NHL Hockey 3 Days

Last updated: April 10, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

NHL Playoff Picture & Top Seeds

With the regular season winding down and a brief pause in the schedule, the Avalanche secured the NHL's top overall seed after a decisive 3-1 victory over the Flames on Thursday, following their Tuesday night clinch of the Central Division and the Western Conference's No. 1 spot Avs clinch NHL's top seed with 3-1 win vs. Flames. Despite this top billing, Colorado faces some immediate roster concerns, as forward Nazem Kadri is slated to miss "some games" due to a finger injury Avs' Kadri to miss 'some games' with finger injury. Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference scramble, the Penguins punched their ticket to the postseason by winning five of their last six games since March 30, snapping a three-year playoff drought Penguins back in playoffs, ending 3-year drought, while the Capitals face a precarious path, needing consecutive wins to sneak in, which puts pressure on their upcoming critical matchup against the Maple Leafs Capitals in a must-win game against the Maple Leafs?.

Individual Milestones & Season Reflections

The final stretch has seen several players hit major seasonal benchmarks, including Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who recorded his 20th career 30-goal campaign, though his future remains uncertain as his contract expires this summer Amid his 20th 30-goal campaign, Alex Ovechkin's future is unclear; Ovechkin confirmed he will defer any decision regarding retirement until the offseason Ovechkin: Will make call on future in summer. In Montreal, Cole Caufield joined an elite club by becoming the first Canadiens player in over three decades to surpass the 50-goal mark Caufield joins Canadiens' exclusive 50-goal club. On the defensive side, Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer tied the NHL record for goals by a first-year defenseman by netting his 23rd of the season, matching the mark set by Hall of Famer Brian Leetch Schaefer ties rookie defenseman goals record. Meanwhile, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid put up a dominant five-point night, including a hat trick, propelling the Oilers into sole possession of the Pacific Division lead McDavid nets hat trick, 5-point night for Oilers.

Injury Updates & Roster Moves

Several teams are monitoring key injuries as the playoffs approach, with the Predators losing defenseman Roman Josi, who was scratched before Thursday’s contest against Utah due to an upper-body issue Predators' Josi (upper misses Utah loss. Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon is also in jeopardy of missing the start of the postseason due to a strained lower-body muscle, according to coach Lindy Ruff Injured Sabres G Lyon could miss start of playoffs. The Devils announced they are shutting down defenseman Luke Hughes for an unspecified procedure Devils shutting down Luke Hughes for procedure, while Carolina’s Jalen Chatfield, who has tallied a career-high 15 assists, is out with a lower-body injury Hurricanes' Chatfield out with lower-body injury. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot is slated to play Thursday after returning just 17 days following a broken arm Sens' Chabot to play 17 days after breaking arm.

Team Performance & Offseason Outlook

The Utah Mammoth continued their impressive run, securing a playoff berth in only their second season after defeating the Predators 4-1, marking their fifth consecutive victory Surging Mammoth seal playoff berth in 2nd season, a night that also saw them debut the "Zammoth" fan attraction at the Delta Center Utah Mammoth debut new fan attraction at Delta Center. Conversely, the Kraken face serious organizational changes amid their struggles; President of Hockey Operations Ron Francis announced his departure at season's end Ron Francis stepping down as Kraken president, even as CEO Tod Leiweke publicly committed to "fixing" the team’s current woes CEO on Kraken's woes: 'Going to get it fixed'. In organizational news, the Bruins successfully signed highly touted former Boston College forward James Hagens to a three-year entry-level contract carrying a $975,000 cap hit Bruins sign Beanpot MVP Hagens to 3-year deal, and the Wild inked defenseman Viking Gustafsson Nyberg to a two-year deal Wild ink D with fitting name. Furthermore, the Vegas Golden Knights extended their winning streak to four games under new coach John Tortorella following a Tuesday night 2-1 win against Vancouver Golden Knights remain unbeaten under Tortorella.

Fantasy & Collegiate Hockey Updates

As the professional season nears its close, analysts are already looking at season-end evaluations, with recent reviews detailing the breakout players and smartest acquisitions of the 2026 fantasy hockey season Awards: Most valuable picks, players and standouts from the 2026 season, while current standings were assessed during a rare game-free Friday to gauge the tightness of the remaining playoff races NHL playoff watch: Where the races stand on zero-game Friday. In college hockey, Denver advanced to the Frozen Four final, stunning Michigan 4-3 in double overtime with a game-winner from Kent Anderson, setting up a championship clash against Wisconsin Denver wins in 2OT, gets Wisc. in Frozen Four final, which marks Wisconsin’s first appearance in the title game since 2010 after they edged North Dakota 2-1 Wisconsin makes first Frozen Four final since '10. In other late-season highlights, John Carlson of the Ducks achieved a rare personal milestone, netting the first hat trick of his 17-season career during a 6-1 rout of the Sharks Ducks' Carlson nets first hat trick in 17th season, and recent Power Rankings provided an assessment of all 32 teams nearing the offseason free agent signing period NHL Power Rankings: Updated 1-32 poll, each team's key free agent this summer.