NHL playoff standings update: Wild, Jets continue battle for Central Division spots
-
Tim KavanaghESPN.com
Both the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets appear to be on their way to the postseason. FiveThirtyEight projects the Wild’s playoff chances at 93%, with the Jets’ at 65%.
Amid quite a bit of chaos in the Western Conference playoff race, these two clubs from the prairie could well be the ones facing off as the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds representing the Central Division in the first round.
Tonight’s matchup (7:30 p.m. ET, available via NHL Power Play on ESPN+) is the third of four games in the season series between the two teams. Minnesota has won both prior matchups handily — 6-1 on Nov. 23 and 4-1 on Dec. 27.
Will the Jets’ deadline additions make any difference? Or will the Wild continue to own their Northern neighbors? Tonight will be another clue in the slowly unraveling mystery of the Central seeding race.
As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check in on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2023 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s games
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC2 Pittsburgh Penguins
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 New York Islanders
M2 New Jersey Devils vs. M3 New York Rangers
Western Conference
C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC1 Edmonton Oilers
C2 Minnesota Wild vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC2 Winnipeg Jets
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Seattle Kraken
Wednesday’s games
Note: All times Eastern. All games not on ESPN, TNT or NHL Network are available via NHL Power Play, which is included in an ESPN+ subscription (local blackout restrictions apply).
Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. (TNT)
Tuesday’s scoreboard
Watch In the Crease on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.
Toronto Maple Leafs 4, New Jersey Devils 3
Florida Panthers 2, Vegas Golden Knights 1
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Montreal Canadiens 3 (SO)
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 4 (OT)
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Philadelphia Flyers 2
New York Islanders 3, Buffalo Sabres 2
Calgary Flames 1, Minnesota Wild 0 (SO)
Arizona Coyotes 6, St. Louis Blues 2
Colorado Avalanche 6, San Jose Sharks 0
Seattle Kraken 5, Anaheim Ducks 2
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 20
Points pace: 136
Next game: vs. EDM (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 110
Next game: vs. EDM (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 104
Next game: vs. VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 88
Next game: vs. CHI (Friday)
Playoff chances: 39%
Tragic number: 31
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 89
Next game: vs. DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 15%
Tragic number: 33
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 89
Next game: @ SEA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 9%
Tragic number: 33
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 85
Next game: vs. CHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 30
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 73
Next game: vs. NYR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 20
Metropolitan Division
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 20
Points pace: 122
Next game: vs. PHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 88
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 115
Next game: @ WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 19
Points pace: 103
Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 98%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 52%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 95
Next game: vs. NYI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 76%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 86
Next game: vs. NJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 10%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 76
Next game: @ CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 22
Points: 47
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 60
Next game: vs. STL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 10
Central Division
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 18
Points pace: 104
Next game: @ BUF (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 98%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 101
Next game: @ WPG (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 93%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 20
Points pace: 101
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 96
Next game: vs. MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 65%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 21
Points pace: 93
Next game: @ ARI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 33%
Tragic number: 36
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 77
Next game: vs. SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 22
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 69
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 15
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 64
Next game: @ DET (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 12
Pacific Division
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 18
Points pace: 105
Next game: @ TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 97%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 103
Next game: @ COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 96%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 103
Next game: vs. OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 96%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 78
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 17
Points pace: 98
Next game: @ BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 93%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 90
Next game: vs. ANA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 29%
Tragic number: 30
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 74
Next game: vs. ANA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 20
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 11
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 64
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 11
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 63
Next game: @ STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 9
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. As of 2021, a team may move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Connor Bedard, who has been lauded as a generational talent.
Points: 47
Regulation wins: 15
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 11
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 16
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 28
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Notes on traded picks impacting the top 16:
Sports
Prospects who impressed, teams who shocked us (for better or worse) at the 2025 World Juniors
-
Rachel Doerrie, ESPN
For the first time in history, the United States has successfully defended gold at the IIHF world junior championship.
Outstanding performances were the story of the tournament this year. For the first time in recent memory, there were no complaints of “too many blowouts” or “not enough parity.” Every team in the tournament was capable of a competitive game, making for a very unpredictable round robin and medal round.
From surprise upsets to last-minute goals to overtime thrillers and a shootout that lasted far too long, Ottawa put on a fantastic tournament from top to bottom.
In addition to the team competition, this was also a showcase for top prospects (both drafted and those who will be selected in 2025 and 2026), with execs and scouts from all 32 NHL teams in attendance. Here’s a look at players who stood out the most for each team, along with my take on each country’s overall performance:
Jump to a team:
Canada | Czechia
Finland | Germany
Latvia | Slovakia
Sweden | Switzerland
United States
-
Jeff Passan
Close
Jeff Passan
Senior MLB Insider
- ESPN MLB insider
Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” -
Jesse Rogers
Close
Jesse Rogers
ESPN Staff Writer
- Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
Right-hander Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a one-year, $15 million contract, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, continuing the future Hall of Famer’s career at age 42 in one of the pitcher-friendliest stadiums in baseball.
Verlander, entering his 20th major league season, is considered perhaps the best pitcher of his generation, with the most innings pitched, strikeouts and wins among active players. A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Verlander is coming off the worst season of his career and joins a Giants team likewise looking for better results than 2024. The deal is pending a physical.
Shoulder and neck injuries limited Verlander to 17 starts, and over his last seven he posted an 8.10 ERA. With a falling strikeout rate and climbing home run rate, Verlander began to show signs of aging after a career in which he seemed impervious to it.
After a dominant 13-year stretch with the Detroit Tigers, Verlander found a second life after joining the Houston Astros in 2017. He won Cy Youngs in 2019 and 2022 — and after the latter signed a two-year, $86.6 million contract with the New York Mets. Verlander spent 16 starts with the Mets before being traded back to the Astros in August 2023.
Over his career, Verlander is 262-147 with a 3.30 ERA over 3,415⅔ innings. He has struck out 3,416 batters, walked 952 and won a pair of World Series with the Astros.
Returning to Houston wasn’t an option for 2025. With Oracle Park a dream for pitchers, Verlander gravitated toward the Giants, whose rotation includes right-hander Logan Webb, left-handers Robbie Ray and Kyle Harrison, and a number of other options for the fifth spot, with right-hander Hayden Birdsong seen as the likeliest candidate.
The Giants had spent a month with limited action before signing Verlander. A month ago to the day, they agreed with shortstop Willy Adames on a seven-year, $182 million contract.
San Francisco, which hired former star catcher Buster Posey as its president of baseball operations in September, went 80-82 last season and finished in fourth place in the National League West, which is arguably the best division in baseball.
-
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff Writer
Northern Illinois will join the Mountain West as a football-only member in 2026, the school and conference announced Tuesday.
“What a great opportunity for NIU Athletics as we expand our horizons, adapt to this new national model of college athletics and prepare to start a new chapter in the history of NIU Football,” NIU athletic director Sean T. Frazier said in a statement.
In addition to NIU, the Mountain West will include Air Force, Hawai’i, UNLV, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State and Wyoming in 2026.
The move is another fallen domino in college sports’ ongoing conference realignment process that caught up to the Mountain West in the fall, when Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State announced they were leaving for the new-look Pac-12, which collapsed in 2023.
“We are excited about adding Northern Illinois football to the Mountain West,” commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement. “In evaluating NIU, the MW Board of Directors and Directors of Athletics carefully considered and were impressed by its history of football success and its commitment to academic excellence.”
It is unclear what conference NIU’s remaining sports will compete in once it moves to the Mountain West for football. The school said it will continue discussions with the Mid-American Conference — where it has participated since 1997 — but will also review opportunities in “several of the regionally based multi-sport conferences.”
The Mountain West also recently announced the additions of Grand Canyon and UC Davis for sports other than football (Grand Canyon does not have football; Davis will remain at the FCS level).
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway