The nhl playoffs first round is almost here, with the field set for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the brackets scheduled to be finalized Thursday. That leaves only a narrow window for the final regular-season games to shape matchups, health, and momentum before the puck drops on the postseason. The latest playoff watch centers on who is ready now, who is still waiting on key reinforcements, and which teams enter with the clearest edge.
Bracket finalization comes Thursday
The league’s playoff picture has taken its final form, and the remaining step is the bracket reveal on Thursday. That timing matters because the opening round will test teams that are arriving in very different states, from fully settled lineups to clubs still managing injuries and return timelines. The nhl playoffs first round is not just about who qualified; it is about who can absorb the least amount of disruption in the first days of the postseason.
Colorado enters looking strong after a 3-1 win at Calgary on Tuesday, a result that extended its road winning streak to seven games. Cale Makar returned with three assists after missing seven games with an upper-body injury, while Nazem Kadri and Josh Manson remain out. The Avalanche also may soon have coach Jared Bednar back after he missed the past two games following a puck to the face.
Key injury questions shape the opening round
Dallas heads into its first-round series against Minnesota with more uncertainty. Roope Hintz will not play in Games 1 or 2 at minimum after a lower-body injury, and it is not known whether he will play at all in the first round. Miro Heiskanen also missed the last three games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, though the Stars are hopeful he will be ready for the postseason opener. That gives Dallas a difficult early test despite home-ice advantage and a deep roster.
Carolina’s outlook is different, with home-ice advantage for as long as it remains alive in the Eastern Conference. The question there is goaltending, and the club could get a reinforcement in Pyotr Kochetkov, who was recalled on Monday after two conditioning starts last week in the American Hockey League. Coach Rod Brind’Amour may begin with Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen, both of whom posted mixed but usable numbers in April.
Immediate reactions from the playoff field
“The Avalanche are entering the playoffs looking like they have all season — great, ” Tracey Myers, staff writer, said in the team analysis. “Those who have been in Colorado’s lineup have just kept rolling. ”
Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer, said Carolina was built for this moment “as long as they get consistent goaltending. ” Dan Rosen, senior writer, noted that Dallas has “no room for error against Minnesota, ” a warning that captures the pressure now facing the Stars in the nhl playoffs first round.
What comes next
The final regular-season games will determine only the last details, but those details matter. Health updates, home-ice advantage, and goaltending plans now sit at the center of the conversation as teams move toward Thursday’s bracket finalization. Once that is set, the nhl playoffs first round will quickly shift from preview mode to survival mode, with little margin for a slow start.
