The NHL regular season is over, with 16 teams knowing their first round playoff opponent and the remaining 16 knowing their draft lottery odds.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche wrapped up the Central Division title on the final day with a victory against the Nashville Predators, while the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Buffalo Sabres and improved their odds of getting the No. 1 overall pick and generational talent Connor Bedard. The record-setting Boston Bruins have the top overall seed while the Vegas Golden Knights are tops in the West.
USA TODAY Sports is here with everything you need to know about the NHL postseason, including when the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final are scheduled to start:
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NHL POSTSEASON:2023 Stanley Cup playoffs first round schedule
(complete standings can be found here. p-clinched Presidents’ Trophy, x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title)
Metropolitan Division
y-Carolina Hurricanes
x-New Jersey Devils
x-New York Rangers
Atlantic Division
p-Boston Bruins
x-Toronto Maple Leafs
x-Tampa Bay Lightning
Wild cards
x-New York Islanders
x-Florida Panthers
Out of the playoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins
Buffalo Sabres
Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings
Washington Capitals
Philadelphia Flyers
Montreal Canadiens
Columbus Blue Jackets
Central Division
y-Colorado Avalanche
x-Dallas Stars
x-Minnesota Wild
Pacific Division
y-Vegas Golden Knights
x-Edmonton Oilers
x-Los Angeles Kings
Wild card
x-Seattle Kraken
x-Winnipeg Jets
Out of the playoffs
Calgary Flames
Nashville Predators
Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
Arizona Coyotes
San Jose Sharks
Chicago Blackhawks
Anaheim Ducks
Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers
Western Conference playoff bracket
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
They’re scheduled to begin on Monday, April 17. ESPN, ABC, TNT and TBS will broadcast the games in the United States.
The scheduled starting date is June 3, though that’s subject to change. TNT will air the games in the United States.
The Colorado Avalanche won for the first time since 2001. They defeated the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
CONNOR BEDARD WATCH:Which NHL team has best draft lottery odds?
The NHL draft is June 28 (first round) and June 29 (Rounds 2-7) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The NHL draft lottery will be held at 7 p.m. ET on May 8 among the 16 non-playoff teams. Teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the two drawings. Only the bottom 11 teams will have a chance to draft Bedard at No. 1 overall. The Regina (Saskatchewan) Pats center led the Western Hockey League during the regular season with 143 points and 71 goals in 57 games and had 20 points in seven games as the Pats lost their first-round series. The Ducks finished last and have 25.5% draft lottery odds to end up with the top pick, followed by the Blue Jackets (13.5%) and Blackhawks (11.5%).
