · 1 point back · 76 leftDevils4-4 · 1 point back · 76 leftRed Wings3-4-1 · 2 points back · 76 leftMaple Leafs3-5-1 · 2 points back · 75 leftBlue Jackets3-4 · 3 points back · 77 leftPenguins3-6 · 3 points back · 75 leftFlyers1-7-2 · 5 points back · 74 left

West Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: Anaheim Ducks (4-3)

1Vegas Golden KnightsPacific · Conf 6-2 · W3Pacific winner8-2+182Minnesota WildCentral · Conf 3-1 · W2Central winner6-2-1+73Edmonton OilersPacific · Conf 6-2 · W1Pacific 2nd6-1-1+134Seattle KrakenPacific · Conf 2-2 · L2Pacific 3rd5-3-1+45Utah MammothCentral · Conf 2-1 · L1Central 2nd6-3+66Colorado AvalancheCentral · Conf 4-2 · W1Central 3rd5-3+127Winnipeg JetsCentral · Conf 2-2 · L2Wild card 14-2-2-18Anaheim DucksPacific · Conf 3-2 · L2Wild card 24-3+1–Dallas StarsCentral · Conf 3-3 · W2Tied for last spot4-4+7–San Jose SharksPacific · Conf 3-2 · L1Tied for last spot4-4-7–Nashville PredatorsCentral · Conf 2-3 · W11 point back3-4-1-1–St. Louis BluesCentral · Conf 1-5 · L21 point back3-4-1-1–Chicago BlackhawksCentral · Conf 2-3 · L12 points back3-6-15–Vancouver CanucksPacific · Conf 2-2 · L73 points back2-7-1-15–Calgary FlamesPacific · Conf 1-6 · W14 points back2-6-20–Los Angeles KingsPacific · Conf 0-4 · L66 points back0-4-2-13

Seed	Team	W-L-OTL	PTS	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	Vegas Golden KnightsPacific	8-2	16	4-1	6-2	+18	W3	74	Pacific winner
2	Minnesota WildCentral	6-2-1	13	2-1	3-1	+7	W2	75	Central winner
3	Edmonton OilersPacific	6-1-1	13	5-1	6-2	+13	W1	76	Pacific 2nd
4	Seattle KrakenPacific	5-3-1	11	2-2	2-2	+4	L2	75	Pacific 3rd
5	Utah MammothCentral	6-3	12	1-0	2-1	+6	L1	75	Central 2nd
6	Colorado AvalancheCentral	5-3	10	2-2	4-2	+12	W1	76	Central 3rd
7	Winnipeg JetsCentral	4-2-2	10	2-1	2-2	-1	L2	76	Wild card 1
8	Anaheim DucksPacific	4-3	8	2-2	3-2	+1	L2	77	Wild card 2
	Dallas StarsCentral	4-4	8	2-3	3-3	+7	W2	76	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	San Jose SharksPacific	4-4	8	1-1	3-2	-7	L1	76	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Nashville PredatorsCentral	3-4-1	7	2-1	2-3	-1	W1	76	In the hunt · 1 point back
	St. Louis BluesCentral	3-4-1	7	1-4	1-5	-1	L2	76	In the hunt · 1 point back
	Chicago BlackhawksCentral	3-6	6	2-2	2-3	-15	L1	75	In the hunt · 2 points back
	Vancouver CanucksPacific	2-7-1	5	2-2	2-2	-15	L7	74	In the hunt · 3 points back
	Calgary FlamesPacific	2-6	4	1-5	1-6	-20	W1	76	In the hunt · 4 points back
	Los Angeles KingsPacific	0-4-2	2	0-3	0-4	-13	L6	78	In the hunt · 6 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)145Golden Knights 8-2

Magic number (points)148Wild 6-2-1

Magic number (points)148Oilers 6-1-1

Magic number (points)150Kraken 5-3-1

Magic number (points)149Mammoth 6-3

Magic number (points)151Avalanche 5-3

West bubble

Stars4-4 · tied for last spot · 76 leftSharks4-4 · tied for last spot · 76 leftPredators3-4-1 · 1 point back · 76 leftBlues3-4-1 · 1 point back · 76 leftBlackhawks3-6 · 2 points back · 75 leftCanucks2-7-1 · 3 points back · 74 leftFlames2-6 · 4 points back · 76 leftKings0-4-2 · 6 points back · 78 left

Division Races

AtlanticBruins 7-2vsLightning 6-22 points lead

MetropolitanHurricanes 7-2-1vsRangers 6-3-12 points lead

CentralWild 6-2-1vsMammoth 6-31 point lead

PacificOilers 6-1-1vsGolden Knights 8-2Tiebreaker 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.