NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2025 Bracket, Format and Updated Predictions

The NHL regular season is just days away from concluding, with the attention of the hockey world shifting to the postseason and which teams will compete for the Stanley Cup.

With two spots remaining in the Western Conference and one in the Eastern, find out which squads are still in contention for a postseason berth and which teams are already clinched with this look at the bracket, current standings, and a prediction for the Stanley Cup Finals.

The current Eastern Conference Playoff Standings are:

1. Washington Capitals-Z (109 points)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs-X (100 points)
3. Tampa Bay Lightning-X (98 points)
4. Carolina Hurricanes-X (97 points)
5. Florida Panthers-X (96 points)
6. Ottawa Senators-X (92 points)
7. New Jersey Devils-X (89 points)
8. Montreal Canadiens (87 points)
9. Columbus Blue Jackets (81 points)
10. New York Rangers (81 points)
11. Detroit Red Wings (81 points)
12. New York Islanders (79 points)
13. Pittsburgh Penguins-E (78 points)
14. Buffalo Sabres-E (76 points)
15. Philadelphia Flyers-E (73 points)
16. Boston Bruins-E (73 points)

Z (clinched conference); Y (clinched division); X (clinched playoff spot); E (eliminated from playoff contention)

The current Western Conference Playoff picture is:

1. Winnipeg Jets-X (112 points)
2. Dallas Stars-X (106 points)
3. Vegas Golden Knights-X (105 points)
4. Colorado Avalanche-X (100 points)
5. Los Angeles Kings-X (99 points)
6. Edmonton Oilers-X (97 points)
7. Minnesota Wild (93 points)
8. St. Louis Blues (93 points)
9. Calgary Flames (90 points)
10. Vancouver Canucks-E (87 points)
11. Utah Hockey Club-E (85 points)
12. Anaheim Ducks-E (78 points)
13. Seattle Kraken-E (74 points)
14. Nashville Predators-E (66 points)
15. Chicago Blackhawks-E (56 points)
16. San Jose Sharks-E (51 points)

X (clinched playoff spot); E (eliminated from playoff contention)

There are 16 teams across two conferences who will compete for the Stanley Cup in the 2025 NHL Playoffs. Each round features best-of-seven series, with home ice given to the higher-placed team in the regular season standings.

Per NHL.com, "the division winner with the best record in each conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record. The wild card team with the better record will play the other division winner" in the first round.

In the second round, "first round winners within each bracket play one another to determine the final four participants in the Conference Finals.

In the Conference and Stanley Cup Finals, "home-ice advantage goes to the team that had the better regular-season record, regardless of the teams' final standing in their respective divisions."

The Oilers are back in the NHL Playoffs following Friday's 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. The Stanley Cup runners-up have built momentum in the closing days of the regular season, thanks to the return of the best player in the game, Connor McDavid.

The three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner has seven assists in his two games since returning from a lower body injury, proving why he is the game's most elite player.

"He’s made a huge difference. He’s the best player in the world for a reason. He’s come in and looked like Connor McDavid and we don’t expect anything different. That’s who he is and that’s how he plays each and every night," forward Corey Perry said of his teammate after Friday's win.

The Oilers are now just two points out from the second-place spot in the Pacific Division, currently held by the Los Angeles Kings. Edmonton has three games left this season, including one against the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets and a season-ending rematch against the Sharks.

In between those games? A high-stakes showdown with the Kings that could prove the difference in a second and third place finish in the division.

In the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens are six points up on the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers for the eighth and final spot in the postseason.

Chasing the Stanley Cup that eluded them a season ago, the Oilers figure to be one of the teams to watch, even as they battle back from injuries that have plagued them throughout this season.

Despite better teams in Winnipeg and Dallas, the drive of the best player in the world and the renewed energy he has brought his team since his return bear watching. The Oilers are a Stanley Cup contender, if for no other reason than the taste they got of the top prize in hockey and the determination they have to actually win it this year.

A showdown against the Florida Panthers, a rematch from last year's final, is this writer's updated Stanley Cup prediction.