Going over teams that have clinched 2023 NHL playoff berth

The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs will get going on Monday, April 17 with the first round. The standings remain tight in both the Eastern and Western Conference but we’re getting close to having the full field for the playoffs. Here we’ll take a look at which teams have clinched a spot in both the East and West.

Note: * denotes teams that have clinched a berth.

2023 NHL playoffs

Eastern Conference teams

Atlantic Division

*No. 1 Boston Bruins — 133 points
*No. 2 Toronto Maple Leafs — 109 points
*No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning — 96 points

Metropolitan Division

*No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes — 111 points
*No. 2 New Jersey Devils — 110 points
*No. 3 New York Rangers — 107 points

Wild Card

*WC1 New York Islanders — 93 points
*WC2 Florida Panthers — 92 points

Pittsburgh Penguins — 90 points
Buffalo Sabres — 87 points

Update — The Islanders are the latest team to clinch and the last, rounding out the Eastern Conference playoff field. Now it’s really just down to seeding for the last two days of the NHL regular season. If the Panthers defeat the Hurricanes on Thursday, they’ll face Carolina in the first round so long as the Devils don’t win. That would pit the Isles against the top-seeded Bruins in the first round.

Update — The Panthers clinched with the Penguins loss to the Blackhawks on Tuesday night. Pittsburgh now needs to win the season finale and the Islanders have to lose their finale. If the Isles win their final game, they’re in. Florida can finish at either wild card spot.

The East is down to four teams with two spots with 1-2 games left for each team. The Penguins control their own destiny. If Pittsburgh wins the final two games, the Pens are in. The Sabres need help from either the Penguins, Islanders or Panthers to get in. Buffalo is the only team still in contention that has three games remaining. The Panthers can get in if the Penguins or Sabres lose in any fashion.

Western Conference teams

Central Division

*No. 1 Dallas Stars — 106 points
*No. 2 Colorado Avalanche — 105 points
*No. 3 Minnesota Wild — 102 points

Pacific Division

*No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights — 109 points
*No. 2 Edmonton Oilers — 107 points
*No. 3 Los Angeles Kings — 102 points

Wild Card

*WC1 Seattle Kraken — 100 points
*WC2 Winnipeg Jets — 95 points

Nashville Predators — 90 points

Update — The Jets clinch the final spot into the playoffs from the Western Conference with a win over the Wild on Tuesday night. The Jets are locked into the second WC spot and will face whoever finishes with the most points in the conference, which could be the Knights, Avs or Oilers.

The Predators would need to win out and hope the Jets lose out in the final two games. Interestingly enough, both teams final two opponents are the Wild and Avalanche, both teams also vying for position in the Central. The Kraken can catch the Kings with two games left but that means facing the Oilers or Golden Knights. Seattle could view that as a better scenario than facing the winner of the Central (Avalanche, Stars).