2026 NHL Playoff Bracket: How does it work?

The 2026 NHL playoff bracket will be finalized after the regular season ends on April 15, 2026. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18, and the 2026 Stanley Cup Final is projected to conclude on Monday, June 2, 2026.

The NHL’s 32 teams are split into two conferences of 16 teams each, with four divisions total. In every division, the top three teams automatically earn playoff spots. After that, each conference adds two wild-card teams, which are the clubs with the best remaining records regardless of division. This makes eight playoff teams per conference, while the remaining teams are eliminated from postseason contention.

2026 NHL Playoff Bracket Predictions if the season ended today

EASTERN CONFERENCE

  1. Carolina Hurricanes (51 pts)
  2. Detroit Red Wings (49 pts)
  3. Montreal Canadiens (48 pts)
  4. New York Islanders (48 pts)
  5. Tampa Bay Lightning (47 pts)
  6. Philadelphia Flyers (47 pts)
  7. Washington Capitals (45 pts)
  8. Florida Panthers (45 pts)

First Round Matchups

  • (1) Carolina vs (8) Florida
  • (2) Detroit vs (7) Washington
  • (3) Montreal vs (6) Philadelphia
  • (4) NY Islanders vs (5) Tampa Bay

East Favorite: Carolina Hurricanes (+825)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

  1. Colorado Avalanche (65 pts)
  2. Dallas Stars (57 pts)
  3. Minnesota Wild (54 pts)
  4. Edmonton Oilers (46 pts)
  5. Vegas Golden Knights (45 pts)
  6. Anaheim Ducks (44 pts)
  7. Los Angeles Kings (41 pts)
  8. San Jose Sharks (41 pts)

First Round Matchups

  • (1) Colorado vs (8) San Jose
  • (2) Dallas vs (7) Los Angeles
  • (3) Minnesota vs (6) Anaheim
  • (4) Edmonton vs (5) Vegas

West Favorite: Colorado Avalanche (+310)

STANLEY CUP PREDICTION

  • Final: Colorado Avalanche vs Carolina Hurricanes
  • Stanley Cup Champion: Colorado Avalanche

How Does the NHL Playoff Format Work?

1. 16 Teams Qualify

  • 8 from the Eastern Conference
  • 8 from the Western Conference

2. Division-Based Seeding

Each conference has two divisions, and the playoff bracket is built like this:

  • Top 3 teams in each division automatically qualify (6 teams).
  • Two wild card teams (next-best records) also qualify (2 teams).
  • Total: 8 teams per conference.

In each conference:

Division Winners (1st & 2nd place)

They face a wild card team.

Matchups look like this:

  • 1st seed (best team in conference) vs Wild Card 2
  • 2nd seed (other division winner) vs Wild Card 1
  • 3rd seed in Division A vs #2 seed in Division A
  • 3rd seed in Division B vs #2 seed in Division B

So division rivals always meet in Round 1 (except division leaders who face wild cards).

Series Format

  • All rounds are best-of-seven (first to 4 wins).
  • 2-2-1-1-1 home-ice format:
  • Higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5, 7.

REAL NHL Format in a short:

  • 1st round is division-based, not 1 vs 8.
  • Wild cards face the two division winners.
  • Each division’s 2nd vs 3rd place face each other.
  • Winners meet in Division Finals > Conference Final > Stanley Cup Final.