The NHL Standings Are So Tight Right Now It’s Actually Ridiculous
The NHL standings are historically tight at the quarter mark. Photo: Unsplash
Look, I don’t cover hockey as much as I should because Philly sports take up all my brain space, but I need to talk about what’s happening in the NHL right now because the parity is INSANE. According to NHL.com, nine points separated all 16 Eastern Conference teams earlier this week. That’s the first time an entire conference has been this close at this stage of an 82-game season. Ever.
The Detroit Red Wings went from not holding a playoff spot to first place in the Atlantic Division in THREE DAYS. Their coach Todd McLellan put it perfectly: “If you’re on top of the mountain, you’re really not on top of the mountain. You’re in the middle of the forest. It’s so tight.”
Here’s what’s wild: the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are currently outside the playoff picture. The team that won back-to-back titles is sitting 13th in the East. Their captain Aleksander Barkov is done for the season with a knee injury. Matthew Tkachuk is out until January. They’ve been decimated by injuries after three straight deep playoff runs.
Marcus’s Take:
The Edmonton Oilers—the two-time defending Western Conference champs—are also outside a playoff spot. According to Bleacher Report’s analysis, both of last season’s Stanley Cup finalists are currently on the outside looking in. When has that ever happened? The NHL has never been this unpredictable.
Colorado leads the entire league but only by three points. The next 13 teams are separated by four points. In the Eastern Conference, Carolina has a one-point lead over New Jersey. Four points separate fourth place from fifteenth. You can win two games and jump five spots in the standings. You can lose two and fall out of the playoffs entirely.
The overtime stat is key here. 90 games have gone to OT through the quarter mark—the most in league history at this stage. The NHL awards a point to teams that lose in overtime or a shootout, which means even losses are generating standings points. Everybody stays close. 76 games have been tied after 55 minutes, also near record levels.
Real Talk:
The surprise teams are fun to watch. The Anaheim Ducks lead the Pacific Division—the same Ducks who were rebuilding two years ago. The Pittsburgh Penguins are competitive again with their aging core finding another gear. ESPN’s quarter-season grades gave both teams higher marks than expected.
Meanwhile, Toronto is struggling. The Maple Leafs lost Mitch Marner in the offseason and they just don’t look the same. Auston Matthews has missed time with injury. They’re at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings after going 1-5-2 in a recent stretch. For a team with championship expectations, that’s a disaster.
The Good News:
The schedule compression for the Olympics in 2026 is also a factor. Teams are playing more back-to-backs, more three-games-in-four-nights stretches. Depth matters more than ever. The teams managing their rosters best will separate as the season progresses.
I’ll be honest—I don’t follow hockey as closely as I should. But this season has my attention. When the defending champs are fighting for their playoff lives and the standings change dramatically every single night, that’s must-watch sports. The NHL has something special happening right now.
Ard, time to actually pay attention to hockey. My shoulder hurts just thinking about what these guys put their bodies through on a nightly basis.
