Honestly, looking at the NHL standings in mid-January is usually a recipe for a headache. You've got teams like the Colorado Avalanche playing like they’re in a video game on easy mode, while the traditional "safe" bets in the East are cannibalizing each other in a wild card race that feels more like a bar fight.
If the nhl if the playoffs started today scenario actually kicked in this afternoon, we’d be looking at some absolutely unhinged first-round matchups.
The Western Conference is basically the Colorado Invitational right now. Nathan MacKinnon is out here putting up Hart Trophy numbers—36 goals already—and the Avs have a points percentage of .822. That’s not just good; it’s historically dominant. But beneath them? Absolute chaos.
The Eastern Conference Bloodbath
If you’re a fan of a team in the Atlantic or Metropolitan divisions, my condolences to your blood pressure. The Carolina Hurricanes are currently sitting atop the Metro with 64 points, but they aren't exactly running away with it. The New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins are right there, separated by just a couple of points.
Here is what the Eastern bracket looks like if we dropped the puck for Game 1 tonight:
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- Carolina Hurricanes (M1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (WC2): This is a nightmare draw for Carolina. Buffalo has been scrappy all year, and the Sabres are currently holding onto that last spot by the skin of their teeth with 57 points.
- Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) vs. Boston Bruins (WC1): Yeah, because we definitely haven't seen this movie before. The Bruins are currently on a six-game winning streak. They are the "wild card" that nobody actually wants to play.
- Detroit Red Wings (A2) vs. Montreal Canadiens (A3): This might be the most "original six" nostalgia trip possible. Montreal has been the season's biggest surprise, led by a revitalized core that most experts picked to finish bottom-five.
- New York Islanders (M2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (M3): A classic rivalry. Sidney Crosby is still doing Crosby things, but Ilya Sorokin is leading the league in high-danger save percentage at .876. Good luck scoring on that.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently the "first team out," sitting just one point behind the Sabres. One point. Imagine the meltdown in Ontario if the season ended right now. It's that close.
Why the West is Colorado’s to Lose
In the West, the Avalanche are 33-5-8. Read those losses again. Five regulation losses in 46 games. It’s stupid.
But the Pacific Division is where things get weird. The Vegas Golden Knights have 60 points and are currently riding a seven-game heater. They’d be lined up to face the Utah Mammoth—formerly the Coyotes—who are holding the first Wild Card spot. It’s a cool story for Salt Lake City, but a first-round date with Vegas is a brutal reward for a good season.
The Edmonton Oilers are sitting in a comfortable-ish second spot in the Pacific. Connor McDavid has 83 points. He’s reaching speeds of 24.61 mph on the ice, which is faster than some speed limits in school zones. If the playoffs started today, they’d be facing the Seattle Kraken. Seattle has been inconsistent, but they have this annoying habit of making life miserable for high-octane offenses.
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Then you have the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. They are tied at 63 points in the Central. If they met in the 2/3 matchup, it would be a seven-game war of attrition. Both teams play a heavy, suffocating style that is built specifically for April, not January.
The Teams Currently Screaming Into the Void
What really matters in the nhl if the playoffs started today conversation isn't just who's in, but who's desperately clawing at the door.
The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers are currently on the outside looking in. For the Rangers, it’s a disaster. They have 48 points and are trailing the wild card pace by nearly double digits. Their "win-now" window looks like it might be getting slammed shut by a lack of secondary scoring and some shaky goaltending.
In the West, the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks are tied at 51 points. They are technically only a few points out of a spot, but they are chasing a Utah team that actually has a positive goal differential. It's a long climb.
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Stat Leaders Heading Into the "Postseason"
If we handed out awards based on today's standings:
- Art Ross: Connor McDavid (83 points).
- Rocket Richard: Nathan MacKinnon (36 goals).
- Vezina Favorite: Ilya Sorokin (Islanders).
- Calder Race: It’s a toss-up between Matthew Schaefer (Islanders) and Ivan Demidov (Canadiens).
What You Should Do Next
The standings are going to shift ten times before you finish your next cup of coffee. If you're tracking this for betting or just for the sake of your own sanity, focus on the "Games in Hand" column. The Lightning have only played 46 games, while the Red Wings have played 49. Those three extra games for Tampa are massive.
Watch the Metropolitan Division over the next two weeks. With the Rangers and Devils underperforming, there is a vacuum in the middle of that division. If a team like the Capitals or even the Blue Jackets (who have won four straight) stays hot, the entire "If the Playoffs Started Today" bracket gets tossed in the trash by February.
Keep an eye on the trade deadline rumors too. Teams like Toronto and New York are going to be desperate. Desperate teams make big, risky trades. That’s usually when the real playoff picture starts to crystallize.