Which teams have the best shot at locking up a spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs? Who’s earning a better chance at the No. 1 overall pick?
Here are the latest projections for both, along with critical matchups to watch today.
Updated March 9.
Skip ahead: Playoff projections | Current matchups
Lose for Hughes standings | Tragic numbers
Playoff picture
Playoff chance projections are from Money Puck, Sports Club Stats and Dom Luszczyszyn at The Athletic. Click through to the sites to learn more about their methodology.
Playoff teams in action today
Note: All times ET. Playoff teams in bold.
St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks, 4 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. (streaming on ESPN+)
Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers, 7 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m. (streaming on ESPN+)
Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. (streaming on ESPN+)
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic No. 1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (WC No. 2)
Boston Bruins (Atlantic No. 2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Atlantic No. 3)
Washington Capitals (Metro No. 1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (WC No. 1)
New York Islanders (Metro No. 2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Metro No. 3)
Western Conference
Winnipeg Jets (Central No. 1) vs. Dallas Stars (WC No. 1)
Nashville Predators (Central No. 2) vs. St. Louis Blues (Central No. 3)
Calgary Flames (Pacific No. 1) vs. Minnesota Wild (WC No. 2)
San Jose Sharks (Pacific No. 2) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific No. 3)
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order at the top of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. However, whoever does win the draft lottery has a chance to select the next generational American forward, Jack Hughes.
Find out more about Hughes here, and be sure to read up on the rest of the top 50 draft prospects. There’s also a table of every team’s picks in the 2019 draft and Chris Peters’ first mock draft of the season, from Feb. 19.
Note: Percent chances listed are using the percentages from the 2018 NHL draft lottery. The NHL will release a new set of exact percentages after the regular season ends, and those figures will be similar. Ottawa’s first-round pick belongs to Colorado; Columbus’ first-round pick belongs to Ottawa.
Tragic numbers
Teams currently in position for a wild card are denoted as such. Tragic numbers are courtesy of Damian Echevarrieta. Teams are eliminated when their tragic number hits zero, and will be denoted with an “E” in the table.
Lottery teams in action today
Note: All times ET. Lottery teams in bold.
Buffalo Sabres at Colorado Avalanche, 3 p.m. (streaming on ESPN+)
Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers, 7 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m. (streaming on ESPN+)
Los Angeles Kings at Arizona Coyotes, 8 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. (streaming on ESPN+)