NHL Western Conference playoff matchups: Predicting the road to Stanley Cup for Oilers, Canucks and other contenders

The final day of the 2023-24 NHL regular season is upon us, which means it's the final day for the 16 teams bound for the playoffs to certify their final position in the standings.

Although the four matchups in the Eastern Conference are locked in, the top-seeded New York Rangers are skating against the Washington Capitals, and the Atlantic Division champion Florida Panthers are taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Meanwhile, two Original Six franchises will meet: the Boston Bruins will face the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Carolina Hurricanes will host the New York Islanders for the second consecutive season.

However, the wild west is still open. Yes, the Dallas Stars locked up the top seed with 113 points, and the Vancouver Canucks secured the Pacific Division title.

But the only top team with a confirmed opponent is the Canucks, who will host the top wildcard team, the Nashville Predators.

NHL Western Conference playoff matchups: April 18

We know only five things heading into the final six games of the NHL regular season.

First, the Stars and Canucks won their respective divisions, and the Edmonton Oilers are the second seed in the Pacific, with the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche on a collision course in the Central.

The Oilers will host the Los Angeles Kings (97 points) or the reigning Stanley Cup champion, the Vegas Golden Knights (98 points).

The Oilers' opponent will come down to the outcome of the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks game and the result from the Kings and Chicago Blackhawks.

One of these teams will finish third in the Pacific, and the other will finish as the second wildcard.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights

For Edmonton, either team will be a repeat opponent from last season since they played Los Angeles in the first round and Vegas in the second.

Meanwhile, the Oilers are in Colorado tonight to play the Avalanche. As mentioned, both teams have locked their positions.

Despite having a great season, the Avalanche stumbled down the stretch, losing the chance to repeat as Central Division champs and slipping to the third spot after the Jets went on a roll to finish strong.

The Canucks also play on Thursday on the road in Winnipeg. Whether both teams deploy full lineups is yet to be seen, but it's a meaningless game regarding the NHL standings, and the only thing they would be playing for is pride and momentum heading into the postseason.

On Wednesday, the Stars finished their season with a shootout win over St. Louis. They get an extra day of rest before the playoffs and will be intently watching how Vegas and Los Angeles play on Thursday to see who to prepare for.

Even though the NHL is only hours away from the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, there are still plenty of storylines to finish.