With only nine days remaining in the NHL season, the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference remains up for grabs, with as many as five teams fighting for the final berth.

The Los Angeles Kings jumped the Nashville Predators to sit in the playoff position with a crucial 3-2 shootout win in a matchup between the two teams Monday. The San Jose Sharks earned a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks earlier in the night to keep themselves two points back of the Kings with a game in hand, and the Winnipeg Jets crushed the Seattle Kraken 6-2 to sit three points back of Los Angeles, equal in games played.

The St. Louis Blues can join the Winnipeg Jets at 80 points with a win over the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, but their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread in the crowded picture.

Wild-Card Playoff Race (April 7)

The Kings have been a steady 9-9-6 since Feb. 1, unable to pull away and claim either a wild-card spot or a place in the top three of the middling Pacific Division. The Predators, who are now a point back of Los Angeles, have gone 11-8-4 since Feb. 1 to re-enter the fight the playoffs after an extremely disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

“It was a playoff hockey game, and I thought it was a lot of fun to be a part of,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said of Monday’s clash. “I thought both teams played extremely hard and were committed. There wasn’t a lot of room out there, and unfortunately we didn’t get the extra point.”

Sharks relying on Celebrini’s Hart push

The Sharks have gone 10-10-3 since the end of January, with their playoff hopes this season, and likely beyond, resting on the shoulders of sophomore Macklin Celebrini.

The 19-year-old centre is in the thick of the Hart Trophy conversation in his second season after being selected first overall in 2024.

Celebrini has 41 goals and 107 points in 76 games this season, with his totals nearly double that of the Sharks next-leading producer, centre Will Smith, who has 23 goals and 55 points. The Vancouver native is listed third in the Hart Trophy odds at FanDuel at +1400 with his case likely reliant on getting San Jose into the playoff picture.

Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon is -114 to win the Hart, just ahead of Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning at +116, with Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid the only other player listed at +2000.

MacKinnon has 51 goals and 122 points, while Kucherov and McDavid are equal with 43 goals and tied for the league lead with 126 points. Though Celebrini sits 19 points back of them, it may be hard to argue that against him being the “most valuable player to his team” if he can end San Jose’s seven-year playoff drought.

Taylor Hall won the award with the New Jersey Devis in 2018 with the team sneaking into the playoffs thanks to him posting 93 points, 41 more than his next-closest teammate. Celebrini currently leads Smith by 52 points.

Jets still battling back from ugly start

Reaching the playoffs would be an impressive feat for the Jets after sitting last in the NHL to start the new year on Jan. 1.

Winnipeg is trying to avoid the dubious history of becoming just the fifth-ever team to win the Presidents’ Trophy one season and miss the playoffs the next – something last accomplished by the New York Rangers just last season.

The Jets have gone 12-6-5 since Feb. 1 to enter the thick of the race but still face an uphill battle with just five games left in their season to make up the three-point deficit and hold off their competition.

The Jets will face the Blues Thursday in a game that could spell the end of either team’s hopes of making the playoffs.

The Blues have also made a late-season charge with a 13-5-3 record since Feb. 1 to enter the crowded race in the Western Conference. St. Louis earned a 3-2 win over the Avalanche Sunday on the road but now have to face them again Tuesday on home ice.

“We don’t talk about it, but I think it’s human nature. Everybody goes and looks (at the standings),” head coach Jim Montgomery said after Sunday’s victory. “I do my very poor mathematics, and I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t know. If we win our games we’ll get in.’”

While all five teams still control their destiny, the Sharks have games remaining against the Predators and Jets next week that vastly swing the playoff outlook. The Kings appear to have the easiest remaining schedule with two games remaining against the last-place Vancouver Canucks and only one of their five coming against a team currently in a playoff spot in the Oilers on Saturday.

Los Angeles is also just three points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for third in the Pacific Division and four points behind the Anaheim Ducks and Oilers for the division lead.