2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Get to know the favorites and what to watch for
The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are not far away, with the first series set to begin on Saturday, April 18. WEST: Central Division rivals Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota are in, with the top-seeded Avalanche on track to win the Presidents' Trophy and ensure home ice throughout the playoffs. The Sabres ended their NHL record 14-year postseason drought.
The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are not far away, with the first series set to begin on Saturday, April 18. The league is on track for the biggest postseason turnover in history, with the potential for half the field — eight of the 16 spots — to be teams that did not qualify a year ago. There will be a new champion and no three-peat after the Florida Panthers were derailed by injuries following three consecutive trips to the final.
The regular season runs through Thursday, April 16, a day after Eastern Conference teams wrap up. Who's in the playoffs WEST: Central Division rivals Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota are in, with the top-seeded Avalanche on track to win the Presidents' Trophy and ensure home ice throughout the playoffs. Five spots remain open.
EAST: Carolina, the Metropolitan Division champion, is in along with Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Montreal in the Atlantic Division . The Sabres ended their NHL record 14-year postseason drought. Five spots remain open.
The matchups The top three teams in each of the four divisions division make the playoffs. The other four spots go to the next two highest-placed teams in each conference, regardless of division. The teams with the best record in each conference open against the wild-card team with the worst record; the other wild-card plays the other division winner.