The Buffalo Sabres, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, also have a chance to win the Atlantic Division title.
They can take a step toward that on Wednesday, April 8. If the Sabres (102 points) pick up at least a point against the New York Rangers, they will break their three-way tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
Advertisement
But if they lose in regulation, they will drop to third place in the division based on points percentage.
The same thing applies in the Pacific Division. The Edmonton Oilers are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights at 88 points and hold the tiebreaker edge. They can lead outright by gaining at least a point against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. If they lose in regulation, they will fall to second in the division.
The Sharks need the win because they trail the Nashville Predators by three points in the race for the second wild-card spot in the West. Wednesday will be one of their two games in hand.
Here’s what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:
Advertisement
NHL playoff tiebreakers: How they will affect the postseason races
Who’s in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Montreal
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota
Who can clinch an NHL playoff berth today?
No team can clinch a playoff berth today.
Today’s NHL games (Wednesday, April 8)
-
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers, 7, TNT
-
Edmonton at San Jose, 10, TNT
NHL playoff standings
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
After April 7 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Metropolitan Division
-
y-Carolina Hurricanes (106)
Atlantic Division
-
x-Tampa Bay Lightning (102)
-
x-Montreal Canadiens (102)
Wild card
Sitting out of playoff position: Columbus Blue Jackets (90), Detroit Red Wings (89), New York Islanders (89), Washington Capitals (87), z-New Jersey Devils (83), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-Florida Panthers (77), z-New York Rangers (75)
Advertisement
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
After April 7 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Central Division
-
y-Colorado Avalanche (112)
Pacific Division
-
Vegas Golden Knights (88)
Wild card
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (83), San Jose Sharks (81), Winnipeg Jets (80), St. Louis Blues (78), Seattle Kraken (75), z-Calgary Flames (73), z-Chicago Blackhawks (70), z-Vancouver Canucks (52)
NHL playoffs if they started today
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 7:
-
Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2)
-
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3)
-
Tampa Bay (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
-
Buffalo (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M – Metropolitan Division. A – Atlantic Division. WC – wild card
Advertisement
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 7.
-
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
-
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
-
Edmonton (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
-
Vegas (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C – Central Division P – Pacific Division. WC – wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
-
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
-
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
Advertisement
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 18.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket, latest 2026 standings, tiebreakers and scenarios
