If NHL playoffs started today, only one Canadian team would make it
The 2025-26 season has been a frustrating one for several Canadian NHL teams.
After five teams from Canada made the playoffs last season (Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers), only one team north of the border is currently in a postseason spot.
That lone team is the Canadiens, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with a 13-8-3 record.
The Senators and Oilers are just one point back of playoff spots in the East and West, respectively. That’s particularly alarming for Edmonton, as Connor McDavid’s club is fresh off back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Jets have also taken a nosedive this season, given they won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25 with 116 points.
The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL this season. As the last-place team in the Eastern Conference, they’re in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
The second-worst and third-worst teams in the NHL this season hail from Canada. The Vancouver Canucks (10-13-3) rank 30th in the league’s standings, while the Calgary Flames are 31st (9-14-4).
Five of the 10 worst teams are Canadian (NHL)
The last time every Canadian team missed the playoffs came a decade ago, during the 2015-16 season. At least two teams from Canada have made the playoffs since.
Of the teams on the outside looking in, Ottawa is being given the best odds by MoneyPuck to make the playoffs at 49.4 per cent. Edmonton (46.6) is close behind, while Winnipeg (45.6) is also still being given a very realistic shot.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Calgary (9.2) and Vancouver (8.4), who would both have to go on miraculous runs to get themselves back into the playoff picture.
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