The time has come; the NHL is back into the swing of things. The season has begun and there have already been some interesting differences from last season’s standings.

With each team only playing somewhere right around seven games, it is surely way too soon to be making any sort of predictions for what is to come regarding the playoff picture for the end of this season. There is still plenty of time and a bunch of exciting games until the season closers in mid-April.

The challenge I have given myself is to put forth a possible playoff prediction that may be fairly accurate or terribly far off from the real thing. Some of these teams are no brainers, but others may be coming from way outside many viewers’ ideas of what even makes a good team suitable for playoff contention.

Western Conference Wild Card Spots

In the WC2 spot I have the Seattle Kraken. The Kraken are seen by many as a bottom-five team in the league. They are very overshadowed by powerhouses in their division. I think this year, the Kraken push themselves beyond what is expected and just squeak into the last playoff spot on the Western side.

For WC1 I decided on the Minnesota Wild. This team as WC1 last year, and I just see them producing the same results as what they did the season prior. Overall, the Wild are good well-rounded team with assets like Kirill Kaprizov leading the guys on the ice.

Central Division Top 3 (West)

Coming in at number 3 in the Central standings I am predicting the Winnipeg Jets. Coming off an incredible 24-25 season, this Jets team sets their eyes on another President’s Trophy, achieving the best regular season record. I do think they will fall a bit short this year compared to last, but these boys are still in good shape to make a comfortable playoff appearance.

Meeting the Jets in the first round, I chose the Dallas Stars as number 2 in the Central division. This team ended last season in this exact same position last year. The Stars started the season with three wins shortly followed up by three losses. I think that the Stars can start improving with some of their key players and try to make a run for a good playoff spot.

In the number 1 position in the Central division, I think the Colorado Avalanche will come out on top. The Avalanche have had early success, racking up a solid twelve points in only the first seven games. The Avalanche have had a series of above average season recently and I see this upcoming one to be yet another successful try.

Pacific Division Top 3 (West)

Starting off in the Pacific division top three I have the Las Angeles Kings sliding into the Pacific number 3 spot. The Kings have hovered around this same position the past few seasons and they show no signs of that changing. With a below-average start to the season, the Kings will surely have some work to put in if they want to prove themselves as top playoff contenders.

Coming in at the Pacific division number 2 spot is the Edmonton Oilers. I predict that the Oilers will meet the Kings once again in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the past four seasons (possibly now five) these two teams have met in this same position in the playoffs. I do think that the Oilers are a slightly better team which makes me think that they will come into this second spot in the Pacific rather than the third.

Finishing at the top of the Pacific is the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the number 1 spot. Vegas has proven time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with. Even though they are one of the newest additions to the league, they have been making a significant impact by outperforming many teams in their first few seasons. If this VGK team can continue to do what they do best, I think they can easily come out on top with a top spot in the Western Conference.

Eastern Conference Wild Card Spots 

Just sliding into the playoffs on the Eastern side of things I have the Montreal Canadiens in the WC2 spot. This team pulled a similar stunt last year by outlasting the Blue Jackets and Red Wings to push into the WC2 position. I think this Canadiens team is the sneaky one that will pull away with a playoff appearance.

In the WC1 position, I think the New York Rangers will appear. To last year’s surprise the Rangers fell short of a playoff spot, ending their season with the others. I think the Rangers will be hungry for revenge and win some crucial games that will bring them back to live in the playoff conversation.

Atlantic Division Top 3 (East)

At the Atlantic number 3 slot I have the Detroit Red Wings. This is another team that fell just short of the postseason competition last year. With a promising 5-2-0 start to the season, the Red Wings may have a better look down the road than many may think.

Showing up in the Atlantic number 2 position is the Florida Panthers. It is no surprise that this Florida team is pictured here in the playoffs. With such a dominant core of players, even the downfalls concerning injuries may only tanking them a seed or two in the playoff scene. I still definitely see these Panthers making a healthy run through the postseason.

Wrapping up the Atlantic Division is the Toronto Maple Leafs at the number 1 spot. The Leafs have had a strong string of playoff appearances in the past couple of years. I think that this year could be a breakout year for Toronto and they could soar into the top spot for the Atlantic Division.

Metropolitan Division Top 3 (East)

Fitting in the number 3 spot of the Metro Division is the Washington Capitals. This Washington team has shown great offensive success with Alex Ovechkin taking over the all-time career scoring record. Being the runners up from the regular season last year, I think this team is in one of the best positions to have a shot at making the playoffs.

With the number 2 pick in the Metro Division, I have the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are off to the races already this season. They have easily one of the best starting records at 6-1-0. There are playing a strong game overall and having them in my playoff predictions has to be a no brainer.

Finally, closing out the predictions is the Carolina Hurricanes as my number 1 pick in the Metro Division. The Canes have just been such a trustworthy team for the past couple years. They consistently have good regular season play, and they are big talk going into the 25-26 season. The Canes started the season 5-0-0 making them the longest lasting undefeated team in the league this year. If the Hurricanes can continue that kind of success, I believe they can be the number one overall spot in this Eastern Conference.

The 2025-2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are not for another few months, but it’s never too early to set up a good prediction of a playoff picture. With over 75 more games to play for each team, there is so much more regular season hockey to be watched before the exciting frenzy on ice we see in the playoffs.

I am looking forward to watching these teams succeed this year as I root for a strong playoff lineup filled with a bunch of my correct picks.