NHL 1-16 Playoff Format 2026 — What Would the Bracket Look Like?

What Would the NHL Playoffs Look Like With a 1-16 Format?

With less than a week left in the regular season, the NHL's conference-based playoff format is producing some eyebrow-raising results. We ran the numbers so you don't have to.

The Current Picture

Right now, this Western Conference team holds a playoff spot despite a points total that wouldn't make the cut in a 1-16 format:

Anaheim Ducks — 87 pts (7th West)

Meanwhile, these three Eastern Conference teams are watching from home:

Columbus Blue Jackets — 90 pts (9th East)
Detroit Red Wings — 89 pts (10th East)
NY Islanders — 89 pts (11th East)

The Anaheim Ducks have 87 points and a playoff spot. The Washington Capitals have 87 points and a tee time. Same points. Different conferences. Different fates.

What a 1-16 Format Would Look Like

Under a pure 1-16 seeding — best 16 records regardless of conference — here's the bracket:

Colorado Avalanche (112 pts)
Carolina Hurricanes (106 pts)
Dallas Stars (104 pts)
Montreal Canadiens (102 pts)
Buffalo Sabres (102 pts)
Tampa Bay Lightning (102 pts)
Minnesota Wild (102 pts)
Boston Bruins (96 pts)
Pittsburgh Penguins (96 pts)
Ottawa Senators (92 pts)
Philadelphia Flyers (92 pts)
Columbus Blue Jackets (90 pts)
Detroit Red Wings (89 pts)
NY Islanders (89 pts)
Vegas Golden Knights (88 pts)
Utah Mammoth (88 pts)

Gone: Anaheim Ducks. In: Columbus, Detroit, NY Islanders.

Edmonton (88 pts) makes the 1-16 cut on tiebreaker over Anaheim (87). The East would send 10 teams. The West would send 6.

The Tradeoffs

For 1-16: Pure meritocracy. Best records rewarded. A team with 89 points shouldn't miss the playoffs because another team in a weaker conference has 87.

Against 1-16: Travel logistics, conference rivalries, scheduling complexity. Though the NHL already uses a 2-3-2 format for long-distance series — a Florida/Edmonton matchup isn't uncharted territory. These are professional athletes who routinely play through injuries across grueling 82-game seasons.

The counterargument to the counterargument: The West dominated for a decade. Parity cycles. This year's imbalance may look completely different next year.

The Question We're Not Answering

Is the current format fair? Is 1-16 better? We're not here to tell you.

What we can tell you is that right now, today, three teams with more points than a current playoff team are going home. What you think about that is up to you.

What's your take?

Standings data current as of April 8, 2026. See our NHL picks page for daily AI-powered picks tracked with verified accuracy.