The 2024-25 NHL season has concluded, and the playoffs are set. Sixteen teams are competing for the Stanley Cup, while the other sixteen have been eliminated.
Before the first-round matchups begin, hockey experts have made their predictions for each series. They`ve also picked who they believe will win the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Atlantic Division
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
Sean Allen: Maple Leafs in seven
Blake Bolden: Maple Leafs in six
John Buccigross: Maple Leafs in seven
Ryan Callahan: Maple Leafs in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Maple Leafs in five
Sachin Chandan: Senators in six
Meghan Chayka: Maple Leafs in five
Ryan S. Clark: Senators in seven
Linda Cohn: Maple Leafs in six
Rachel Doerrie: Maple Leafs in six
Ray Ferraro: Maple Leafs in seven
Emily Kaplan: Maple Leafs in six
Tim Kavanagh: Maple Leafs in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Maple Leafs in five
Steve Levy: Maple Leafs in six
Vince Masi: Senators in seven
Victoria Matiash: Maple Leafs in six
Sean McDonough: Senators in six
Mark Messier: Maple Leafs in six
Mike Monaco: Maple Leafs in five
Arda Öcal: Maple Leafs in six
Kristen Shilton: Maple Leafs in six
Bob Wischusen: Maple Leafs in six
Greg Wyshynski: Maple Leafs in five
Consensus Prediction: Maple Leafs (20 of 24 picks)
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
Sean Allen: Panthers in six
Blake Bolden: Lightning in seven
John Buccigross: Lightning in seven
Ryan Callahan: Lightning in seven
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Panthers in six
Sachin Chandan: Lightning in five
Meghan Chayka: Lightning in six
Ryan S. Clark: Panthers in seven
Linda Cohn: Lightning in six
Rachel Doerrie: Lightning in seven
Ray Ferraro: Lightning in six
Emily Kaplan: Lightning in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Lightning in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Lightning in seven
Steve Levy: Panthers in seven
Vince Masi: Lightning in six
Victoria Matiash: Panthers in six
Sean McDonough: Lightning in seven
Mark Messier: Lightning in seven
Mike Monaco: Lightning in six
Arda Öcal: Panthers in six
Kristen Shilton: Lightning in seven
Bob Wischusen: Lightning in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Lightning in seven
Consensus Prediction: Lightning (18 of 24 picks)
Metropolitan Division
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
Sean Allen: Capitals in six
Blake Bolden: Canadiens in six
John Buccigross: Capitals in seven
Ryan Callahan: Capitals in five
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Capitals in five
Sachin Chandan: Capitals in five
Meghan Chayka: Capitals in five
Ryan S. Clark: Capitals in six
Linda Cohn: Capitals in six
Rachel Doerrie: Capitals in five
Ray Ferraro: Capitals in five
Emily Kaplan: Capitals in 6
Tim Kavanagh: Capitals in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Capitals in five
Steve Levy: Capitals in five
Vince Masi: Capitals in six
Victoria Matiash: Canadiens in seven
Sean McDonough: Canadiens in six
Mark Messier: Capitals in six
Mike Monaco: Capitals in six
Arda Öcal: Canadiens in seven
Kristen Shilton: Capitals in seven
Bob Wischusen: Canadiens in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Capitals in five
Consensus Prediction: Capitals (20 of 24 picks)
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Sean Allen: Hurricanes in five
Blake Bolden: Devils in seven
John Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven
Ryan Callahan: Hurricanes in five
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in six
Sachin Chandan: Devils in six
Meghan Chayka: Hurricanes in five
Ryan S. Clark: Hurricanes in seven
Linda Cohn: Devils in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Hurricanes in six
Ray Ferraro: Hurricanes in six
Emily Kaplan: Hurricanes in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Devils in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes in six
Steve Levy: Devils in seven
Vince Masi: Hurricanes in seven
Victoria Matiash: Hurricanes in six
Sean McDonough: Hurricanes in seven
Mark Messier: Hurricanes in seven
Arda Öcal: Devils in six
Kristen Shilton: Hurricanes in four
Bob Wischusen: Hurricanes in six
Greg Wyshynski: Hurricanes in six
Consensus Prediction: Hurricanes (17 of 23 picks)
Central Division
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
Sean Allen: Jets in five
Blake Bolden: Jets in six
John Buccigross: Jets in seven
Ryan Callahan: Jets in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Jets in five
Sachin Chandan: Jets in four
Meghan Chayka: Blues in six
Ryan S. Clark: Jets in seven
Linda Cohn: Jets in six
Rachel Doerrie: Blues in seven
Ray Ferraro: Jets in seven
Emily Kaplan: Jets in six
Tim Kavanagh: Jets in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Jets in six
Steve Levy: Jets in seven
Vince Masi: Jets in seven
Victoria Matiash: Jets in six
Sean McDonough: Jets in five
Mark Messier: Jets in six
Mike Monaco: Blues in seven
Arda Öcal: Blues in six
Kristen Shilton: Jets in six
Bob Wischusen: Jets in six
Greg Wyshynski: Jets in five
Consensus Prediction: Jets (20 of 24 picks)
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
Sean Allen: Stars in seven
Blake Bolden: Avalanche in six
John Buccigross: Avalanche in seven
Ryan Callahan: Avalanche in seven
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in seven
Sachin Chandan: Avalanche in six
Meghan Chayka: Avalanche in six
Ryan S. Clark: Stars in seven
Linda Cohn: Avalanche in six
Rachel Doerrie: Avalanche in six
Ray Ferraro: Avalanche in six
Emily Kaplan: Avalanche in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Stars in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche in seven
Steve Levy: Avalanche in seven
Vince Masi: Avalanche in five
Victoria Matiash: Avalanche in six
Sean McDonough: Avalanche in six
Mark Messier: Avalanche in five
Mike Monaco: Avalanche in six
Arda Öcal: Avalanche in seven
Kristen Shilton: Avalanche in six
Bob Wischusen: Avalanche in six
Greg Wyshynski: Stars in seven
Consensus Prediction: Avalanche (20 of 24 picks)
Pacific Division
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
Sean Allen: Wild in seven
Blake Bolden: Golden Knights in five
John Buccigross: Golden Knights in seven
Ryan Callahan: Golden Knights in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Golden Knights in six
Sachin Chandan: Golden Knights in five
Meghan Chayka: Golden Knights in five
Ryan S. Clark: Golden Knights in six
Linda Cohn: Golden Knights in six
Rachel Doerrie: Golden Knights in six
Ray Ferraro: Golden Knights in five
Emily Kaplan: Golden Knights in sixe
Tim Kavanagh: Golden Knights in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden Knights in five
Steve Levy: Golden Knights in five
Vince Masi: Golden Knights in six
Victoria Matiash: Golden Knights in six
Sean McDonough: Golden Knights in five
Mark Messier: Golden Knights in five
Mike Monaco: Golden Knights in six
Arda Öcal: Golden Knights in five
Kristen Shilton: Golden Knights in five
Bob Wischusen: Golden Knights in six
Greg Wyshynski: Golden Knights in five
Consensus Prediction: Golden Knights (23 of 24 picks)
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Sean Allen: Kings in six
Blake Bolden: Kings in seven
John Buccigross: Kings in seven
Ryan Callahan: Kings in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers in seven
Sachin Chandan: Kings in seven
Meghan Chayka: Oilers in six
Ryan S. Clark: Oilers in seven
Linda Cohn: Kings in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Kings in seven
Ray Ferraro: Kings in seven
Emily Kaplan: Oilers in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Kings in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Kings in seven
Steve Levy: Kings in seven
Vince Masi: Oilers in seven
Victoria Matiash: Kings in six
Sean McDonough: Kings in seven
Mark Messier: Oilers in six
Mike Monaco: Oilers in six
Arda Öcal: Oilers in six
Kristen Shilton: Oilers in six
Bob Wischusen: Kings in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Oilers in six
Consensus Prediction: Kings (14 of 24 picks)
Stanley Cup Winner Prediction
Sean Allen: Maple Leafs
John Buccigross: Avalanche
Ryan Callahan: Golden Knights
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche
Sachin Chandan: Avalanche
Meghan Chayka: Golden Knights
Ryan S. Clark: Golden Knights
Linda Cohn: Jets
Rachel Doerrie: Avalanche
Ray Ferraro: Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan: Golden Knights
Tim Kavanagh: Golden Knights
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden Knights
Steve Levy: Golden Knights
Vince Masi: Lightning
Victoria Matiash: Jets
Sean McDonough: Golden Knights
Mark Messier: Oilers
Mike Monaco: Avalanche
Arda Öcal: Maple Leafs
Kristen Shilton: Avalanche
Bob Wischusen: Jets
Greg Wyshynski: Stars
Prediction Breakdown: Golden Knights (9), Avalanche (6), Jets (3), Maple Leafs (2), Lightning (1), Oilers (1), Stars (1)
Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP) Prediction
Sean Allen: Mitch Marner
John Buccigross: Brock Nelson
Ryan Callahan: Jack Eichel
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Cale Makar
Sachin Chandan: Nathan MacKinnon
Meghan Chayka: Jack Eichel
Ryan S. Clark: Jack Eichel
Linda Cohn: Connor Hellebuyck
Rachel Doerrie: Nathan MacKinnon
Ray Ferraro: Jack Eichel
Emily Kaplan: Jack Eichel
Tim Kavanagh: Jack Eichel
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Jack Eichel
Steve Levy: Jack Eichel
Vince Masi: Brayden Point
Victoria Matiash: Connor Hellebuyck
Sean McDonough: Jack Eichel
Mark Messier: Connor McDavid
Mike Monaco: Nathan McKinnon
Arda Öcal: William Nylander
Kristen Shilton: Nathan MacKinnon
Bob Wischusen: Connor Hellebuyck
Greg Wyshynski: Jake Oettinger
Prediction Breakdown: Jack Eichel (10), Nathan MacKinnon (3), Connor Hellebuyck (3), Mitch Marner (1), Brock Nelson (1), Cale Makar (1), Brayden Point (1), Connor McDavid (1), William Nylander (1), Jake Oettinger (1)
