The plan was for me to talk about a first round playoff preview, but at time of writing, the Edmonton Oilers first round matchup is still very much in the air. So, instead I’m going to talk about just how crazy this playoff race is, particularly in the Pacific Division.
It’s an incredibly rare thing to have one game left and still have so much left up for grabs. Nearly every matchup is still possible. With how bad the Pacific Division is this year, it seems a little crazy that they are allowed to play each other in the first round, as opposed to having to play a team that dominated the league.
That is due to the crazy playoff structure the NHL currently employs.
Current Stanley Cup playoff structure
This year the Pacific Division is one of the worst the NHL has ever seen. The current division leaders, the Vegas Golden Knights, are 13th in the league. The Washington Capitals currently sit 12th and yet will not make the playoffs this year. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Kings are 20th and are in a playoff spot.
This seems like a perfect example of why the NHL should switch the playoff format away from a division-based structure to a conference or league-based structure. I personally am sick of seeing the Oilers face the Kings in the first round every single year (that could still happen this year, for the fifth time in a row). I know for damn sure the Kings are sick of that.
Recently there has been a loud call from fans to return to the 1v8 conference system. This is where the eight best teams from each conference make the playoffs each year. The first seed plays the eighth, the second seed plays the seventh, and so on. This is essentially what the NHL did from 1993–94 till 2012–13. That actually wouldn’t change who makes the playoffs this year (and it’s extremely unlikely it would ever do so), but it would make a huge difference in the matchups. The Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild are going to play each other in the first round this year despite being two of the better teams in the league.
On the other hand, if the NHL were to adopt some sort of league-based system, where the top 16 teams make it into the playoffs, there would be quite a few changes in who makes the playoffs. Three teams from the East would make it while three teams from the west would be bumped. The problem then is do you have the first seeded team play the 16th? That was already a possibility in the 1v8 conference based system the NHL used to embrace. Admittedly, it might no be the most entertaining matchup.
How bad the Pacific Division currently is
Nevertheless the NHL is still running with the division-based, wild card system, presumably to keep the first round competitive and to foster rivalries. This is what has happened with Edmonton and Los Angeles. It’s interesting to see just how bad the Pacific Division is though. The teams of the Pacific Division have an average of 82.125 points. Let’s see how far back we’d have to go in order to find the last time a division was that bad. The answer is quite as bad as I thought it would be.
The last time a division averaged as badly as the Pacific, that division was called the Southeast Division. I need not explain that it doesn’t exist anymore. This was in the 2003–04 season. The division consisted, in descending order, of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals. They averaged only 77.8 points. Since this division only consisted of five teams it’s actually easier for them to have average lower, but they also averaged almost 4.5 points less.
Playoff possibilities for the 2026 playoffs
Never in my life can I remember each playoff team in a division having only one game yet to play while having so many possibilities still open. There is still a way for Edmonton to play Utah, Los Angeles, and Anaheim in the first round. Here are the pathways:
If Edmonton wins their last game and Vegas loses, Edmonton will play Utah who have the first wild card spot locked up.
Assuming Edmonton holds second in the division (either Edmonton and Vegas both win or they both lose their last game), and Anaheim holds onto third position (Anaheim and L.A. both win or both lose, or only Anaheim wins), Edmonton will play Anaheim.
If Edmonton holds onto second, but L.A. wins and Anaheim loses, then Edmonton will play L.A.
I don’t write this so you can understand (this will probably be sorted out by the time you’re reading it); I only write this to illustrate how convoluted the standings can be and are with only one game left to play.
Who would you like to see the Oilers play in the first round of the playoffs this year? Let us know in the comments.
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