The Nashville Predators' 2026 playoff dreams have officially come to an end. A tough 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on April 13, coupled with the Los Angeles Kings' 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken the same night, sealed their fate.

With the loss, Nashville (38-33-10, 86 points) can now finish with a maximum of 88 points this season. The Kings' win pushed them to 89 points, mathematically locking them into at least the second Western Conference Wild Card spot and eliminating the Predators from contention.

It's a disappointing end for a team that fought hard down the stretch, but the numbers simply didn't add up. The focus in Smashville now shifts to the offseason and building for the future.