What’s at Stake in the NHL: Full playoff picture will be decided tonight
Welcome to the April leg of the 2023-24 NHL regular season. At this point in the calendar, the stakes are elevated. We’re starting to see teams clinch playoff spots. Players are hitting milestones. There’s seemingly something on the line every night.
So what’s at stake during the six-game slate of action on Thursday, April 18 as the regular season wraps up?
– The top (bottom?) seven spots, plus slots 10 and 11, for the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery are locked into place, with the San Jose Sharks leading the way with a 25.5 percent shot at Macklin Celebrini. The No. 8 and No. 9 spots will be decided Thursday. The Seattle Kraken (33-35-13) and Calgary Flames (37-39-5) are tied in points. The Flames have the ROW tiebreaker, meaning they have to net at least one fewer point than Seattle tonight to secure the higher lottery position. If the Kraken lose in regulation, they secure the eighth position.
– The Vegas Golden Knights (45-28-8) will clinch the No. 3 Pacific Division seed and book a matchup with the Edmonton Oilers if (a) the Golden Knights defeat the Anaheim Ducks, (b) the Los Angeles Kings lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in regulation or (b) the Golden Knights tally at least a point and the Kings get one point or fewer.
– The Kings (43-27-11) jump up to the third Pacific seed and knock Vegas into the second Western Wildcard spot if (a) the Kings win and the Golden Knights lose or (b) the Kings get at least a point and the Golden Knights lose in regulation.
– Reminder: If the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon suits up Thursday against the Oilers, he needs one point to tie Peter Stastny’s franchise single-season record of 139 points and can break it with two points.
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