Don’t look now, but only two weeks remain until the final day of the regular season (Apr. 16) and the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Each of the league’s 32 teams has fewer than 10 games remaining on its schedule, and the playoff field is finally taking concrete shape after months of competition.
When it comes to the Seattle Kraken, the franchise’s second-ever playoff berth in franchise history is at stake, with the team nearly three seasons removed from its most recent postseason appearance in 2023. They are currently on the outside looking in, but a historically weak Pacific Division (12 teams in the Eastern Conference alone would be second in the Pacific) has kept them in the conversation.
It’s not all for a lack of trying, however. For all of the hand-wringing about what the front office has and hasn’t done in the past, the recent trade deadline deal for winger Bobby McMann has immediately paid dividends. Not only does he lead the team in points since arriving (11 in nine games), but he is also third in the league in goals-per-game since Mar. 3.
Despite McMann’s offensive outbursts, the Kraken remain underdogs in the playoff chase and will need to beat the odds if they are to qualify for the postseason. Let’s dive into their current status in the Western Conference race and what the team can do to climb back into the picture.
Kraken Have Fallen Back in Wildcard Race
The Pacific Division currently has only one team with a positive goal differential (Edmonton Oilers), while the other three divisions each boast at least four such teams. It’s that level of incompetence that has partially kept the rapidly sinking Kraken in the playoff picture.
The Kraken are below the playoff line with 75 points in 73 games, and three points back of the Los Angeles Kings for the second wildcard spot with a single game in hand. Despite the small gap, there are also three other teams standing between them and the playoffs, adding several other roadblocks for them to jump over before even catching the Predators. Here’s a look at the Western Conference wildcard race:
| Rank | Team (Division) | Points | Games Left |
| Pacific 3 | Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific) | 82 | 7 |
| Wildcard 1 | Utah Mammoth (Central) | 82 | 8 |
| Wildcard 2 | Los Angeles Kings (Pacific) | 78 | 8 |
| Playoff Line | San Jose Sharks (Pacific) | 77 | 9 |
| Nashville Predators (Central) | 77 | 8 | |
| Winnipeg Jets (Central) | 76 | 8 | |
| Seattle Kraken (Pacific) | 75 | 9 |
With the Minnesota Wild’s 12-point lead on the Utah Mammoth and their 17-point cushion on the Nashville Predators for third in the Central, the latter two clubs are hoping to sew up a wildcard berth rather than chase an increasingly unattainable divisional slot.
The Vegas Golden Knights currently sit third in the Pacific and occupy the division’s final automatic playoff slot with 82 points in 75 games, but rank 19th in the overall league standings. If the Kraken win their next two games, they can close the gap between them and Vegas to four points with two more games against the Golden Knights remaining on the schedule (Apr. 9 and 15).
Kraken Slump Pushing Team to the Margins of the Playoff Picture
The Kraken have struggled mightily since the beginning of February, owning the second-worst points percentage in the league (.368 over 19 games) ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks, a team long since eliminated from playoff contention. The cold streak has put a damper on an otherwise positive season and put a once-likely playoff appearance in jeopardy.
All three of The Athletic, MoneyPuck, and HockeyReference give the Kraken less than a 20% chance of qualifying for the playoffs, as the team’s recent run of poor form has shunted them outside the playoff picture with only two weeks remaining to make up lost ground.
Tankathon’s strength-of-schedule metric gives Seattle one of the easier remaining schedules by opponent difficulty, although the teams the Kraken are chasing and the ones hot on their heels also have easier-than-average ends to the season.
Over the Kraken’s final nine games, they will play five times against direct playoff rivals, with dates with Vegas (twice), Utah, Los Angeles, and Winnipeg (all once) coming up on the horizon. Most, if not all, of those matchups will need to result in a win, or else a third consecutive season on the sidelines will be in the cards for the organization.
While missing out on the postseason wouldn’t be a big surprise given the pessimistic nature of most preseason predictions, the fact that Seattle was in a playoff spot on Mar. 11 with fewer than 20 games remaining and could now miss out is disappointing, regardless of previous expectations. The Kraken are within striking distance of the final playoff spot in the West, but time is running out to put an end to their mini-drought.
Data courtesy of HockeyStats and the NHL.
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