2024 NHL Playoff Bracket: Seedings, Round 1 Matchups & Schedule

NHL Playoff Bracket updated in real-time.

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, with 16 teams battling it out for hockey’s ultimate prize.

The image above displays the 2024 NHL Playoff bracket and will be updated in real-time each night. The Vancouver Canucks currently occupy the top seed in the Western Conference, while the New York Rangers are No.1 in the Eastern Conference.

You’ll find much more NHL playoff information on this page below, including NHL playoff matchups and the NHL Playoff schedule. The only thing we don’t have here are NHL playoff odds. You can jump to a specific section using the links below:

NHL Playoff Picture | NHL Playoff Matchups | NHL Playoff Schedule | NHL Playoff FAQs

NHL Playoff Picture

The New York Rangers are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference NHL standings with 98 points. The Rangers are on track to face the Washington Capitals in Round 1 of the postseason, where they will aim to avoid a first-round upset for the second straight year.

In the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks are surprisingly atop the standings with 98 points through 57 games. It’s a different story in the Stanley Cup odds, however, as the surging Colorado Avalanche have the best odds to win Lord Stanley out of any team from the West.

NHL Playoff Matchups

NHL Playoff Matchups as of Mar. 26, 2024.

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If the NHL Playoffs Started Today

If the NHL Playoffs started today, there would be no shortage of intriguing Round 1 matchups in the 2024 NHL Playoff bracket. The Eastern Conference would feature the “Battle of Florida”, with the No. 2 Florida Panthers and No. 6 Tampa Bay Lightning renewing their rivalry in a seven-game series.

Round 1 of the NHL playoffs in the Western Conference would be highlighted by a matchup between the No. 1 Vancouver Canucks and No. 8 Vegas Golden Knights. These two teams met in Round 2 of the 2020 NHL playoffs, with Vegas prevailing in seven games.

NHL Playoff Schedule

The NHL 2024 Stanley Cup Final Playoffs will begin on Monday, April 20th and will conclude on Monday, June 17th (at the latest). You can view the NHL schedule for today (and beyond) below.

It’s important to note that the original start date of the 2024 NHL Playoffs was Monday, April 22nd, but the NHL has confirmed the playoffs will instead begin on Saturday, April 20th, 2024. That is just two days after the conclusion of the NHL regular season.

How is the NHL Playoff Bracket Set up?

With the NHL playoff structure reverted to its regular format, this is how the seeding will work. There are eight teams from both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference that will make it to the postseason.

The Eastern Conference will have the top three teams from the Metropolitan Division and Atlantic Division, along with two wild-card spots. The Western Conference playoff schedule will feature the top three teams from both the Pacific and Central Division, along with the two best teams outside of those six as the wild cards.

The top two seeds in each division in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will play the Wild Card teams in Round 1. Meanwhile, the other #2 and #3 seeds in each division will play each other in the first round. A team may be ahead of another team in regular-season points but could be in a Wild Card spot because all three teams in their division are ahead of them.

How Many Teams Make the NHL Playoffs?

16 total teams make the Stanley Cup playoffs, eight from the East and eight from the West. Most teams will play a seven-game series against a team from their division.

No team has clinched a spot in the NHL playoff bracket yet, and four teams have officially been eliminated from postseason contention. Last season, the first team to clinch a playoff spot was the Boston Bruins on March 11th, 2023.

NHL Teams Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Three NHL Western Conference teams, the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks, have been eliminated from playoff contention. At least for Chicago, phenom Connor Bedard remains the favorite in the Calder Trophy odds.

How Long Do The Stanley Cup Playoffs Last?

The Stanley Cup Playoffs last an average of 57 days. In the 2022 NHL Playoffs, the postseason began on May 2nd, 2022 and finished on June 26th, 2022 (56 days). Based on the average length, the 2023 NHL Playoffs will approximately conclude on June 13, 2023.

How long the Stanley Cup Playoffs last is ultimately dependent on the number of games played. If every series goes to a Game 7, there would be a maximum number of 105 total games played. On the other hand, if every series is a sweep, there would be only 60 total games played. The average amount of games played in an NHL playoff is 86.

Best Promos for Betting On NHL Playoffs

If you’re on the hunt for good sports betting promos to use for the NHL playoffs, then we’ve got you covered.

Hit the links in the left side of the table to get more details on each of these top-notch NHL playoff betting promo codes. The exclusive links on the right-hand side of the table will take you to each sports betting site to sign up, with our best promo code automatically applied to unlock each bonus offer.

The Carolina Hurricanes are sure to make some noise this postseason, which is great news with the recent launch of online sports betting in North Carolina. Bettors living in the Tar Heel state can now wager on their favorite teams!

NHL Playoff Bracket FAQs