The 2025–26 NHL season has turned into a tight race as teams push for playoff spots in late March. Some divisions have clear leaders, while others remain crowded with contenders.
The Eastern Conference is highly competitive, with several teams separated by narrow margins. In contrast, the Western Conference has a few dominant teams pulling ahead early.
How Many Teams Qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs From Each Division?
In the current NHL format for the 2025–26 season, at least three teams from each division qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A total of 16 teams make the postseason, with eight teams from each conference.
The top three teams from each division, the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific, earn automatic playoff spots. This accounts for 12 teams. The remaining four spots are filled by Wild Card teams, with two coming from each conference based on total points.
Because Wild Card spots depend on overall conference standings, divisions can send different numbers of teams. A division can have as few as three teams or as many as five teams in the playoffs. This variation depends on how teams outside the top three perform.
A Breakdown of the NHL Playoff Matchups Format
The first round follows a divisional bracket format. The top division winner plays the lower-ranked wild-card team. The other division winner faces the remaining Wild Card team. Beyond that, teams placed second and third in each division meet in the opening round.
Current NHL Playoff Picture After March 24 Games
Eastern Conference Standings
The Eastern Conference remains extremely tight, with teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, and Carolina Hurricanes all in contention.
Atlantic Division
Buffalo Sabres: 95 pts (44-20-7)
Tampa Bay Lightning: 93 pts (44-21-5)
Montreal Canadiens: 88 pts (39-21-10)
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes: 96 pts (45-20-6)
Columbus Blue Jackets: 87 pts (38-22-11)
Pittsburgh Penguins: 86 pts (35-20-16)
Wild-Card Standings
Boston Bruins: 86 pts (39-24-8)
The Ottawa Senators (38-24-9) are secure with 85 points. However, that point total is shared with the New York Islanders (40-27-5), so the gap is very narrow.
Western Conference Standings
In the Western Conference, two teams have created separation at the top of the Central Division, but in the Pacific, it is more of a “pillow fight,” as Connor McDavid put it.
Central Division
Colorado Avalanche (x): 104 pts (47-13-10)
Dallas Stars (x): 97 pts (43-17-11)
Minnesota Wild: 92 pts (40-20-12)
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks: 84 pts (40-27-4)
Edmonton Oilers: 79 pts (35-28-9)
Vegas Golden Knights: 78 pts (32-26-14)
Wild-Card Standings
Utah Mammoth: 80 pts (37-29-6)
Nashville Predators: 77 pts (34-28-9)
Colorado and Dallas have already clinched playoff spots, while the race in the East remains wide open. The final weeks will decide seeding and wild-card positions.
