NHL playoff watch: The Flyers' path to the postseason

Whether the Philadelphia Flyers make the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, there will be a number of positive takeaways from this season, particularly the play of new additions Dan Vladar and Trevor Zegras.

But Flyers fans would certainly be a lot more happy if they do earn a spot in the postseason bracket.

Can they still get there?

Philly enters play Friday two points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final wild-card position in the East, three points behind the New York Islanders for the No. 3 seed in the Metro, and six points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for No. 2. The good news is they skate against the Isles on Friday (7 p.m. ET, NHL Network); the bad news is this is the Flyers' final game against any of those teams.

After Friday's matchup, Philly plays six more games, three of which are against current playoff teams (Boston, Carolina, Montreal), and one of which is against another wild-card contender, Detroit.

It will be a tough road, and Stathletes gives the Flyers a 27.7% chance to pull it off, projecting them to finish with 94.8 points, 1.3 points behind the projected total of the wild-card winning Senators.

Every team has eight or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes April 16, and we'll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch every day. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races -- along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Last night's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC1 Boston Bruins
A2 Buffalo Sabres vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens

M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators
M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 New York Islanders

Western Conference

C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 San Jose Sharks
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild

P1 Anaheim Ducks vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights

Today's games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. (NHLN)
St. Louis Blues at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.

Last night's scoreboard

Ottawa Senators 4, Buffalo Sabres 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 3
Florida Panthers 2, Boston Bruins 1
Montreal Canadiens 3, New York Rangers 2
Detroit Red Wings 4, Philadelphia Flyers 2
Carolina Hurricanes 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 1
New Jersey Devils 7, Washington Capitals 3
Dallas Stars 3, Winnipeg Jets 0
Minnesota Wild 5, Vancouver Canucks 2
Edmonton Oilers 3, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Vegas Golden Knights 6, Calgary Flames 3
San Jose Sharks 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Utah Mammoth 6, Seattle Kraken 2 5, 4 (SO)

Expanded standings

Note: An "x" with a team's name means the club has clinched a playoff spot. An "e" means that the club has been mathematically eliminated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic number reaches zero, and are mathematically eliminated when their tragic number reaches zero.

Atlantic Division

Metro Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Atop draft boards for this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward for Penn State.

*Note: The Maple Leafs' pick belongs to the Bruins, unless it lands in the top five.