NHL playoff watch: What's at stake in each Monday matchup

The 2025-26 NHL regular season is approaching its final day, and for many of the teams playing on Monday, their fate vis-a-vis the postseason has been sealed — whether with a playoff spot, or a guaranteed entry into the 2026 NHL draft lottery taking place on May 5.

But, there are many seeds that have yet to be locked in ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs beginning on ESPN this Saturday, and the draft lottery order has yet to be finalized as well.

So without any further preamble, let’s get to what’s at stake in each of Monday’s 10 games:

Editor’s Picks

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Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Lightning remain in the thick of the battle for the top seed in the Atlantic Division, which would earn a matchup with the Bruins or Senators in Round 1. If they finish second or third, they’ll take on the Sabres or Canadiens. All three teams have either 104 or 106 points, and the Sabres have an edge by one in the regulation wins column. Detroit was eliminated from postseason possibilities with a loss to the Devils on Saturday, and their first-round pick belongs to the Blues. Currently that pick is 14th overall, but these last two games (and the draft lottery) will determine where it ultimately lands.

New York Rangers at Florida Panthers7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Speaking of the draft lottery, the Rangers moved up into third with the Flames’ win on Sunday (based on tiebreakers). However, that is as high as they can get, as the Blackhawks have 70 points (to the Rangers’ 75) with two games left. The Panthers are seventh in the draft lottery order with two games to go, one back of the Kraken and two back of the Maple Leafs in fifth.

Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Unsurprisingly, the Hurricanes have locked in yet another Metro Division title, and are closing in on clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference. A win of any kind or an overtime/shootout loss gets it done. The Flyers, surprisingly, charged their way into a playoff spot in recent weeks. A win for them of any variety clinches their spot in the playoffs, and a first-round series against the Penguins. An OT/shootout loss knocks out the Blue Jackets. A regulation loss for Philly makes the Capitals-Blue Jackets game on Tuesday very interesting, and makes the Flyers’ game against the Canadiens a must-win.

Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Dallas is locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Central Division, with home-ice advantage against the Wild in Round 1; based on what we saw in the two teams’ matchup last week, this is going to be a great series! The Maple Leafs are in a captivating spot; their 2026 first-round pick will be shipping up to Boston… unless it lands in the Top 5. They are currently fifth in the draft lottery order, so if nothing changes (and no teams jump into the first five picks due to the lottery), they keep it. If they earn some points with wins or OT/shootout losses down the stretch, they might lose it. (And Maple Leafs fans might “lose it,” too.)

Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Wild are locked in as the No. 3 seed, skating against the Stars in Round 1, and don’t have a shot to break their franchise record in points, either; the current title holder there is the 2021-22 team that racked up 113. The Blues are right in the middle of the draft lottery order right now, in eighth position with 80 points and 30 regulation wins; based on their final three games — and those of the teams near them — they can finish as high in the lottery order as fifth, or as low as 11th.

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San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Sharks have very little wiggle room to make a courageous run into the playoffs. In order to land ahead of the Kings and Predators, they either need five points in their final three games with L.A. and Nashville getting none in its final slate; or, three wins in three games if Nashville or L.A. subsequently loses one of its final two games in OT/shootout. They’ll control their own fate here against the Preds, but the Kings play the three worst teams in the Pacific in their final three. With 86 points banked, the Predators have a slightly better shot to earn the wild card, but again… L.A. faces Seattle, Calgary and Vancouver.

Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Sabres are currently top dog in the Atlantic, and control their own destiny in staying there. On the other side, the Blackhawks are locked in to the No. 2 position in the draft lottery order, meaning they will pick no worse than No. 4 overall in June’s first round.

Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Avs clinched the Presidents’ Trophy — and home-ice advantage as long as they remain in the playoffs — last week, and will skate against the Western Conference’s second wild card (L.A., Nashville, San Jose or Winnipeg). The Oilers dropped out of the top spot in the Pacific over the weekend, but can get back on top if they make up one point on the Golden Knights, as they hold the regulation wins tiebreaker.

Los Angeles Kings at Seattle Kraken9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Despite some shakiness earlier this season, the Kings have put the pedal to the metal in recent play, going 6-1-3 in their last 10 to take control of the second wild card in the West. A win here eliminates both the Jets and the Sharks — what a West Side story that would be — and if Nashville loses in regulation to San Jose, the wild-card spot would be clinched for L.A. If not, the Kings get another chance to clinch on Tuesday, against the Canucks.

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Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Jets are in a similar spot to the Sharks when it comes to making a run into the playoffs; they need to win here and then a lot of help elsewhere to pull it off. The Golden Knights are heating up at the right time, and are undefeated in regulation since hiring John Tortorella to replace Bruce Cassidy. A win here combined with an Oilers’ loss to the Avalanche would clinch the Pacific; if both of those things don’t happen, we’ll have to wait until Wednesday (and maybe Thursday) to learn the identity of the division champ.

Every team has three or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes on Thursday, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:Current playoff matchupsToday’s scheduleLast night’s scoresExpanded standingsRace for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Buffalo Sabres vs. WC1 Boston BruinsA2 Montreal Canadiens vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning

M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa SenatorsM2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers

Western Conference

C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Los Angeles KingsC2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild

P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Utah MammothP2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Anaheim Ducks

Today’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.New York Rangers at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers, 9:30 p.m.Los Angeles Kings at Seattle Kraken, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.

Last night’s scoreboard

Washington Capitals 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 0Montreal Canadiens 4, New York Islanders 1Boston Bruins 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2New Jersey Devils 4, Ottawa Senators 3 (OT)Vancouver Canucks 4, Anaheim Ducks 3 (OT)Calgary Flames 4, Utah Mammoth 1

Expanded standings

Note: An “x” with a team’s name means the club has clinched a playoff spot; a “y” means that they have clinched the division; a “z” indicates that they have clinched the best record in the conference; a “p” means they have clinched the top overall seed. An “e” means that the club has been mathematically eliminated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic number reaches zero and are mathematically eliminated when their tragic number reaches zero.

Atlantic Division

Enhanced standings: Atlantic Division

TeamGPPTSRWSeedGRNext GameChancesPaceMaxTragicNumberMagicNumberx – Sabres8010641A12@ CHI (Mon)100.0109110N/AINx – Canadiens8110634A21@ PHI (Tues)100.0107108N/AINx – Lightning8010440A32vs. DET (Mon)100.0107108N/AINx – Bruins819832WC11vs. NJ (Tues)100.099100N/AINx – Senators819737WC21vs. TOR (Weds)100.09899N/AINe – Red Wings809130N/A2@ TB (Mon)0.09395OUTN/Ae – Panthers808030N/A2vs. NYR (Mon)0.08284OUTN/Ae – Maple Leafs807823N/A2vs. DAL (Mon)0.08082OUTN/A

Nick Suzuki lights the lamp

Metro Division

Enhanced standings: Metropolitan Division

TeamGPPTSRWSeedGRNext GameChancesPaceMaxTragicNumberMagicNumbery – Hurricanes8011038M12@ PHI (Mon)100.0113114N/AINx – Penguins819834M21@ STL (Tues)100.099100N/AINFlyers809426M32vs. CAR (Mon)78.39698N/A2Capitals819336N/A1@ CBJ (Tues)14.294952N/ABlue Jackets819228N/A1vs. WSH (Tues)7.593941N/Ae – Islanders819129N/A1vs. CAR (Tues)0.09293OUTN/Ae – Devils818729N/A1@ BOS (Tues)0.08889OUTN/Ae – Rangers807524N/A2@ FLA (Mon)0.07779OUTN/A

Nico Hischier scores in OT to give Devils the win

Nico Hischier tallies goal for New Jersey Devils on the power play

Central Division

Enhanced standings: Central Division

TeamGPPTSRWSeedGRNext GameChancesPaceMaxTragicNumberMagicNumberp – Avalanche7911546C13@ EDM (Mon)100.0119121N/AINx – Stars8010837C22@ TOR (Mon)100.0111112N/AINx – Wild8010230C32@ STL (Mon)100.0105106N/AINx – Mammoth809032WC12vs. WPG (Tues)100.09294N/AINPredators808628N/A2vs. SJ (Mon)11.488904N/AJets798228N/A3@ VGK (Mon)0.185882N/Ae – Blues798030N/A3vs. MIN (Mon)0.08386OUTN/Ae – Blackhawks807021N/A2vs. BUF (Mon)0.07274OUTN/A

Lawson Crouse lights the lamp

Lawson Crouse nets goal for Mammoth

Pacific Division

Enhanced standings: Pacific Division

TeamGPPTSRWSeedGRNext GameChancesPaceMaxTragicNumberMagicNumberx – Golden Knights809128P12vs. WPG (Mon)100.09395N/AINx – Oilers809031P22vs. COL (Mon)100.09294N/AINDucks809025P32@ MIN (Tues)99.99294N/A1Kings798721WC23@ SEA (Mon)88.69093N/A3Sharks798225N/A3vs. SJ (Mon)0.185882N/Ae – Kraken797926N/A3vs. LA (Mon)0.08285OUTN/Ae – Flames807526N/A2vs. COL (Tues)0.07779OUTN/Ae – Canucks805615N/A2vs. LA (Tues)0.05760OUTN/A

Marco Rossi wins it in OT for Canucks

Marco Rossi wins it in OT for Canucks.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Atop draft boards for this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward for Penn State.