2022 NHL Playoff Bracket: Projected Teams, Seeds & Schedule

2026 NHL Playoff Bracket — shows the projected playoff picture based on current standings, updated in real-time.

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, with 16 teams fighting for hockey’s ultimate prize. The regular season wraps up on April 16th, and the postseason is expected to conclude in June 2026.

The bracket above displays the current projected 2026 NHL Playoff picture based on today’s standings. It updates automatically as the regular season plays out and will continue tracking each series once the postseason begins.

Below you’ll find the full NHL playoff picture, including current standings, projected first-round matchups, schedule info and more. Jump to a specific section using the links below:

NHL Playoff Picture | Projected NHL Playoff Matchups | NHL Playoff Schedule | NHL Playoff FAQs

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NHL Playoff Picture

The Carolina Hurricanes own the best record in the Eastern Conference with 88 points through 64 games. They’ve gone 8-2-0 in their last 10 and hold the Metropolitan Division’s top seed.

The Atlantic Division is a three-team race at the top. The Buffalo Sabres lead with 86 points and are riding an eight-game win streak — the longest active streak in the NHL. Buffalo is on pace to end the longest active playoff drought in the league, having last made the postseason in 2010-11.

Tampa Bay (82 pts) holds the second seed with two games in hand on the Sabres, while Montreal (80 pts) isn’t far behind.

Detroit (79 pts) and Boston (78 pts) currently hold the two wild card spots, but the margin is thin. Columbus (76 pts) is only three points back after going 6-1-3 in their last 10, and Ottawa (73 pts) is on a three-game win streak.

Out West, the Colorado Avalanche are running away with it. Their 95 points and +82 goal differential are both the best in the NHL by a wide margin.

The Dallas Stars (90 pts) have been the league’s hottest team with a 9-0-1 mark in their last 10, while the Minnesota Wild (87 pts) round out a loaded Central Division that has separated itself from the pack.

The Pacific Division is where the real drama lives. Anaheim (75 pts) leads after going 8-2-0 in their last 10, but Edmonton (72 pts) and Vegas (72 pts) are right behind. Utah (73 pts) holds the first wild card.

The second wild card is a knife fight. Seattle (67 pts), Los Angeles (67 pts), San Jose (66 pts) and Nashville (66 pts) are all within a point of each other. That race could come down to the final week.

Projected NHL Playoff Matchups

Based on the current standings as of March 12, 2026, here’s how the first-round matchups would shake out if the season ended today. Keep in mind these are projected — the race is still wide open with roughly 17 games left for most teams.

Projected 1st Round Matchups	Series Type
Eastern Conference
(A1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (WC2) Boston Bruins	Atlantic 1 vs. Wild Card 2
(A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Montreal Canadiens	Atlantic 2 vs. Atlantic 3
(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC1) Detroit Red Wings	Metro 1 vs. Wild Card 1
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (M3) New York Islanders	Metro 2 vs. Metro 3
Western Conference
(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Seattle Kraken	Central 1 vs. Wild Card 2
(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Minnesota Wild	Central 2 vs. Central 3
(P1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (WC1) Utah Mammoth	Pacific 1 vs. Wild Card 1
(P2) Edmonton Oilers vs. (P3) Vegas Golden Knights	Pacific 2 vs. Pacific 3

Projected matchups based on current NHL standings as of March 12, 2026.

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NHL Playoff Schedule

The 2025-26 NHL regular season ends on Thursday, April 16th, 2026. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 18th and will wrap up no later than late June.

No teams have clinched a playoff spot yet, but with roughly 17 games remaining for most clubs, the picture should start to crystallize over the next few weeks. Check out the latest NHL odds for daily game lines and pricing.

How is the NHL Playoff Bracket Set Up?

16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs — eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference. The top three teams in each division (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, Pacific) automatically qualify. The remaining two spots per conference go to the next two highest-placed teams by record, regardless of division. Those are your wild card teams.

The bracket is division-based, not conference-wide. Each conference has two divisional brackets, and the first-round matchups are set as follows:

• The division winner with the best record in the conference faces the wild card with the lesser record
• The other division winner faces the wild card with the better record
• The second and third place teams in each division play each other within their respective divisional bracket

The bracket is fixed — there is no reseeding between rounds. First-round winners within the same divisional bracket meet in the second round. The two divisional bracket winners then face off in the Conference Finals.

Home-ice advantage in the first two rounds goes to the team that placed higher in the regular-season standings. From the Conference Finals onward, home ice goes to the team with the better regular-season record, regardless of seeding.

How Many Teams Make the NHL Playoffs?

16 total teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference. All series are best-of-seven, played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format.

How Long Do The Stanley Cup Playoffs Last?

The Stanley Cup Playoffs typically last around two months. The 2026 playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 18th, with the Stanley Cup Final starting no earlier than June 4th. The exact length depends on how many games are played across all four rounds.

The maximum possible is 105 total games if every series goes to Game 7. The minimum is 60 games if every series is a sweep. On average, about 86 playoff games are played each year.

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NHL Playoff Bracket FAQs

When do the 2026 NHL Playoffs start?

The 2026 NHL Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, two days after the regular season ends on April 16th.

How many games are in the NHL playoffs?

Each series is a best-of-seven following a 2-2-1-1-1 structure. The winning team will need to win 16 games total, but the champion could play as many as 28 games if all four of their series go the full seven games. The maximum number of games in one playoff (all teams combined) is 105.

When was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup?

The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Canadian teams have made the finals seven times since then, most recently the Edmonton Oilers in 2024.

Who has the best record in the NHL in 2025-26?

The Colorado Avalanche have the best record in the NHL with 95 points through 63 games, featuring a league-best +82 goal differential. The Carolina Hurricanes lead the Eastern Conference with 88 points.

How is the NHL playoff bracket determined?

The top three teams in each division automatically qualify. The remaining two spots per conference go to the next-best teams by record (wild cards). The bracket is division-based: each division winner plays a wild card, and the second and third place teams in each division face each other. The bracket is fixed with no reseeding after each round.

Which teams are on the NHL playoff bubble?

In the Eastern Conference, Columbus (76 pts) and Ottawa (73 pts) are the closest teams to a wild card spot. In the Western Conference, Seattle (67 pts), Los Angeles (67 pts), San Jose (66 pts) and Nashville (66 pts) are all fighting for the second wild card.

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