Playoffs
Stanley Cup window
Every Stanley Cup winner since 2013 had made the playoffs at least 4 times in 5 seasons and won at least 3 playoff series in the 4 playoffs before. These are the teams that have both going into the 2026–27 season.
Based on an idea by Paul Pidutti (@AdjustedHockey) in “Do only six teams have a real shot at the 2027 Stanley Cup?” at Daily Faceoff. Our numbers come from the NHL’s playoff results.
From 32 teams to 6
The two tests, applied to every team.
The teams at the bottom of the funnel are the ones whose recent playoff record matches what Stanley Cup winners had going in. We don’t use it to pick this season’s winner.
How close the other teams are
Each team’s distance from the box shows what it’s missing: playoff trips to the left, series wins below.
Playoff trips: the 2022–2026 playoffs. Series wins: the 2023–2026 playoffs. Hover a logo for its numbers.
How past champions measured up
The 5 playoffs before each Stanley Cup since 2012, and how far the eventual champion got in each.
In 2020, 24 teams returned to play: 16 played a best-of-five qualifying round and the top 4 in each conference a round robin for seeding, before the usual 16-team bracket. We count reaching the qualifying round as a playoff trip, even for teams that lost. It doesn’t count as a series win.
| Champion | The 5 playoffs before | Trips | Series won | Passed the tests? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2021: Out in round 2 2022: Out in round 2 2023: Out in the conference final 2024: Out in round 2 2025: Out in the conference final | 5 of 5 | 6 | Passes both |
| 2025 | 2020: Lost in the 2020 qualifying round 2021: Out in round 1 2022: Out in round 2 2023: Lost the Final 2024: Won the Stanley Cup | 5 of 5 | 8 | Passes both |
| 2024 | 2019: Missed the playoffs 2020: Lost in the 2020 qualifying round 2021: Out in round 1 2022: Out in round 2 2023: Lost the Final | 4 of 5 | 4 | Passes both |
| 2023 | 2018: Lost the Final 2019: Out in round 1 2020: Out in the conference final 2021: Out in the Stanley Cup Semifinal 2022: Missed the playoffs | 4 of 5 | 4 | Passes both |
| 2022 | 2017: Missed the playoffs 2018: Out in round 1 2019: Out in round 2 2020: Out in round 2 2021: Out in round 2 | 4 of 5 | 3 | Passes both |
| 2021 | 2016: Out in the conference final 2017: Missed the playoffs 2018: Out in the conference final 2019: Out in round 1 2020: Won the Stanley Cup | 4 of 5 | 6 | Passes both |
| 2020 | 2015: Lost the Final 2016: Out in the conference final 2017: Missed the playoffs 2018: Out in the conference final 2019: Out in round 1 | 4 of 5 | 4 | Passes both |
| 2019 | 2014: Out in round 1 2015: Out in round 1 2016: Out in the conference final 2017: Out in round 2 2018: Missed the playoffs | 4 of 5 | 3 | Passes both |
| 2018 | 2013: Out in round 1 2014: Missed the playoffs 2015: Out in round 2 2016: Out in round 2 2017: Out in round 2 | 4 of 5 | 3 | Passes both |
| 2017 | 2012: Out in round 1 2013: Out in the conference final 2014: Out in round 2 2015: Out in round 1 2016: Won the Stanley Cup | 5 of 5 | 7 | Passes both |
| 2016 | 2011: Out in round 1 2012: Out in round 1 2013: Out in the conference final 2014: Out in round 2 2015: Out in round 1 | 5 of 5 | 3 | Passes both |
| 2015 | 2010: Won the Stanley Cup 2011: Out in round 1 2012: Out in round 1 2013: Won the Stanley Cup 2014: Out in the conference final | 5 of 5 | 6 | Passes both |
| 2014 | 2009: Missed the playoffs 2010: Out in round 1 2011: Out in round 1 2012: Won the Stanley Cup 2013: Out in the conference final | 4 of 5 | 6 | Passes both |
| 2013 | 2008: Missed the playoffs 2009: Out in the conference final 2010: Won the Stanley Cup 2011: Out in round 1 2012: Out in round 1 | 4 of 5 | 6 | Passes both |
| 2012 | 2007: Missed the playoffs 2008: Missed the playoffs 2009: Missed the playoffs 2010: Out in round 1 2011: Out in round 1 | 2 of 5 | 0 | Misses both |
Trips counted over the 5 playoffs before the title, series wins over the 4 before it.
How we count
- Playoff trips: playoffs a team reached in the last 5 seasons.
- Series wins: playoff series won in the last 4 playoffs.
- The marks: at least 4 trips and 3 series wins. Every champion since 2013 reached both.
- The 2020 qualifying round: reaching it counts as a playoff trip, even for teams that lost; winning a qualifying series doesn’t count as a series win.
- Teams: a club’s record follows it through a rename or a move (the Jets include the Thrashers, the Mammoth the Utah Hockey Club). Utah doesn’t inherit Arizona’s record: the NHL counts it as a new club.
- Source: the NHL’s playoff results, updated after each Stanley Cup Final.