Schedule structure grades based on back-to-backs (25%), compression (20%), travel (18%), home/away balance (15%), late-season (12%), and early-season (10%). Tap any team bar for full breakdown.
Overall Schedule Grade — All 32 Teams
🏆 Best Structure
Calgary & Detroit
Both graded A+. Calgary: 9 B2Bs. Detroit: best rest-net (+6) and lowest travel in the league.
⚠️ Hardest Schedule
San Jose D−
16 B2Bs + 48,861 est. miles + worst rest net (−6). A punishing combination in every single category.
📊 Key Finding
Schedule ≠ Standings
Carolina (D early season) went 53-22-7. Montreal (D overall) made playoffs at 48-24. Structure is a factor, not destiny.
This tab layers actual 2025-26 season results onto the schedule structure grades. Did teams with easier schedules outperform expectations?
And what about the "Thanksgiving Rule" — in hockey, if you're in a playoff position around Thanksgiving (late November), you almost always finish there.
The early-season schedule grade is a direct predictor of how easy or hard it is to build that early cushion.
🦃 The Thanksgiving Test — Early Schedule Grade vs. Playoff Outcome
Teams with an A or A+ early-season schedule grade had an easier path to banking points in October-November. Here's how early structure correlated with final outcomes:
Top-10 Schedule Grade → Made Playoffs
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of the 10 best-structured schedules
Bottom-10 Schedule Grade → Missed Playoffs
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of the 10 worst-structured schedules
A/A+ Early Grade → Made Playoffs
—
teams with A/A+ early-season grade
D Early Grade → Made Playoffs
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teams with D/D- early-season grade
Schedule Grade vs. Season Outcome — All 32 Teams
| Team | Sched Grade | Early | Late | Wins | Pts | 2025-26 Result | Schedule Impact |
|---|
| # ↕ | Team ↕ | Grade ↕ | B2Bs ↕ | Miles ↕ | Rest ↕ | Pts ↕ | Early ↕ | Late ↕ | Result |
|---|
Back-to-Back Burden
Estimated Travel Miles
Best Rest Net
Worst Rest Net
Schedule Grade vs Season Points
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