On April 16, 2026, the National Hockey League (NHL) returned with exciting lineups. Teams will try one last time to earn a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken, Edmonton Oilers vs. Vancouver Canucks, and Utah Mammoth vs. St. Louis Blues are all Western Conference clashes. On April 18, 2026, the Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to start. The competition for the 2026 Prestigious Stanley Cup Championship is getting fiercer. Currently, the Colorado Avalanche leads the standings, carrying strong momentum towards the very end.
PREVIOUS MATCH OVERVIEW:
Colorado Avalanche:
The Colorado Avalanche is leading the table at the top with their back-to-back wins. They lost their match against the Golden Knights on 11th April, a close one that went to overtime, 2-3. One of the key defenders in the Avalanche, Josh Manson, ended up with an upper-body injury. Manson left the game in the second period and did not return for the third. As of now, the Avalanche have five healthy defensemen.
Edmonton Oilers:
The Edmonton Oilers are currently second in the Pacific Division. The Oilers played their last divisional game on 11th April, losing 1-0 to the Los Angeles Kings. During the first period, Artemi Panarin scored one goal for the Kings, which ultimately decided the whole outcome. The very recent match with the Colorado Avalanche also ended in a setback. The Edmonton Oilers’ momentum was slightly interrupted by close losses, as they struggled for consistency over the past few matches.
Vancouver Canucks:
The Vancouver Canucks have consistently won over 3 matches in their previous matches. Although they are at the bottom, they are providing a strong comeback. On 12th April, Canucks vs Ducks, both teams delivered a strong performance. Canucks quickly scored 2 goals in the first period, while the second period was marked by tightened defense from both teams, resulting in no goals. The third period ended in a tie, but Marco Rossie scored with just 9.5 seconds left in overtime and secured the victory. This highlights the team’s determination and fighting spirit.
Schedules NHL 16TH APRIL:
1. Utah Mammoth vs St. Louis Blues
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 07:30 PM ET | 04:30 PM PT | 05:00 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Delta Center, Salt Lake City
2. Nashville Predators vs Anaheim Ducks
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 08:00 PM ET | 05:00 PM PT | 05:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
3. Winnipeg Jets vs San Jose Sharks
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 08:00 PM ET | 05:00 PM PT | 05:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg
4. Calgary Flames vs Los Angeles Kings
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 09:00 PM ET | 06:00 PM PT | 06:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary
5. Edmonton Oilers vs Vancouver Canucks
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 09:00 PM ET | 06:00 PM PT | 06:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Roger Place, Edmonton
6. Colorado Avalanche vs Seattle Kraken
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 10:00 PM ET | 07:00 PM PT | 07:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver
Lineup Predictions:
Colorado Avalanche vs Seattle Kraken
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 10:00 PM ET | 07:00 PM PT | 07:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver
Colorado Avalanche Expected Start Ups:
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen |
| Defensemen | Cale Makar — Devon Toews |
| Goaltender | Mackenzie Blackwood (Projected) |
Seattle Krakens Expected Start Ups:
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Jared McCann — Matty Beniers — Jordan Eberle |
| Defensemen | Vince Dunn — Adam Larsson |
| Goaltender | Joey Daccord (Projected) |
Prediction:
The matchup features a top league-leading team against a mid-ladder team. In 21 head-to-head matches, the Avalanche won 13 matches while the Krakens secured 8 victories. The Colorado Avalanche has a stronger goals average (3.7) than the Seattle Kraken (2.8). In the most recent match on 13 March, Avalanche won an effortless 5-1 against Krakens. Although krakens are competitive, they remain less consistent. Avalanche secured more victories this season. The Avalanche has consistently outperformed the Kraken over the years. Overall, the Avalanche is likely to dominate this matchup too.
The pick: The Colorado Avalanche
| Category | Colorado Avalanche | Seattle Krakens |
| Total played | 81 | 80 |
| Won | 54 | 34 |
| Lost | 27 | 46 |
| Over time/Ties | 3 | 6 |
| Head-to-head wins (21played) | 13 | 8 |
Edmonton Oilers vs Vancouver Canucks
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 09:00 PM ET | 06:00 PM PT | 06:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Roger Place, Edmonton
Edmonton Oilers Projected Lineup
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Matt Savoie — Connor McDavid — Vasily Podkolzin |
| Defensemen | Mattias Ekholm — Evan Bouchard |
| Goaltender | Connor Ingram |
Vancouver Canucks Projected Lineup
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Liam Öhgren — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser |
| Defensemen | Zeev Buium — Filip Hronek |
| Goaltender | Nikita Tolopilo |
Prediction:
The Edmonton Oilers have a comparatively higher win percentage in their head-to-head matches. On the other hand, the Vancouver Canucks are at the bottom of the table, making them less likely to win this match. However, the Oilers enter this matchup on their home ice as the stronger side and are the likely favorites for this prediction.
The pick: The Edmonton Oilers
So far stats:
| Category | Edmonton oilers | Vancouver Canucks |
| Total played | 81 | 81 |
| Won | 40 | 25 |
| Lost | 41 | 56 |
| Over time/Ties | 9 | 4 |
| Head-to-head wins (52 played) | 30 | 22 |
Nashville Predators vs Anaheim Ducks
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 08:00 PM ET | 05:00 PM PT | 05:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
Nashville Predators Expected Start Ups:
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Filip Forsberg – Jonathan Marchessault |
| Defensemen | Roman Josi – Brady Skjel – Nicolas Hague – Nick Perbix |
| Goaltender | Juuse Saros |
Anaheim Ducks Expected Start Ups:
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry – Mikael Granlund |
| Defensemen | Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba – Pavel Mintyukov- John Carlson |
| Goaltender | Lukáš Dostál |
Prediction:
Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators have almost very similar season performance and Head-to-head stats. In their last 5 games, the Predators have shown promise by securing 3 wins, while the Ducks have experienced a setback with a 73% loss rate in their last 11 matches. The Nashville Predators are favored to clinch the victory with a probability of 54% in this evenly matched contest.
The pick: The Nashville Predators
Current Stats:
| Category | Nashville Predators | Anaheim Ducks |
| Total played | 81 | 81 |
| Won | 38 | 42 |
| Lost | 43 | 39 |
| Over time/Ties | 5 | 9 |
| Head-to-head wins (18 played) | 9 | 9 |
Calgary Flames vs Los Angeles Kings
Date: April 16, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 09:00 PM ET | 06:00 PM PT | 06:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary
Calgary Flames Expected Start Ups:
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Mikael Backlund- Nazem Kadri- Blake Coleman-Jonathan Huberdeau |
| Defensemen | MacKenzie Weegar – Rasmus Andersson – Kevin Bahl – Zach Whitecloud |
| Goaltender | Dustin Wolf |
Los Angeles Kings Expected Start Ups:
| Category | Players |
| Forwarders | Artemi Panarin – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe Quinton Byfield |
| Defensemen | Mikey Anderson Drew Doughty Brandt Clarke – Joel Edmundson |
| Goaltender | Anton Forsberg |
Prediction:
Compared to the Calgary Flames, the Los Angeles Kings have relatively similar stats. Flames have struggled with inconsistent winning, which has pushed them to the lower end of the table. Their recent performance showed their difficulty in securing goals. This may affect the Calgary Flames’ winning probability against the Los Angeles Kings. Whereas the Los Angeles Kings have been on a steady winning streak in their last 5 matches. Kings are likely to win this match with their solid track.
The pick: The Los Angeles Kings
| Category | Calgary Flames | Los Angeles Kings |
| Total played | 81 | 81 |
| Won | 33 | 35 |
| Lost | 48 | 46 |
| Over time/Ties | 5 | 8 |
| Head-to-head wins (22 played) | 12 | 10 |
Conclusion:
As the 2026 NHL Season moves to the decisive phase, teams are battling hard for playoff qualification. The Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Dallas Stars are dominating the league table with their strong performance. Meanwhile, other teams are giving a tough fight to secure a place in the Stanley Cup playoff race.
You may also like
NHL 2025-26 Season | Explore the recent NHL updates and Predictions
NHL 2025-26 Season – 03 February 2026 Games Preview & Predictions
NHL 2025-26 season: Schedules and Previews
NHL Predictions for March 28, 2026 Games – Preview with Expert Picks
NHL 2025–26 Regular Season: Schedules and Previews
NHL 2025–26 Playoffs: April 21 – Schedule & Predictions
