Honestly, if you're trying to keep track of the NHL wild card race right now, you might need a whiteboard, three different colors of markers, and a very high tolerance for stress. It's January 14, 2026, and the standings look like someone dropped a deck of cards and just started taping them to the wall.
Remember when we thought the Atlantic was a done deal? Yeah, me too. But the Buffalo Sabres decided they weren't interested in golfing early this year. They've been on an absolute tear, winning 13 of their last 15 games. They basically woke up in December and chose violence. Now, they’re sitting right in the thick of a race that features about five teams separated by a single bad bounce.
The East is a Total Meat Grinder
Right now, the Eastern Conference wild card situation is basically a bar fight. You’ve got the Toronto Maple Leafs holding onto a spot with 53 points after 46 games, but their 10-game point streak just got snapped by—of all teams—the Utah Mammoth. That 6-1 blowout in Salt Lake City was a wake-up call. If Toronto thinks they can coast into April, they’re dreaming.
Behind them, it’s a pile-up. The Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres are all sitting on 52 points. Washington has played 47 games, while Buffalo has only played 44. Those games in hand are the only reason Sabres fans aren't vibrating out of their seats yet.
- Washington Capitals: 52 points (47 GP) – Alex Ovechkin is still out there doing Ovechkin things, but they’ve been shaky lately, going 4-5-1 in their last ten.
- Boston Bruins: 54 points (47 GP) – Jeremy Swayman is the only reason they’re still in this. He just posted back-to-back shutouts. Without him, they’d be toast.
- Buffalo Sabres: 52 points (44 GP) – Tage Thompson is nearing the 200-goal mark and looks like a man possessed.
And don't look now, but the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers are lurking with 52 and 51 points respectively. It’s the kind of race where one Tuesday night loss in Columbus can drop you from "safe" to "selling at the deadline."
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Out West, Utah is Making People Nervous
The Western Conference NHL wild card race has its own brand of weirdness. The big story today is the Utah Mammoth. They just dominated the Leafs and moved into a wild card spot with 50 points. Dylan Guenther is officially a star. He hit 50 career goals for the franchise and has six goals since the calendar flipped to 2026. Only Auston Matthews has more in that span.
Utah is currently tied with the Seattle Kraken at 50 points, but Seattle has played three fewer games. That's a huge cushion. Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks (49 points) and Los Angeles Kings (48 points) are right there.
Wait, did I just say the Sharks? Yeah. Macklin Celebrini is basically a cheat code. He’s third in the league in scoring with 70 points as a rookie. Seeing San Jose in a playoff hunt in 2026 feels like a fever dream, but here we are.
The Mid-Tier Logjam
The Nashville Predators are also sitting at 48 points. Roman Josi just scored a massive overtime winner against the Oilers. That win was huge because Edmonton is currently the team everyone is trying to chase down for the final Pacific spot. If Edmonton stays hot, the wild card becomes the only door open for teams like Nashville or LA.
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What Most Fans Are Getting Wrong About the Points
People love looking at the "Points" column and calling it a day. That’s a mistake. You’ve gotta look at the Regulation Wins (RW). If the season ended today, the Capitals would actually have the edge over the Sabres and Bruins because they have 24 regulation wins compared to Buffalo’s 21.
Also, watch the schedule. The Philadelphia Flyers are a great example of a team that isn't "out of it" but is playing a dangerous game. They’ve been humbled lately—getting outscored 12-3 by Tampa Bay in two games—but they haven't lost three straight in regulation yet. Rick Tocchet has them playing a style that's hard to beat, even if they aren't the most talented roster on paper.
Survival of the Healthiest
As we head toward the Olympic break in February, fatigue is going to be the silent killer. Connor McDavid is on a 20-game point streak, but the Oilers are leaning on him hard. If he or Nathan MacKinnon (who has 81 points in 45 games) misses even a week, those teams could slide.
In the wild card hunt, depth matters more than stars. The teams that can roll four lines without getting caved in—like Seattle or even Utah lately—are the ones that usually survive this January slog.
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Real Talk: Who Actually Makes It?
If I’m betting, I’m taking the Sabres to grab one of the East spots. Their underlying numbers are just too good to ignore. In the West, it’s a toss-up between Utah’s youthful energy and the veteran experience of Nashville. Josi looks like he’s 25 again, and you can never count out a team with Juuse Saros in net.
Actionable Steps for the Home Stretch
If you want to stay ahead of the curve while tracking the NHL wild card race, don't just check the scores. Do these three things:
- Track the "Games in Hand": A team that is two points back but has three games in hand is actually in the driver's seat. Buffalo and Seattle are the ones to watch here.
- Monitor the Olympic Break Factor: Players going to Milano Cortina 2026 are going to be gassed. Teams with fewer Olympians might actually have an advantage in late February.
- Check Regulation Wins (RW): This is the first tiebreaker. A team that wins a lot in shootouts (looking at you, Philly and Minnesota) is at a disadvantage if they finish tied in points.
Keep an eye on the schedule for tomorrow. The Flyers vs. Sabres game is basically a four-point swing. If Buffalo wins that, they jump into a much safer position. If Philly steals it, the Atlantic gets even messier. This is the best time of the year for hockey fans, even if it's the worst for our blood pressure.