The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, but there are still plenty of questions about which teams will qualify and which matchups we will see in the postseason. The Buffalo Sabres have clinched their first playoff berth since 2011, and the Tampa Bay Lightning also locked up their playoff spot on Saturday. 

In both conferences, the wild card races are incredibly tight. The Ottawa Senators still hold a tenuous grip on the final playoff spot, but the margin is razor thin with four teams at 88 points and the Washington Capitals at 87 points. The race for the Atlantic Division title just got even more interesting as the Montreal Canadiens rattled off their eighth straight win.

Out West, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have surpassed the Anaheim Ducks for first place, although the two teams are tied in points. The Vegas Golden Knights have steadied the ship in third place, and they are one point behind the two teams in front of them.

The Western Conference wild card race seems to change every day. The Nashville Predators defeated the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night to take over the final playoff spot, but the Los Angeles Kings are lurking right behind them.

Be sure to take a look at the full schedule with just a few weeks left to play.

Reminder: Here’s how the NHL playoff seeding works

• The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
• Each conference has two wild card spots.
• The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
• The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.
• Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker.
• Regulation plus OT wins are the second tiebreaker

(X) denotes clinched playoff berth; (Y) denotes clinched division; (Z) denotes clinched conference; (P) denotes clinched Presidents’ Trophy

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 48-22-6 | 102 points (X)

Points percentage: .671
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins

2. Montreal Canadiens | 45-21-10 | 100 points

Points percentage: .658
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Buffalo Sabres

3. Buffalo Sabres | 46-23-8 | 100 points (X)

Points percentage: .649
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes | 49-21-6 | 104 points (X)

Points percentage: .684
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators

2. Pittsburgh Penguins | 39-22-16 | 94 points

Points percentage: .610
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: New York Islanders

3. New York Islanders | 42-31-5 | 89 points

Points percentage: .571
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins

Wild Card

WC1. Boston Bruins | 43-26-8 | 94 points

Points percentage: .610
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning

WC2. Ottawa Senators | 39-27-10 | 88 points

Points percentage: .579
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus OT wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes

In the hunt

Detroit Red Wings | 40-28-8 | 88 points

Points percentage: .579
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus OT wins: 38

Philadelphia Flyers | 38-26-12 | 88 points

Points percentage: .579
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus OT wins: 29

Columbus Blue Jackets | 38-27-12 | 88 points

Points percentage: .571
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 32

Washington Capitals | 39-29-9 | 87 points

Points percentage: .565
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus OT wins: 367

Western Conference

Central Division

1. Colorado Avalanche | 50-15-10 | 110 points (X)

Points percentage: .733
Regulation wins: 44
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Nashville Predators

2. Dallas Stars | 45-20-12 | 102 points (X)

Points percentage: .662
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild

3. Minnesota Wild | 43-21-12 | 98 points (X)

Points percentage: .645
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars

Pacific Division

1. Edmonton Oilers | 39-29-9 | 87 points

Points percentage: .565
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus OT wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Utah Mammoth

2. Anaheim Ducks | 41-31-5 | 87 points

Points percentage: .565
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus OT wins: 33
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights

3. Vegas Golden Knights | 35-26-16 | 86 points

Points percentage: .558
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 34
Current first-round matchup: Anaheim Ducks

Wild Card

WC1. Utah Mammoth | 40-30-6 | 86 points

Points percentage: .566
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers

WC2. Nashville Predators | 36-31-9 | 81 points

Points percentage: .533
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus OT wins: 31
Current first-round opponent: Colorado Avalanche

In the hunt

Los Angeles Kings | 31-26-19 | 81 points

Points percentage: .533
Regulation wins: 19
Regulation plus OT wins: 27

San Jose Sharks | 36-32-7 | 79 points

Points percentage: .527
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus OT wins: 34

Winnipeg Jets | 33-31-12 | 78 points

Points percentage: .513
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus OT wins: 31

St. Louis Blues | 32-31-12 | 76 points

Points percentage: .507
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus OT wins: 31

Seattle Kraken | 32-32-11 | 75 points

Points percentage: .500
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus OT wins: 31