There are less than 10 days left in the NHL regular season, and much is left to be decided. Some playoff spots are still up for grabs and seeding for the playoffs as a whole is yet to be decided, including home-ice advantage in some cases.
There are also the individual races coming down to the wire along with the pursuit of certain milestones. Some of these milestones haven’t been seen in a few decades now.
Related – NHL Playoff Clinching Scenarios & Player Milestones – 4/9/24
Playoff Spots Up for Grabs, Matchups to Be Decided
Two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference are there for the taking along with three spots over in the Western Conference.
In the East, four Atlantic Division teams have secured a chance to fight for the Stanley Cup, including all three top spots in the standings and a wild card:
- Boston Bruins, 107 points (top three)
- Florida Panthers, 102 points (top three)
- Toronto Maple Leafs, 99 points (top three)
- Tampa Bay Lightning, 93 points (wild card)
In the Metropolitan Division, the New York Rangers (110 points) and Carolina Hurricanes (105 points) have secured being first or second in the division with the third-place team trailing by 20 points. However, the third place spot is wide open with four teams within two points of each other:
- New York Islanders, 85 points, currently third place
- Pittsburgh Penguins, 84 points, last team out
- Washington Capitals, 84 points
- Philadelphia Flyers, 83 points
While one of these teams is guaranteed a spot, the wild card has no guarantees with the Detroit Red Wings (84 points) currently in possession of the second wild-card spot. The Penguins are technically tied for the spot, but the Red Wings have a game in hand.
In the Western Conference, the Central Division’s top three teams are virtually decided.
- Dallas Stars, 107 points
- Colorado Avalanche, 102 points
- Winnipeg Jets, 100 points
The Pacific Division has two teams safely in the top two, including the Canucks who have been there nearly all season and the Edmonton Oilers who came roaring back from their atrocious start.
- Vancouver Canucks, 104 points
- Edmonton Oilers, 99 points
However, the wild-card spots have yet to be secured and third place in the Pacific Division is also un-clinched. The Los Angeles Kings (93 points) hold a one-point lead for third place over the defending-Stanley-Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights (92 points), who hold the second wild card spot in the conference. The Nashville Predators hold the first wild card. The St. Louis Blues, with 87 points, are the only team left on the outside looking that truly has a shot to still make the playoffs. The Minnesota Wild have 83 points and are nine points out. Magic could happen, but it’s unlikely.
Wild Card situation in Western Conference:
- Nashville Predators, 94 points, first wild card
- Vegas Golden Knights (92 points), second wild card
- St. Louis Blues, 87 points, last team out
- Minnesota Wild, 83 points
So, while the West officially has more stops available, it’s way closer to being wrapped up than the East.
Once the dust settles, we’ll be able to get a better idea of playoff matchups, none of which have been determined yet. In the meantime, here’s what they would look like if the playoffs started today. Some matchups should look very familiar to longtime followers.
New York Rangers (M1) vs Detroit Red Wings (WC2)
Boston Bruins (A1) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (WC1)
Florida Panthers (A2) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)
Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs New York Islanders (M3)
Dallas Stars (C1) vs Vegas Golden Knights (WC2)
Vancouver Canucks (W1) vs Nashville Predators (WC1)
Colorado Avalanche (C2) vs Winnipeg Jets (C3)
Edmonton Oilers (C2) vs Los Angeles Kings (C3)
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Presidents’ Trophy, Conference Crowns, and Division Winners
Staying on the topic of seeding, nobody has yet to be crowned the champion of their division and in turn their conference or the league.
The Rangers currently lead the way for the Presidents’ Trophy, topping the Eastern Conference and the Metropolitan . But the Hurricanes, who are only five points back, could still find a way to swipe up all three. However, even then, the Bruins, the current leader of the Atlantic, are sitting between both teams for the Eastern Crown.
The Panthers still have a shot to win the Atlantic being only five back from the Bruins, but anything else is a long shot.
In the West, the conference comes down to three teams: the Stars, Canucks, and Avalanche. The Canucks have the Pacific secured, but the Stars and Avalanche need to decide the Central and the West.
The Presidents’ Trophy has five teams with six points of taking it home: The Rangers, Stars, Bruins, Hurricanes, and Canucks. Is it worth going after this trophy? Fans would say no, as the last Presidents’ Trophy winner to win it all is the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. But that’s not how players think.
Art Ross, Richard, and Historic Milestones
The Art Ross Trophy race still consists of the same two names we’ve seen all season long plus one relatively recent addition. Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL with 136 points, followed by Nathan MacKinnon with 133 and Connor McDavid with 130.
Naturally, McDavid, who won the previous three Art Ross Trophies decided a fourth straight sounds pretty good. However, Kucherov and MacKinnon have managed to stay ahead with both holding the lead at some point. No lead is safe, especially when any of these guys could have a three-point game any given night.
Then there’s Auston Matthews. He has a 12-goal lead for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy – that’s safe. However, the importance here is his final tally. Matthews has 65 goals with five games remaining and nobody has scored 70 goals since the 1992-93 season, more 30 years. Matthews would be the ninth player ever to score 70 should he get there.
Buckle up. There’s still lot left to be decided with little road left.