What’s at Stake in the NHL: Canucks can clinch last overall
Welcome to the home stretch of the 2025-26 NHL season. This deep into the schedule, something significant is on the line virtually every day, whether it’s a playoff spot, division title to clinch or a major individual milestone. At Daily Faceoff, we’re breaking down what you need to know every day between now and the end of the season April 16.
So what’s at stake across the three-game slate for Wednesday, April 1?
– The Colorado Avalanche (49-14-10) can clinch home-ice advantage in Round 1 of the playoffs with a home win over the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night.
– With a loss of any kind to Colorado, the Canucks (21-44-8) will clinch last overall in the NHL standings and the top Draft Lottery odds at 25.5 percent.
– The Los Angeles Kings (29-26-18) and St. Louis Blues (31-31-11) lock horns in a matchup with major Western Conference Wildcard implications. The Kings trail the Nashville Predators by one point for the last playoff spot with a game in hand, while the Blues, in the midst of a late-season surge for the second consecutive season, are four back of the Preds with a game in hand.
– The idle Minnesota Wild (41-21-12) clinch a playoff berth if the Blues beat the Kings in any fashion OR if the Ducks beat the Sharks in regulation.
– Major tilt in the Pacific Division as the San Jose Sharks (34-31-7) host the Anaheim Ducks (41-28-5). A win would pull San Jose even with Nashville for the final West Wildcard position, and the Sharks enter tonight with two games in hand. Meanwhile, the Ducks are trying to widen their lead on the Edmonton Oilers for first in the Pacific. The Ducks will have to fly without rising star right winger Cutter Gauthier, who suffered an upper-body injury Monday and is expected to miss give or take a couple games.
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