The NHL is in the home stretch of the 2023-24 regular season. That means playoff races are heating up atop divisions and on the wild card bubble.
Throughout this final week, every point will be crucial as teams battle for playoff positioning. Fans will have their eyes glued to the scoreboard and the standings for the next two weeks.
The playoff picture may change on a nightly basis, so CBS Sports has you covered with our NHL playoff race tracker. It’ll be updated daily to show where each playoff hopeful stands as the postseason gets closer and closer.
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. Florida Panthers | 52-24-6 | 110 points
Points percentage: .671
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 49
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Despite having some rough patches down the stretch, the Panthers finished the regular season strong and captured the Atlantic Division title. Now they’re locked into a first-round matchup with the Lightning when the postseason gets underway.
2. Boston Bruins | 47-20-15 | 109 points
Points percentage: .665
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus overtime wins: 43
Current first-round matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs
The Bruins dropped three of their last four games, and ended up coughing up the Atlantic Division. Now the Bruins will take on the Maple Leafs in what could be a very entertaining opening-round series.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs | 46-26-10 | 102 points
Points percentage: .622
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Florida Panthers
The Maple Leafs have been the third team in the Atlantic Division for most of the season and are entrenched in that spot. Auston Matthews saw his eight-game goal streak snapped in Monday’s loss to the Panthers, and Toronto has lost its final four regular season games.
Metropolitan Division
1. New York Rangers | 55-23-4 | 114 points
Points percentage: .695
Regulation wins: 43
Regulation plus overtime wins: 51
Current first-round matchup: Washington Capitals
The Rangers clinched the Metropolitan Division, home-ice advantage throughout the postseason, and the Presidents’ Trophy with a win over the Senators on Monday. It marks the fourth time in franchise history the Rangers have captured the Presidents’ Trophy.
2. Carolina Hurricanes | 52-23-7 | 111 points
Points percentage: .677
Regulation wins: 44
Regulation plus overtime wins: 50
Current first-round matchup: New York Islanders
The Hurricanes are playing their best hockey as the regular season winds down thanks to winning five of their last six games. Carolina is looking into an opening-round matchup against the Islanders.
3. New York Islanders | 39-27-16 | 94 points
Points percentage: .573
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
The Islanders officially cemented themselves as the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division with a win against the Devils earlier this week. They’ll be facing the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round for the second consecutive season.
Wild card
WC1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 45-29-8 | 98 points
Points percentage: .598
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins
The Lightning are likely the team that no one wants to face in the opening round of the postseason. Tampa Bay is firmly in the East’s top Wild Card spot, and it will face the Bruins or Panthers in the opening round.
WC2. Washington Capitals | 40-31-11 | 91 points
Points percentage: .555
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: New York Rangers
The Capitals controlled their own destiny and were able to defeat the Flyers to clinch the East’s No. 2 Wild Card spot on Tuesday. It was a gutsy effort over the season’s final month, and now the Capitals will take on the Rangers.
Western Conference playoff picture
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars | 52-21-9 | 113 points
Points percentage: .689
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
The Stars were idle on Monday, but saw their Presidents’ Trophy dreams slip away with a Rangers victory. Still, Dallas did manage to earn the West’s top seed with a win against the Blues on Wednesday.
2. Winnipeg Jets | 51-24-6 | 108 points
Points percentage: .667
Regulation wins: 45
Regulation plus overtime wins: 51
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
All of a sudden, the Jets have racked up seven consecutive victories and leapfrogged the Avalanche for second place in the Central Division. Winnipeg has outscored Dallas and Colorado 10-0 in two of their last three wins.
3. Colorado Avalanche | 49-25-7 | 105 points
Points percentage: .648
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: Winnipeg Jets
The Avalanche have struggled mightily as of late with four losses in their last five games. On Sunday, the Avalanche blew a 3-0 third-period lead and lost in overtime to the Golden Knights.
Pacific Division
1. Vancouver Canucks | 50-22-9 | 109 points
Points percentage: .673
Regulation wins: 44
Regulation plus overtime wins: 50
Current first-round matchup: Nashville Predators
The Canucks have won the Pacific Division, and it marks the franchise’s first division title since the 2012-13 campaign. Vancouver will face off with Nashville in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2. Edmonton Oilers | 49-26-6 | 104 points
Points percentage: .642
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
The Oilers are going to be the second seed in the Pacific Division. Connor McDavid returned to the ice on Monday and clinched the fourth 100-assist season in NHL history.
3. Vegas Golden Knights | 45-28-8 | 98 points
Points percentage: .605
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus overtime wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
The Golden Knights are still alive in the Pacific Division after getting in the win column in each of their last two games. A win over the Blackhawks on Tuesday allowed them to leapfrog the Kings for the No. 3 spot in the Pacific Division with one game to go for each team.
Wild card
WC1. Nashville Predators | 47-30-5 | 99 points
Points percentage: .604
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Vancouver Canucks
The Predators lost their regular-season finale against the Penguins, but it didn’t really matter. Nashville will be the West’s top Wild Card team when the postseason begins.
WC2. Los Angeles Kings | 43-27-11 | 97 points
Points percentage: .599
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus overtime wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
The Golden Knights could earn the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division with one game to play for each team. The Kings will need to beat the Blackhawks, while the Golden Knights will need to fall against the Ducks on the final day of the regular season if Los Angeles wants to avoid facing the Stars.
