NHL Playoff Picture: Standings, Bracket, and Key Dates for 2026

With just three days left in the NHL regular season, all 16 playoff berths have been filled, yet the playoff picture remains hazy. As it stands, only three series have been finalized, and the battle for home ice advantage is still on in one of those matchups. The Pacific Division remains wide open, and the race for the first and second wild-card spots is far from settled.

The slate of games on Tuesday, April 14, promises to bring some clarity to the standings. The Boston Bruins have a chance to secure the first wild-card seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are idle, could clinch home-ice advantage in the first round. In the Western Conference, the Utah Mammoth are in a position to claim the top wild-card seed.

However, the most talked-about game of the night may not have any playoff implications. Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin is set to play what could be his final game of the season. The NHL’s all-time leading scorer has not disclosed whether he will return for another season, adding an emotional layer to the matchup. ESPN will broadcast what could be a historic farewell for Ovechkin.

As the postseason approaches, here’s a closer look at the NHL standings, including the latest playoff brackets, Tuesday’s clinching scenarios, and the tiebreaker rules for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Eastern Conference Standings: Carolina, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Boston, Ottawa. Out of the playoffs are the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers.

Western Conference Standings: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Vegas, Edmonton, Anaheim, Utah, Los Angeles. Teams that failed to qualify include the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, and Vancouver Canucks.

As of April 13, the playoff bracket in the Eastern Conference would pit the winners of the first two series against each other in the second round, while the same format applies to the Western Conference. Key standings indicators include M for Metropolitan Division, A for Atlantic Division, and WC for wild card.

In the event of a tie in points at the end of the regular season, the NHL has established tiebreaker procedures to determine standings. The regular season is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, April 16, with six games on the docket, paving the way for the Stanley Cup playoffs to begin on Saturday, April 18.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.