The NHL regular season is wrapping up with the campaign set to conclude on April 17. As a result, that means that playoff races are really heating up atop the divisions and for the wild card spots.
During the final month of the campaign, every point will loom large as teams contend for playoff seeding. Fans are going to be keeping a close eye on the standings over the next three weeks leading up to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With their win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, the Winnipeg Jets joined the Capitals as the only NHL teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Washington holds a one-point edge over Winnipeg in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.
The playoff picture will likely change on a daily basis, so CBS Sports will have you covered with our NHL playoff race tracker. It will be updated daily to show where each potential playoff team sits in the standings as the postseason draws near.
Reminder: Here’s how the NHL playoff seeding works
- The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
- Each conference has two wild-card spots.
- The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
- The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.
*Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker, and regulation plus overtime wins are the second tiebreaker. Shootout wins are not counted in regulation plus overtime wins.
Eastern Conference playoff picture
Atlantic Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 43-25-3 | 89 points
Points percentage: .627
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators
2. Florida Panthers | 43-25-3 | 89 points
Points percentage: .627
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Tampa Bay Lightning | 41-25-5 | 87 points
Points percentage: .613
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Florida Panthers
Metropolitan Division
1. Washington Capitals | 47-15-9 | 103 points
Points percentage: .725
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
2. Carolina Hurricanes | 43-24-4 | 90 points
Points percentage: .634
Regulation wins: 44
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: New Jersey Devils
3. New Jersey Devils | 37-28-7 | 81 points
Points percentage: .563
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
Wild Card
WC1. Ottawa Senators | 37-28-5 | 79 points
Points percentage: .564
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus overtime wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs
WC2. Montreal Canadiens | 33-28-9 | 75 points
Points percentage: .536
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31
Current first-round matchup: Washington Capitals
New York Islanders | 32-28-10 | 74 points
Points percentage: .529
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus overtime wins: 30
New York Rangers | 34-32-6 | 74 points
Points percentage: .514
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus overtime wins: 33
Columbus Blue Jackets | 32-29-9 | 73 points
Points percentage: .521
Regulation wins: 23
Regulation plus overtime wins: 27
Detroit Red Wings | 33-32-6 | 72 points
Points percentage: .507
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus overtime wins: 30
Boston Bruins | 30-33-9 | 69 points
Points percentage: .479
Regulation wins: 23
Regulation plus overtime wins: 30
Pittsburgh Penguins | 29-33-11 | 69 points
Points percentage: .473
Regulation wins: 20
Regulation plus overtime wins: 28
Western Conference playoff picture
Central Division
1. Winnipeg Jets | 49-19-4 | 102 points
Points percentage: .708
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: St. Louis Blues
2. Dallas Stars | 45-21-4 | 94 points
Points percentage: .671
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus overtime wins: 43
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
3. Colorado Avalanche | 44-25-3 | 91 points
Points percentage: .632
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 43-20-8 | 94 points
Points percentage: .662
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
2. Los Angeles Kings | 40-29-9 | 89 points
Points percentage: .636
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
3. Edmonton Oilers | 41-24-5 | 87 points
Points percentage: .621
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus overtime wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
Wild Card
WC1. Minnesota Wild | 40-27-5 | 85 points
Points percentage: .590
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
WC2. St. Louis Blues | 38-28-7 | 83 points
Points percentage: .568
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus overtime wins: 34
Current first-round matchup: Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Flames | 34-25-11 | 79 points
Points percentage: .564
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31
Vancouver Canucks | 33-26-12 | 78 points
Points percentage: .549
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus overtime wins: 30
Utah Hockey Club | 32-28-11 | 75 points
Points percentage: .528
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31
As the 2025 NHL season heats up, fans are eagerly tracking the playoff race to see which teams will secure a spot in the postseason. With two spots already secured in each conference, the competition is fierce as teams battle it out on the ice.
In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins have already clinched their spots in the playoffs. The Maple Leafs have been dominant this season, led by star players Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The Bruins, on the other hand, have relied on their veteran leadership and solid defensive play to secure their spot in the postseason.
In the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights have punched their tickets to the playoffs. The Avalanche have been one of the top teams in the league all season, with MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon leading the way. The Golden Knights, meanwhile, have relied on their depth and balanced scoring to secure their spot in the postseason.
As the regular season winds down, teams are jockeying for position in the standings in hopes of securing a spot in the playoffs. The race is tight, with several teams still in contention for the remaining spots in each conference.
In the Eastern Conference, teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers are all fighting for playoff positioning. In the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and St. Louis Blues are all battling it out for a spot in the postseason.
With only a few games left in the regular season, every point is crucial as teams look to secure their spot in the playoffs. Fans can expect plenty of exciting hockey in the coming weeks as teams give it their all to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Stay tuned as we continue to track the 2025 NHL playoff race and see which teams come out on top.
