Playoff race
NHL Magic Numbers 2026-27
Live from March. It is early: every team still needs well over 100 points, so these numbers mean little until the last 20 or so games. The table updates daily all season.
The Carolina Hurricanes have the lowest magic number in the NHL at 144: any 144 points from their own results or NJD losses clinch a playoff spot.
Closest to clinching
Carolina Hurricanesmagic 144
Vegas Golden Knightsmagic 144
Edmonton Oilersmagic 145
Closest to elimination
Vancouver Canuckstragic 141
Philadelphia Flyerstragic 143
Pittsburgh Penguinstragic 145
Eastern Conference
| # | Team | GP | PTS | Left | Max | Magic | Tragic | Playoff odds | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Hurricanes | 11 | 17 | 73 | 163 | 144vs NJD | 154vs WSH | 96% | In the race |
| 2 |  Boston Bruins | 10 | 15 | 74 | 163 | 146vs NJD | 154vs WSH | 83% | In the race |
| 3 |  New York Rangers | 11 | 15 | 73 | 161 | 146vs NJD | 152vs WSH | 49% | In the race |
| 4 |  Tampa Bay Lightning | 9 | 14 | 75 | 164 | 147vs NJD | 155vs WSH | 89% | In the race |
| 5 |  Ottawa Senators | 9 | 12 | 75 | 162 | 149vs NJD | 153vs WSH | 67% | In the race |
| 6 |  Florida Panthers | 9 | 12 | 75 | 162 | 149vs NJD | 153vs WSH | 44% | In the race |
| 7 |  Toronto Maple Leafs | 11 | 12 | 73 | 158 | 149vs WSH | 149vs WSH | 19% | In the race |
| 8 |  New York Islanders | 9 | 11 | 75 | 161 | 150vs NJD | 152vs WSH | 52% | In the race |
| 9 |  Washington Capitals | 9 | 10 | 75 | 160 | 151vs NJD | 150vs NYI | 52% | In the race |
| 10 |  New Jersey Devils | 9 | 10 | 75 | 160 | 151vs WSH | 150vs NYI | 37% | In the race |
| 11 |  Buffalo Sabres | 9 | 10 | 75 | 160 | 151vs WSH | 150vs NYI | 65% | In the race |
| 12 |  Montreal Canadiens | 9 | 10 | 75 | 160 | 151vs WSH | 150vs NYI | 60% | In the race |
| 13 |  Detroit Red Wings | 9 | 9 | 75 | 159 | 152vs WSH | 149vs NYI | 28% | In the race |
| 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 10 | 7 | 74 | 155 | 154vs WSH | 145vs NYI | 22% | In the race |
| 15 | Philadelphia Flyers | 11 | 7 | 73 | 153 | 154vs WSH | 143vs NYI | 16% | In the race |
| 16 |  Columbus Blue Jackets | 8 | 6 | 76 | 158 | 155vs WSH | 148vs NYI | 21% | In the race |
Magic: points needed (own points plus the named rival's dropped points) to be sure of a playoff spot. Tragic: points that can still be dropped before elimination. Max: points with every remaining game won. The line marks 8th place. Playoff odds come from our team-hub simulation.
Western Conference
| # | Team | GP | PTS | Left | Max | Magic | Tragic | Playoff odds | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegas Golden Knights | 11 | 16 | 73 | 162 | 144vs COL | 153vs WPG | 87% | In the race |
| 2 | Edmonton Oilers | 9 | 15 | 75 | 165 | 145vs COL | 156vs WPG | 92% | In the race |
| 3 |  Utah Mammoth | 10 | 14 | 74 | 162 | 146vs COL | 153vs WPG | 76% | In the race |
| 4 |  Minnesota Wild | 10 | 14 | 74 | 162 | 146vs COL | 153vs WPG | 89% | In the race |
| 5 |  Seattle Kraken | 10 | 13 | 74 | 161 | 147vs COL | 152vs WPG | 55% | In the race |
| 6 |  Dallas Stars | 9 | 11 | 75 | 161 | 149vs COL | 152vs WPG | 86% | In the race |
| 7 |  Colorado Avalanche | 10 | 11 | 74 | 159 | 150vs WPG | 150vs WPG | 88% | In the race |
| 8 |  San Jose Sharks | 10 | 11 | 74 | 159 | 150vs WPG | 150vs WPG | 47% | In the race |
| 9 |  Winnipeg Jets | 9 | 10 | 75 | 160 | 150vs COL | 150vs SJS | 35% | In the race |
| 10 |  Nashville Predators | 8 | 9 | 76 | 161 | 151vs COL | 151vs SJS | 42% | In the race |
| 11 |  St. Louis Blues | 9 | 9 | 75 | 159 | 152vs WPG | 149vs SJS | 33% | In the race |
| 12 |  Anaheim Ducks | 9 | 8 | 75 | 158 | 153vs WPG | 148vs SJS | 38% | In the race |
| 13 |  Chicago Blackhawks | 9 | 6 | 75 | 156 | 155vs WPG | 146vs SJS | 5% | In the race |
| 14 | Vancouver Canucks | 11 | 5 | 73 | 151 | 156vs WPG | 141vs SJS | 1% | In the race |
| 15 |  Los Angeles Kings | 7 | 4 | 77 | 158 | 157vs WPG | 148vs SJS | 22% | In the race |
| 16 |  Calgary Flames | 8 | 4 | 76 | 156 | 157vs WPG | 146vs SJS | 6% | In the race |
Magic: points needed (own points plus the named rival's dropped points) to be sure of a playoff spot. Tragic: points that can still be dropped before elimination. Max: points with every remaining game won. The line marks 8th place. Playoff odds come from our team-hub simulation.
Clinch and elimination scenarios tonight
No team can clinch a playoff spot or be eliminated in tonight's games (October 21, 2026).
How magic and tragic numbers work
A magic number is how many standings points a team still needs to be certain of a playoff spot, counting both its own points and points dropped by the rival it has to stay ahead of. A tragic number runs the other way: how many more points the team can drop, or its rival can gain, before it is mathematically eliminated. When a magic number reaches zero the team has clinched; when a tragic number reaches zero it is out.
We use points only and give every tie to the other team, so a team we mark as clinched or eliminated is certain. The NHL uses tiebreakers (regulation wins first), so its official marks can come a day or two earlier. In the 2025-26 replay our flags matched the NHL on 19 of 32 teams and came at most 4 days later on the rest, never earlier and never wrong.
Early in the season every team needs well over 100 points, so the numbers say little until March. From then on they show which games matter: the scenarios tonight list who can clinch or be eliminated and what has to happen.
Frequently asked questions
Which NHL team has the lowest magic number?
The Carolina Hurricanes have the lowest magic number, 144: any combination of Carolina Hurricanes points and points dropped by NJD adds up to a playoff spot.
How many NHL teams have clinched a playoff spot?
0 teams have clinched and 0 have been eliminated as of October 21, 2026.
How accurate are these clinch marks?
In a day-by-day replay of 2025-26 from March 1 (1536 team-days), our points matched the NHL standings every day, no team was ever marked clinched or eliminated wrongly, and 19 of 32 teams were marked on the same day as the NHL; the rest came 1 to 4 days later because we do not use tiebreakers.
What is a tragic number in the NHL?
The number of points a team can still drop (its losses plus its rival's wins) before it is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Zero means eliminated.