Who will make the playoffs in the chase for the Stanley Cup? The 2025 NHL playoff picture knows all.
Among the questions we will track between now and the start of the playoffs are (1) Who will get in, (2) Will the Florida Panthers repeat as champions, and (3) What teams are still mathematically alive?
When Do the Stanley Cup Playoffs Begin, Anyway?
It is not clear at this time, but the postseason will most likely begin the weekend of April 19-20. The final games of the regular season will take place on Thursday, April 17 per the NHL.
2025 NHL Playoff Picture: Format
As it has been in the recent past, there are two conferences and two divisions per conference. In the Eastern Conference, they are the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions. In the Western Conference, they are the Central and Pacific Divisions.
The top three teams in each division qualify. In addition, the two teams with the most points, regardless of division, which were not in their respective top-threes will qualify as wild cards. This means eight teams per conference, for 16 playoff teams in total.
The division leader in each conference with the most points will play the wild card team with the fewest points; the other division leader will play the wild card team with the most points. The second and third-place teams in each division will play each other. For example, the division winner in the Atlantic will play a wild card team, and then Atlantic 2 and 3 will play one another. In the second round, the winners of each of those series will play each other, and then the conference finals will consist of the two teams to emerge from the two rounds of divisional playoffs.
2025 NHL Playoff Picture: As of April 1
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Playoff Picture Notes
April 1
The picture is getting clearer in the West. We are probably a few days out from several more playoff berths being clinched, starting with Vegas and then likely Colorado. There are now only four teams outside looking in who still have a mathematical chance.
Compare this to the East, where every single team is still alive as of today. Buffalo and Boston will probably be eliminated at some point this week. The second wild card, however, might come down to the final day of the season. Ottawa looks like they will make it as long as they don’t do anything stupid, but that second bid is a free-for-all. Including Montreal, who are in as of today, there are five teams within three points of that spot.
March 25
As of today, five Canadian teams are on track to make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs, which would be the most since the Covid super-playoffs in 2020, but there are still 10-13 games remaining for all of the teams in the league. Just one playoff berth is confirmed, and only two teams have been eliminated. This means there are 29 teams competing for 15 playoff spots. One week from now, it’s very possible that several more teams will be eliminated and will have clinched other spots. It will keep dwindling down until mid-April.
March 18
Washington has the best record in the league, surpassing Winnipeg.
The Rangers and Canucks are new entries into the wild card field, while Columbus and Calgary have dropped out in their respective conferences.
Just one team has been eliminated so far: San Jose.
March 11
Teams have about 18 games left on their schedule, plus or minus two. Nobody has been eliminated from playoff contention yet, but expect that to change in the next week or two. San Jose is almost mathematically unable to catch the second wild card; the gap between them would only need to grow by another eight points as of today. They will be the first to go, possibly followed by Chicago. It will be at least another couple weeks before any Eastern Conference teams are eliminated from contention.
There were a few changes to the picture from last week. Ottawa is back into the field while Detroit has fallen out in the East. Colorado and Minnesota traded places in the West. Four teams are within four points of the second Eastern wild card, but the number of games is beginning to dwindle.
March 4
Columbus has surged into playoff contention, from being out of the playoffs a week ago to the top Eastern Conference wild card. The battle for those two spots will be fierce, as there are four teams out of the picture but are within two points of the second wild card.
Calgary overtook Vancouver for the final spot in the Western Conference wild card since our last update, and there are three non-playoff teams within two points of that bid.
Washington and Winnipeg remain the leaders in their respective conferences.
February 25
The league was back to work after the break, and there has been a little bit of movement in the playoff picture. Division leads changed in the Atlantic (Florida to Toronto) and in the Pacific (Edmonton to Vegas). The order of the Eastern Conference wild cards changed as well.
The Eastern Conference has numerous teams right behind the two wild card berths, so those will likely be undecided until right before the end of the regular season.
February 18
No change since last week. The NHL is suspended at the moment as players participate in the Four Nations Face-Off. Play will resume on Saturday, February 22.
