NHL April 16, 2026 – Matchup Schedules and Prediction
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.
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: TheNashville 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
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: TheLos 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.