What’s at Stake in the NHL: Celebrini, McDavid make their Hart Trophy bids

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 8?

– No playoff berths are mathematically on the line Wednesday in the East, but the schedule features some important contests. The Buffalo Sabres (47-23-8) sit in a three-way tie for the Atlantic Division lead with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens at 102 points, with 78 games played apiece. A point tonight against the New York Rangers pushes Buffalo into sole possession of first.

– The Rangers (33-36-9) and Toronto Maple Leafs (32-31-14) don’t face each other tonight but might be watching each other’s scores. The Rangers own the NHL’s fourth-lowest point total at 75, tied with the Seattle Kraken to round out the bottom five. The Leafs are seventh-worst at 78, and they need to stop accumulating points if they want any chance of falling into the bottom five and guaranteeing protection for the 2026 first-pick that goes to the Boston Bruins if the Leafs finish sixth-worst or better and fail to win the Draft Lottery.

– Washington Capitals (39-30-9) would also love a Leafs loss tonight as the two teams face off. The Caps are five points out of a playoff spot – five back of the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference Wild Card and five back of the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Metropolitan Division – and while a regulation loss tonight won’t mathematically eliminate the Caps, it would put them on the brink tomorrow.

– Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini will make their Hart Trophy cases as the Edmonton Oilers (39-29-10) visit the San Jose Sharks (37-32-7) in a key Pacific Division battle. The Oilers are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for first in the division, while the Sharks sit three points back of the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference Wildcard position.

– Evan Bouchard needs just one point to become the second Edmonton Oilers defenseman with 90 in a season, joining Paul Coffey.

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PRESENTED BY STAKE