Who wants to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Eastern Conference? The Ottawa Senators are settled into Wild Card 1 in the Eastern Conference, but it is a five-team race for the one spot in the East. Right now, it seems that nobody wants the final wild card spot.
The race for 8th in the East is begging for a team to take control.
Record in last 10 games:
8. Habs (75 pts), 3-3-4
9. NYI (74 pts), 4-3-3
10. NYR (74 pts), 3-6-1
11. CBJ (73 pts), 2-7-1
12. Detroit (72 pts), 3-7-0— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 28, 2025
The NHL Will Benefit with the Montreal Canadiens Making the Stanley Cup Playoffs
As you can see, the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Islanders are in a leapfrog game for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
8. Montréal Canadiens (77pts) 34-30-9 (4-3-3)
9. New York Rangers (77pts) 35-32-7 (4-5-1)
10. Columbus Blue Jackets (75pts) 33-30-9 (3-6-1)
11. Detroit Red Wings (74pts) 34-33-6 (4-6-0)
12. New York Islanders (74pts) 32-31-10 (3-4-3)
The standings vary from night to night. Sometimes, it feels like the teams that are battling for the final wild card are saying to one another, “You take it, no, you take, no, you take,” because at times, none of the teams really want to take control and grab that spot.
Does anyone want the final wildcard spot in the East? #cbj #isles #lgrw #nyr #gohabsgo
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) March 30, 2025
While the hockey community is joking about who wants the final wild card spot, there is a similar vibe to the end of last season when it felt like the teams battling did not want the final spot either. But all jokes aside, when we think a team is starting to pull away and control their own destiny, they just slide right back into the pile of teams battling for that final spot.
WHO WILL TAKE THE FINAL WILD CARD SPOT IN THE EAST?
When you look at the schedules for the five teams in the playoff hunt in the East to grab that final wild card spot, you notice over the next five games that the Canadiens, Red Wings, Islanders and Blue Jackets all have games in hand on the Rangers. However, it is important to win those games. And if you look at the strength of schedule and factor in divisions, the Montreal Canadiens control their own destiny to get in.
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Montreal Canadiens
As we have written at NHLRumors.com, the Montreal Canadiens control their own destiny. It is important for the Original Six teams to get into the playoffs. Many would say the same thing about the other Original Six teams listed. However, the Canadiens have a great record inside the Atlantic Division, 15-6-0. Over their next five games, they play three Atlantic Division opponents along with Nashville and Philadelphia. Montreal has positioned itself best to make the playoffs. If the Canadiens get in, they could be like the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-17, where they take the series longer than they should because it is their first time there.
New York Rangers
The Rangers have the toughest task of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the East. For a brief moment, they had wildcard 2. New York has one of the toughest schedules remaining. Not to mention they have given away so many free points this season. After starting the season pretty well, the Rangers dug themselves a hole. But because the bottom of the conference is not that strong, the Rangers have hung around. If the Rangers could ever get their acts together, they could get in and have the goalie in Round 1, making it very difficult for the Washington Capitals.
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Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have the ninth-toughest schedule to close the season out. They had a nice little run through the Outdoor Game, and then it came crashing back to Earth over losing to the New Jersey Devils twice, along with the Florida teams and going on a long losing streak. The Jackets were not supposed to be in this position this year, unlike the Canadiens, who were supposed to be playing meaningful hockey. Columbus is the feel-good story if they get in.
Detroit Red Wings
If the Detroit Red Wings make the playoffs, it is because they are supposed to make it. They have the toughest schedule remaining. With the Ottawa Senators taking the next step this season, many wondered if the Red Wings could do it. The coaching change definitely helped the club find their game under Todd McLellan. However, a long-gated losing streak has put the Red Wings behind the eight-ball again. They just missed last year because of tie-breakers. Now they just might miss because the teams in front of them found a way to win the games they were supposed to and not lose against bad teams.
New York Islanders
As far as the New York Islanders go, losers of four straight, the clock is ticking on their season. It is a tough road ahead for the Islanders as well. New York has the eighth hardest strength of schedule. The Islanders dropped a game to Columbus that had controversy along with back to back loses to Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes in between a loss to the Vancouver Canucks. It was a long shot to get in anyway after trading away Brock Nelson. But there were the Islanders fighting away. But the hourglass is slowly shrinking in terms of their chances of getting in.
Again, these standings and predictions could change in a week, not even a day. Which team really wants to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs and earn the final wild card spot? Right now, nobody does, but one team has to.
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