NHL playoff standings: Ranking the top matchups on Tuesday - ESPN

There are only 10 days left in the 2025-26 NHL regular season. Seven teams have clinched a playoff berth, and five teams have been mathematically eliminated.

As for the other 20, their postseason plans remain in the air — and there's also the matter of final playoff seeding to sort out.

Tuesday is another relatively heavy day on the NHL calendar, with 11 games on the schedule. Here are the six that will have the biggest impact on the postseason picture:

Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit Red Wings
7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

This isn't completely a «loser leaves town» match, but we're getting close to that point for both clubs. (And to think, both of them seemed like locks at various times this season.) Both teams are just two points behind the Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild card, but both trail Ottawa in regulation wins (the first tiebreaker) by more games than they have left. So, they will need to be ahead in points, which is a tall task given how they've both performed lately. A regulation loss by either will be a major swing.

Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks
10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Predators have been battling the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks for the second wild card in the West. Following Monday's games, the Preds are a point behind the Kings with 82 points and 26 regulation wins through 77 games, with the Sharks (81 points, 25 RW through 76 games) right there.

On the other side, the Ducks are no longer the «surprising Ducks» anymore, and they still have a shot to claim the Pacific Division title. They enter Tuesday's game tied with the Oilers in standings points, but with six fewer regulation wins (with fewer than six games remaining); they'll need to finish with more points than Edmonton to take