NHL Standings 2025-26: Complete Playoff Race, Wild Card Picture, and Conference Rankings (Updated March 13, 2026)

With roughly 16 to 18 games remaining on every team's schedule and the regular season finale set for April 16, 2026, the NHL standings have never been more volatile. Playoff spots are being won and lost on a nightly basis. The wild card races in both conferences are separated by razor-thin margins. And at the very top, the Colorado Avalanche are putting together one of the most dominant regular seasons in modern hockey history.

Whether you're tracking your team's playoff hopes, watching the Presidents' Trophy battle unfold, or just trying to figure out who's playing whom in the first round — this is your complete, fully updated breakdown of every division, every conference, and every storyline that matters in the 2025-26 NHL standings.

Eastern Conference Standings: Full Breakdown

The Eastern Conference is a bloodbath. Eight teams are separated by just 11 points in the wild card race, and the Atlantic Division has produced one of the most shocking turnarounds in league history.

Atlantic Division Standings

The Buffalo Sabres are leading the Atlantic Division. Read that sentence again. After 14 consecutive years without a playoff appearance — the longest drought in NHL history — Buffalo sits atop the division with 86 points through 66 games. Since December 9, when they were buried at 11-14-4, the Sabres have posted a staggering 29-5-2 record. Rasmus Dahlin is playing like a Norris Trophy favorite, Tage Thompson is scoring at a pace that demands respect, and head coach Lindy Ruff — the same man who coached their last playoff team in 2011 — has this group believing.

Tampa Bay remains dangerous at 84 points, powered by Nikita Kucherov's 104-point season and a goal differential of +51 that ranks among the best in the East. Montreal's 82 points make them a legitimate threat, though their 10 overtime losses suggest a team that plays too many close games for comfort.

The real fight in the Atlantic is for the final playoff spots. Detroit (79 points), Boston (78), and Ottawa (73) are all still alive, but only two of those three can grab wild card berths if they don't finish top three in the division. Florida's defending champions have collapsed to 69 points, and the Maple Leafs at 67 are staring at another disappointing spring.

Metropolitan Division Standings

The New York Rangers are the class of the Metropolitan Division at 88 points — the second-highest total in the entire NHL behind only Colorado. Their +40 goal differential speaks to a team that can both score and defend at an elite level. The Rangers have been the most consistent team in the East all season, and they're a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Behind them, it's a three-way war. Pittsburgh's 79 points come with a league-high 15 overtime losses — meaning the Penguins have been in an absurd number of close games. Carolina matches them at 79 but with just five OT losses, making the Hurricanes arguably the more reliable team down the stretch. Columbus at 77 points represents one of the most surprising stories in hockey this season.

The Metro's bubble is packed: Philadelphia and the Islanders are both at 73 points, right in the thick of the Eastern wild card race. Washington has faded badly at 66 points with a brutal -27 goal differential, and the Devils at 62 are already looking ahead to the draft lottery.

Eastern Conference Wild Card Picture

This is where it gets chaotic. As of March 13, the two Eastern Conference wild card spots belong to:

• WC1: Detroit Red Wings — 79 points (36-23-7)
• WC2: Boston Bruins — 78 points (36-23-6)

But look at the teams breathing down their necks:

• Columbus Blue Jackets — 77 points (2 games in hand)
• Philadelphia Flyers — 73 points
• New York Islanders — 73 points
• Ottawa Senators — 73 points

Six teams fighting for two spots, with all of them separated by just six points. Columbus having two games in hand makes them the most dangerous lurker. This wild card race is going to come down to the final week of the season.

Western Conference Standings: Full Breakdown

The Western Conference has a clear hierarchy at the top — but the wild card race is even more unpredictable than the East.

Central Division Standings

The Colorado Avalanche are running away with it. 97 points through just 64 games. A +86 goal differential that's nearly double the next best team. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 43 goals and 104 points. And now, with the trade deadline acquisition of Nazem Kadri — who already has a goal and two assists in three games since returning to Colorado — this team is built to win a Stanley Cup.

The Avalanche are on pace for approximately 125 points. The last team to hit that mark was the 2022-23 Bruins, who finished with 135 points — the all-time regular season record. Colorado won't touch that number, but they're comfortably ahead in the Presidents' Trophy race and are the clear Stanley Cup favorites.

Dallas sits second with 92 points, riding a franchise-best 14-game point streak that included a dominant 7-2 demolition of Edmonton. The Stars' depth is terrifying — Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston (who leads the NHL with 21 power-play goals), and a defense anchored by Miro Heiskanen make them the biggest threat to Colorado in the West.

Minnesota's 88 points keep them firmly in third, and the Wild have been remarkably consistent all season with Kirill Kaprizov scoring 37 goals. Utah rounds out the Central's playoff teams at 74 points — their first season in the franchise's new home has been a success.

Below them, it's a wasteland. Nashville (67), Winnipeg (62), St. Louis (62), and Chicago (61) are all effectively eliminated from playoff contention.

Pacific Division Standings

The Pacific Division is the weakest division in hockey — and it's not particularly close. The division leader, Anaheim, has just 75 points and a negative goal differential of -9. That's historically bad for a division leader this late in the season. The Ducks are winning close games but getting outplayed on the whole.

Vegas sits one point back at 74 with a staggering 14 overtime losses. The Golden Knights have been in more extra-time games than any team in the league — a sign of a team that can compete but can't close. Edmonton's 72 points are powered almost entirely by Connor McDavid's 110-point campaign, but the Oilers need to pick up the pace with 16 games remaining.

San Jose, Seattle, and Los Angeles are all hovering between 67-68 points in a three-way fight for the last wild card spots. The Sharks have three games in hand on the other two, giving them a slight edge in points percentage.

At the bottom, Calgary (59 points) and Vancouver (48 points, -72 goal differential) are locked in a battle for draft lottery positioning. The Canucks are on pace for one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Western Conference Wild Card Picture

The Western wild card race is a mess — in the best way possible:

• WC1: Utah Mammoth — 74 points (34-26-6)
• WC2: Edmonton Oilers — 72 points (32-26-8)

Teams still in the hunt:

• San Jose Sharks — 68 points (3 games in hand)
• Seattle Kraken — 67 points
• Los Angeles Kings — 67 points
• Nashville Predators — 67 points

Five teams within seven points of the final wild card spot, and the Sharks' games in hand make them particularly dangerous. Edmonton's 85% playoff probability feels high for a team that's only two points clear of the bubble. If McDavid misses even a game or two, the Oilers could find themselves on the outside looking in.

The Presidents' Trophy Race

This isn't much of a race anymore. Colorado's 97 points through 64 games gives them a nine-point cushion over the Dallas Stars (92) and a commanding lead over the New York Rangers (88) in the East. At their current pace, the Avalanche will finish somewhere around 122-125 points.

For reference, here are the top five teams in the overall NHL standings:

1. Colorado Avalanche — 97 points (44-11-9), +86 GD
2. Dallas Stars — 92 points (41-14-10), +53 GD
3. New York Rangers — 88 points (41-18-6), +40 GD
4. Minnesota Wild — 88 points (38-16-12), +34 GD
5. Buffalo Sabres — 86 points (40-20-6), +34 GD

The Avalanche haven't just been good — they've been historically dominant. A +86 goal differential at this point of the season is a number you rarely see in the salary cap era. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and now Kadri form a core that can match up against anyone in a seven-game series.

NHL Scoring Leaders Driving the Standings

Individual performances are shaping these standings as much as team systems. Here are the players making the biggest impact:

Points Leaders

1. Connor McDavid (EDM) — 110 points (36G, 74A) in 66 games
2. Nikita Kucherov (TBL) — 104 points (34G, 70A) in 64 games
3. Nathan MacKinnon (COL) — 104 points (43G, 61A) in 64 games

Goals Leaders

1. Nathan MacKinnon (COL) — 43 goals
2. Cole Caufield (MTL) — 37 goals
3. Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) — 37 goals

Assists Leaders

1. Connor McDavid (EDM) — 74 assists
2. Nikita Kucherov (TBL) — 70 assists

McDavid's 110 points leading a team that's barely clinging to a playoff spot is one of the most remarkable individual seasons in recent memory. He's essentially carrying Edmonton on his back. Kucherov and MacKinnon, by contrast, are doing their damage for teams that are genuine Cup contenders — making them arguably more valuable in context.

Five Biggest Storylines in the Standings Right Now

1. Buffalo's Drought Is Finally Ending

The Sabres' 14-year playoff drought — the longest in NHL history — is about to become a footnote. Since bottoming out at 11-14-4 on December 9, Buffalo has gone 29-5-2, the best record in the NHL over that stretch. Rasmus Dahlin is a Norris Trophy contender. Tage Thompson is back to being a dominant scorer. And head coach Lindy Ruff, who was behind the bench for their last playoff appearance in 2011, has built something special. Their playoff probability sits above 98%.

2. Colorado Is Building a Dynasty

The Avalanche aren't just favored to win the Presidents' Trophy — they're favored to win the Stanley Cup at a clip not seen since the dominant Tampa Bay teams of the early 2020s. Their trade deadline acquisition of Kadri adds another championship-tested center to a lineup that already features MacKinnon, Makar, and an absurdly deep forward group. Their 43.0% conference finals probability leads the West by a wide margin.

3. The Pacific Division Is Historically Weak

When your division leader has a negative goal differential, something has gone very wrong. The Pacific is sending teams to the playoffs by default — Anaheim, Vegas, and Edmonton are all in despite being outscored for much of the season. This creates fascinating first-round matchup implications, as Central Division powers will likely face severely overmatched Pacific opponents.

4. McDavid vs. the Playoff Bubble

Connor McDavid has 110 points — the most of any player this season — and the Edmonton Oilers are barely in the playoffs. That's the kind of individual-team disconnect that happens maybe once a decade. If Edmonton falls out of the postseason despite McDavid's historic season, it will be one of the biggest stories in hockey for years to come.

5. The Eastern Wild Card Race Is Unprecedented

Six teams within six points for two wild card spots. Detroit, Boston, Columbus, Philadelphia, the Islanders, and Ottawa are all alive. The final two weeks of the regular season will be some of the most consequential hockey these fan bases have seen in years. Columbus having games in hand makes them the scariest team in the bunch — if the Blue Jackets can stay hot, they could leapfrog Detroit and Boston entirely.

Key Dates for the NHL Playoff Push

• March 13, 2026 — Current standings snapshot (today)
• April 16, 2026 — Regular season finale
• April 18, 2026 — Stanley Cup Playoffs begin (Round 1)
• May 6, 2026 — Conference Semifinals projected start
• May 22, 2026 — Conference Finals projected start
• June 4, 2026 — Stanley Cup Finals projected start

Every team has between 16 and 19 games remaining. That's enough time for bubble teams to make a run — but not enough time for teams more than 8-10 points out to realistically recover. The playoff picture will look significantly different by April 1.

Projected Playoff Matchups (If Season Ended Today)

Eastern Conference

• (1) New York Rangers vs. (WC2) Boston Bruins
• (2) Buffalo Sabres vs. (3) Montreal Canadiens
• (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3) Carolina Hurricanes
• (WC1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (1) Tampa Bay Lightning

Western Conference

• (1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Edmonton Oilers
• (2) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Minnesota Wild
• (1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (WC1) Utah Mammoth
• (2) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (3) Edmonton Oilers

The most mouth-watering potential first-round matchup? Colorado vs. Edmonton. McDavid's Oilers against MacKinnon's Avalanche would be must-watch hockey — but Edmonton needs to hold onto that wild card spot first.

The Bottom Line

The 2025-26 NHL standings tell the story of a league in transition. Colorado is the undisputed best team in hockey. Buffalo is writing one of the greatest comeback stories in NHL history. The Pacific Division is the weakest it's been in decades. And the wild card races in both conferences are going to produce some of the most stressful hockey of the entire season over the next five weeks.

Bookmark this page. We will be updating these standings throughout the playoff push — because from now until April 16, every single point matters.