Updated 2025 NHL Playoff Picture, Bracket, Matchups After Jets Win Presidents' Trophy
For the first time in franchise history, the Winnipeg Jets have secured the Presidents' Trophy.
The Jets claimed the Presidents' Trophy thanks to the Washington Capitals' loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Now that Winnipeg has officially secured the most points this season, here's a look at the updated playoff picture with less than a week to go before the end of the regular season.
Eastern Conference
Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) v. Ottawa Senators (WC1)
Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) v. Florida Panthers (A3)
Washington Capitals (M1) v. Montreal Canadiens (WC2)
Carolina Hurricanes (M2) v. New Jersey Devils (M3)
Western Conference
Winnipeg Jets (C1) v. St. Louis Blues (WC2)
Dallas Stars (C2) v. Colorado Avalanche (C3)
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) v. Minnesota Wild (WC1)
Los Angeles Kings (P2) v. Edmonton Oilers (P3)
The Jets have been arguably the most complete team in the NHL this season, boasting the best goals allowed per game average (2.31) and the third-most goals per game (3.40) this year. They also capitalize on opportunities more than every other team, converting 29.2 percent of their power plays.
Now, Winnipeg is looking to continue that strong play in the postseason.
The Jets have been to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, but has never gotten over the hump of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Their best finish in franchise history remains their 2018 playoff run to the conference finals.
If there was ever a year to make a deep playoff run, it's this year. Winnipeg has been one of the best teams in the NHL all season and now has a Presidents' Trophy to show for it.
While the Presidents' Trophy is a tremendous feat, it's no indication of success in the playoffs. The last time a Presidents' Trophy winner went on to win a Stanley Cup was in 2013 when the Chicago Blackhawks did it.
The Jets will look to snap the recent cold streak for Presidents' Trophy winners.
Larry Lage of the Associated Press noted this will mark the first time in league history that the Original Six teams that are based in the United States—the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers—will all miss the playoffs.
Calvin de Haan Says 'It's F--ked' How He's Been Treated by Rangers Since Trade
Defenseman Calvin de Haan, whom the New York Rangers acquired from the Colorado Avalanche via trade earlier this season, has been scratched for the last 18 games and doesn't seem thrilled about it.
Mollie Walker of the New York Post noted de Haan said "something to the effect of, 'How about the way I've been treated here? It's f--ked,'" when walking past the media Sunday. He also said he would be "very transparent" about what he meant, although Walker pointed out he then said he will wait until the end of the season after discussing it with Rangers PR.
It didn't take long for de Haan to release a statement explaining he is "frustrated" and believes he "can still contribute and help teams win. I know I'm not going to play 20 minutes a night in the role I've been in the past few years , but again I feel like I can still keep up and help a team in certain facets of the game."
He also said, "I'm not trying to be the villain or gain attention or throw shade on the organization, I would have preferred a scrum setting to chat about how my time with the Rangers has gone. As a player you have to respect the lineup decisions whether you like them or not, it's just been frustrating not being able to compete and do what I love to do."
The trade in full saw New York land de Haan, Juuso Parssinen, a 2025 conditional second-round pick and a 2025 conditional fourth-round pick for Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and the rights to unsigned draft pick Hank Kempf.
It seemed like de Haan would provide usable depth to the blue line for New York considering he played 44 games for the Avalanche this season prior to the deal.
The journeyman also previously played for the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Hurricanes again and Tampa Bay Lightning before the Avalanche signed him to a one-year deal before the 2024-25 campaign.
New York is just 20th in the league in goals allowed per game (3.15), so it's not as if it has been dominant on defense and couldn't work de Haan into the lineup. It has also been eliminated from playoff contention so wouldn't be interrupting a dominant group with some lineup changes.
It is clear de Haan is frustrated with the situation, and it is a pretty straightforward assumption that he won't be re-signing with the Rangers in free agency during the upcoming offseason.
He is 34 years old and is no longer a significant offensive contributor from the blue line, so he likely won't command a big deal with any team. Still, he isn't far removed from posting a plus-minus number of plus-seven in 2022-23 for the Hurricanes and has appeared in 38 postseason games in his career.
Some other team may be interested in signing him and playing him far more than the Rangers have, which could lead to less frustration on his end with his next deal.
Blackhawks' Alec Martinez to Retire From NHL After 16 Seasons, Won 3 Stanley Cups
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez, who won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings and one with the Vegas Golden Knights, is retiring at the end of his 16th NHL season.
Martinez announced his upcoming retirement when speaking to CHSN's Darren Pang ahead of the Blackhawks' final home game of the season on Saturday night.
After playing the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, the Blackhawks will wrap up Martinez's final season with road games against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday and Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
Martinez joined the Blackhawks on a one-year contract last July.
Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings out of Miami University in 2007, he cracked the Kings' roster on a full-time basis in 2010-11.
Martinez went on to play in all 20 games of the 2012 playoffs as the Kings won the Stanley Cup over the New Jersey Devils.
He will best be remembered in Los Angeles for his role in helping the franchise win another championship two years later.
In double overtime of Game 5 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, with the Kings leading the series with the New York Rangers 3-1, Martinez scored the championship-clinching goal for the Kings by slamming Tyler Toffoli's rebound past Henrik Lundqvist.
Martinez was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in February 2020.
He went on to once more start every playoff game during a Stanley Cup run in 2023 as the Golden Knights advanced to defeat the Florida Panthers.
Martinez recently missed nine games with a hip injury before returning to the lineup for Saturday's game.
Pang pointed out that Martinez's parents were in the crowd at United Center for Saturday's game against the Jets.
“A lot of different emotions today, but just very thankful, very appreciative of a lot of people," Martinez told Pang ahead of the game. "My family, a lot of people who helped me, helped me along the way in this game, get here, once I got here.
"My wife, my son, my daughter that I’m going to have in about five days. I suppose I’ll have more time to reflect in the coming weeks, but just very thankful, very appreciative of a lot of different things and a lot of different people.”
Martinez has recorded five goals and seven assists in 43 games for Chicago this season. Heading into Saturday's game, he had registered 88 total goals and 201 total assists in 861 career regular-season games for the Kings, Golden Knights and Blackhawks.
Updated 2025 NHL Playoff Picture, Bracket, Matchups After Rangers Eliminated
For the second time in New York Rangers franchise history, the Blueshirts have gone from winning the President's Trophy to missing the playoffs in the span of a single season.
The Rangers were eliminated from 2025 postseason contention on Saturday with an 7-3 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Rangers previously saw a similar descent from Presidents' Trophy winner to non-playoff team between 1992 and 1993. The team then came back to win the Stanley Cup in 1994.
While the Rangers turn their attention toward rebuilding in hopes of a similar result in 2026, the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff picture is coming in to focus.
Here's a look at the projected NHL playoff matchups now that the Rangers are officially out of the picture.
Eastern Conference
Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) v. Ottawa Senators (WC1)
Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) v. Florida Panthers (A3)
Washington Capitals (M1) v. Montreal Canadiens (WC2)
Carolina Hurricanes (M2) v. New Jersey Devils (M3)
Western Conference
Winnipeg Jets (C1) v. St. Louis Blues (WC2)
Dallas Stars (C2) v. Colorado Avalanche (C3)
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) v. Minnesota Wild (WC1)
Los Angeles Kings (P2) v. Edmonton Oilers (P3)
The Rangers' weaknesses early in the season reportedly led to general manager Chris Drury sending a league-wide memo informing other teams his players were available for trades in November.
That was followed by the departures of Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko in December, the acquisition of JT Miller in January and the March trades of Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey.
Those changes weren't enough to account for the drop in production by Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider, two of the Rangers' top three scorers from last season.
The Rangers' power play similarly dropped off from the 2023-24 campaign. After ranking top-three in the NHL last season, it has been one of the least effective units in the league this campaign.
Igor Shesterkin has simultaneously come short of a Vezina caliber campaign, while New York's porous defense has left him on track to mark the lowest save percentage of his career.
The Rangers were considered a contender in 2024 largely because of their power play and goaltending.
Drury will need to address the Rangers' flaws at even strength, in addition to helping Shesterkin and the special teams return to their usual dominance, in order to get this team back in the playoff picture next spring.
The Eastern Conference playoff picture is meanwhile continuing to settle. The Ottawa Senators are pulling away from the Montreal Canadiens in the race for the top Wild Card spot, while the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning still each have a chance to clinch the top of the Atlantic.