NHL Playoff Spots Are Locked, but Draft Lottery Drama Is Just Getting Started

April 15 is tax day, which means you probably have some paperwork staring you down. But if you're an NHL fan, there's something way more interesting happening on the ice. It's the penultimate day of the 2025-26 regular season, and while we already know which 16 teams are heading to the postseason, not every playoff seeding and draft lottery position is officially locked in yet. Wednesday's six games are the last chance for some teams to move the needle before the final day wraps up.

The Playoff Picture Is Basically Set

Ten teams have already finished their seasons, including seven of the eight teams in the Metro Division. That means the postseason field is pretty much carved in stone at this point. But here's the thing: the NHL draft lottery is still being decided, and that's where the real action is happening on Wednesday. Teams battling for lottery position are fighting just as hard as the ones chasing playoff spots, because a higher pick could change the trajectory of a franchise.

What's Actually on the Line

The Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres are playing a rematch of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT, but neither team has anything to gain in terms of playoff seeding. The Stars are locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Central Division, and the Sabres just clinched the Atlantic Division title. It's basically bragging rights at this point.

The New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+) have a different situation. With Montreal's loss on Tuesday, the Lightning are now locked in as the higher seed in their opening-round matchup with the Canadiens. For the Rangers, though, their draft lottery position is still in flux. They're currently sitting at No. 3, but a win here could drop them to No. 4, depending on how the Flames finish on Thursday.

Detroit and Florida (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+) are both out of the postseason picture. The Panthers are taking a well-earned break after three straight trips to the Cup Final and two championships. The Red Wings are still stuck in what's now the NHL's longest postseason drought, with their last playoff appearance back in 2016. Florida is currently eighth in the draft lottery order, and their first-round pick goes to Chicago if it falls outside the top 10. Detroit's first-rounder heads to St. Louis no matter what.

Toronto and Ottawa (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+) were fighting for wild card positioning before the Bruins ended their season on Tuesday. Now the Senators are locked in as the second wild card, setting up an opening-round matchup with the Hurricanes.

The 2025-26 season's final day is Thursday. Make sure you're paying attention to how these lottery positions shake out.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.