NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 10:30 AM ET
NHL Playoff Races Intensify Amid Key Injuries
The race for seeding heated up across the league as the final weeks of the regular season commenced, with playoff projections updated across the board espn.com as the top four teams in the Metropolitan Division espn.com all prepared for critical Sunday matchups. The pressure mounted during an action-packed "Super Saturday" featuring eleven separate contests espn.com, where every point was vital for securing a postseason berth or avoiding the draft lottery. Adding to the high-stakes atmosphere, the Chicago Blackhawks espn.com scratched both defenseman Louis Crevier and forward Andrew Mangiapane for Friday's game against Colorado due to unspecified ailments, impacting their defensive depth.
The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a massive blow espn.com as captain Auston Matthews underwent successful surgery on his MCL, sidelining the superstar for an expected recovery period of 12 weeks, effectively removing him from the lineup until the Stanley Cup Final, should they advance. Compounding their goaltending woes, backup Anthony Stolarz missed Saturday's game espn.com after sustaining a puck to the throat during warmups, forcing the team to rely on emergency depth. Meanwhile, the Islanders organization announced that their AHL affiliate franchise espn.com will relocate from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, beginning next season, marking a significant shift for their player development pipeline.
As teams jockey for position, the battle for the league's overall best record, the Presidents' Trophy espn.com, remains a tight contest among the frontrunners, dictating home-ice advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs. Furthermore, current power rankings reflect significant deviations espn.com from preseason expectations, showing which clubs have over-performed or under-delivered against their projected point totals. The results from the weekend’s action will continue to narrow the field for the final playoff berths and firm up the standings ahead of the season's conclusion.