The NHL 2025-26 regular season is about to end on April 16, and the NHL playoffs will commence on April 18. There are still possibilities for changes in the Pacific Division, but all 16 teams are locked into the postseason. 

With only 6 games left in the regular season, the buzz around the NHL playoffs is growing. Eight teams from each conference qualified for the NHL postseason.

From the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres were the divisional winners. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens also qualified from the Atlantic Division. 

From the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes (top seed), the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Philadelphia Flyers qualified for the playoffs. The Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators advanced to the next round from the Wild Card Division.

Coming to the Western Conference, the Presidents’ Trophy winners Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild secured their spots in the playoffs from the Central Division.

The Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, and Anaheim Ducks made it to the playoffs from the Pacific Division. The Wild Cards, Utah Mammoth, and Los Angeles Kings earned a postseason berth.

The positions of the Utah Mammoth and the Edmonton Oilers can still change depending on the final game results. The narrow points gap means seeding could shift before the playoffs begin.

The tiebreaker rules will decide the standings when teams finish level on points, using regulation wins, total wins, head-to-head results, and goal differential to decide final seeding.

What Fixtures Are Left Before the NHL Playoffs?

On April 16th, the regular season will end, and the first fixture is the Blues taking on the Mammoth. There will be two fixtures at the same time, where the Ducks will face off against the Predators, and the Sharks will play the Jets. 

The Kings and the Canucks will play the Flames and the Oilers, respectively. And then the last fixture will be between the Kraken and the Avalanche. 

Not much context is left in most of the final fixtures. But the Oilers and the Ducks have all to play for in their last fixture. 

Several first-round matchups are already officially set, including Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild, confirming parts of the playoff bracket.

There are a few key points to look for at the end of the regular season. The Florida Panthers, who are the defending champions, did not make it to the NHL playoffs this time.

Also, the Sabres made it to the playoffs after 14 years, and the Ducks after 8 years. No team from the New York region earned a spot in the playoffs. 

With the playoffs set to begin on April 18, excitement is building among fans as teams prepare for intense first-round battles and the chase for the Stanley Cup.

Read more at NHL Fan central!

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi