Western Conference

(1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (4) St. Louis Blues

The Presidents’ Trophy winner is not facing an easy task in the opening round of the NHL playoffs. Winnipeg finished last season with 110 points and topped that mark this year with 116. Connor Hellebuyck is the game’s best goalie, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele are a dangerous duo attacking the net, and Josh Morrissey is a sensational defender. St. Louis went on a 12-game winning streak from mid-March to the beginning of April before dropping three-of-four to end the season. The Blues averaged an NHL-best 3.81 goals per game following the 4 Nations Face-Off and will enter the series with a ton of confidence. Winnipeg won the regular season series 3-1, and it will take this series in six games thanks to Hellebuyck.

(2) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Colorado Avalanche

The second matchup in the top-half of the Western Conference bracket features two teams with Stanley Cup hopes. The Stars finished the season with 106 points and will have home-ice in this series. However, they have lost seven games in a row and will be without defenseman Miro Heiskanen for at least the start of the series. Colorado features two of the best players in hockey — Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar — and is only a few years removed from winning it all. This series is a coin flip, and the winner should be considered the favorite to come out of the West.

(1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (4) Minnesota Wild

With 110 points, the Vegas Golden Knights are the No. 2 overall seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota finished fourth in the Central Division and earned the top Wild Card spot — but it is not at Vegas’ level. Both clubs are good on defense but Minnesota’s penalty kill is underwhelming and could ultimately doom its chances as Vegas’ power play has the second-best scoring rate in the NHL. The Wild have dealt with injuries throughout the season and are finally nearing full health, but they don’t have enough to topple Vegas this year.

(2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) Edmonton Oilers

The Kings and Oilers are meeting in the first-round of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. This time around, however, the Kings will have home ice. Los Angeles went 31-6-4 at home in the regular season and features an elite defense. Darcy Kuemper has been one of the league’s best goalies. In addition to their phenomenal defense, the Kings are improved on offense and are near the top of the league in goals scored since the beginning of March. Of course, Edmonton has the two-best players in the series — Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — and may have the mental edge over its rival. The Oilers have eliminated the Kings three years in a row and played for the Stanley Cup in 2024. The Kings need to slow down McDavid, Draisaitl and Edmonton’s power play to win. This series could go either way, but LA’s depth and defense will be the difference.

Eastern Conference

(1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (4) Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are in the playoffs for their first time in eight years, and their reward is a showdown with the rival Maple Leafs. Brady Tkachuk is a stud and plays with an edge that should translate to playoff hockey. Ottawa is a young team with nothing to lose making it a very dangerous opponent for a star-laden team like the Leafs. Toronto’s offense remains one of the best in the sport, but its improved defense could be the big difference between this year’s team and the ones that have fallen short in the past. Although Ottawa won all three meetings in the regular season, it is too difficult to pick against Toronto’s firepower and experience.

(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Florida Panthers

The Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, and came up just short of a three-peat in ’22 — losing to Colorado in the Final. The Panthers fell to Vegas in the 2023 Final and responded by winning it all last season. S0, will one of these two teams make it six-for-six for Florida winning the East? The series features two of the game’s best goalies in Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay) and Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida). The teams split the regular season series, 2-2, and will both feel like they are the team to beat. While a Florida victory wouldn’t be an upset, I am riding with the Lightning. Tampa is playing better hockey at the moment and Florida has appeared a bit worn down at times. After winning this series, the Lightning will be the team to beat in the East.

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (4) Montreal Canadiens

Alex Ovechkin’s quest to become the all-time leading goal scorer garnered all of the attention this season in Washington (rightfully so), but it may have overshadowed just how good the Capitals are. Washington finished the season with an East leading 111 points and will open the postseason against the Canadiens. Montreal finished with 91 points, the lowest total of the 16 teams in the field. Washington won the regular season series, 2-1, but the teams haven’t played since January. The Habs are capable of winning a game or two, but the Capitals shouldn’t be pushed much.

(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) New Jersey Devils

New Jersey lost four-of-five to end the regular season and is not looking like a contender. Carolina are one of the heaviest opening-round favorites and haven’t lost a first-round series since 2020. The Canes have a very strong forecheck and are incredibly stingy when it comes to allowing shots. Neither team has an easy time finding the back of the net at full-strength, so power play productivity may be the key to the series. Carolina’s penalty kill has been a strength since the 4 Nations Face-Off. As for the Devils, their power play has been on fire. With a hot power play and a strong forecheck, the Devils will pull off the upset of the playoffs.