It’s hard to believe that 82 games and six months have come and gone, and we’re already back at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It feels like just yesterday that Florida was winning its second championship, that Matthew Schaefer was being picked first overall by the New York Islanders, and that the Buffalo Sabres and their fans were worried about the potential of missing the postseason for a 15th year in a row.
Lots happened and lots changed this NHL season. Those Sabres are back, taking the top seed in the Atlantic. The defending champs are gone, unable to try and run it back a third time. Anaheim and Utah are here, emerging from rebuilds and looking to make some noise, while Pittsburgh is back after years away, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin looking to spin another tale for the ages. Carolina and Dallas have been here plenty, but haven’t been able to finish the job, while Montreal and Ottawa (and Los Angeles, good luck to them), are trying to get over the hump of just winning an early series and trying to catch some momentum from there.
And now, with games about to begin, it’s time to predict how these playoffs will go.
A collection of 20 Sportsnet insiders, reporters, and contributors share their picks for the first round all the way through to who they think will be lifting the Stanley Cup in June and who will be awarded the Conn Smythe.
David Amber: Sabres in 5
Caroline Cameron: Sabres in 5
Justin Bourne: Sabres in 7
Luke Fox: Sabres in 7
Eric Engels: Bruins in 7
Mark Spector: Sabres in 5
Eric Francis: Sabres in 6
Iain MacIntyre: Sabres in 7
Sam Cosentino: Sabres in 7
Jason Bukala: Sabres in 6
Ryan Dixon: Sabres in 5
Matt Marchese: Sabres in 6
Mike Futa: Sabres in 6
Anna Dua: Sabres in 6
Adam Vingan: Sabres in 6
Michael Amato: Bruins in 6
Wayne Scanlan: Sabres in 6
Emily Sadler: Sabres in 7
Sonny Sachdeva: Sabres in 6
Rory Boylen: Bruins in 6
David Amber: Canadiens in 6
Caroline Cameron: Canadiens in 6
Justin Bourne: Lightning in 7
Luke Fox: Lightning in 7
Eric Engels: Canadiens in 6
Mark Spector: Canadiens in 7
Eric Francis: Lightning in 6
Iain MacIntyre: Lightning in 6
Sam Cosentino: Canadiens in 6
Jason Bukala: Canadiens in 7
Ryan Dixon: Lightning in 7
Matt Marchese: Canadiens in 7
Mike Futa: Lightning in 6
Anna Dua: Lightning in 7
Adam Vingan: Lightning in 7
Michael Amato: Lightning in 7
Wayne Scanlan: Lightning in 7
Emily Sadler: Lightning in 6
Sonny Sachdeva: Lightning in 7
Rory Boylen: Canadiens in 6
David Amber: Senators in 7
Caroline Cameron: Senators in 7
Justin Bourne: Hurricanes in 7
Luke Fox: Senators in 6
Eric Engels: Hurricanes in 6
Mark Spector: Hurricanes in 6
Eric Francis: Hurricanes in 5
Iain MacIntyre: Senators in 6
Sam Cosentino: Senators in 6
Jason Bukala: Senators in 6
Ryan Dixon: Hurricanes in 7
Matt Marchese: Senators in 7
Mike Futa: Senators in 7
Anna Dua: Hurricanes in 6
Adam Vingan: Hurricanes in 6
Michael Amato: Senators in 7
Wayne Scanlan: Senators in 6
Emily Sadler: Hurricanes in 6
Sonny Sachdeva: Hurricanes in 6
Rory Boylen: Hurricanes in 6
PITTSBURGH vs. PHILADELPHIA
David Amber: Flyers in 7
Caroline Cameron: Penguins in 6
Justin Bourne: Penguins in 6
Luke Fox: Penguins in 7
Eric Engels: Penguins in 7
Mark Spector: Flyers in 7
Eric Francis: Penguins in 6
Iain MacIntyre: Flyers in 7
Sam Cosentino: Penguins in 7
Jason Bukala: Flyers in 7
Ryan Dixon: Flyers in 6
Matt Marchese: Penguins in 6
Mike Futa: Penguins in 6
Anna Dua: Penguins in 7
Adam Vingan: Flyers in 7
Michael Amato: Penguins in 6
Wayne Scanlan: Penguins in 6
Emily Sadler: Penguins in 7
Sonny Sachdeva: Penguins in 5
Rory Boylen: Penguins in 5
David Amber: Avalanche in 5
Caroline Cameron: Avalanche in 5
Justin Bourne: Avalanche in 4
Luke Fox: Avalanche in 5
Eric Engels: Avalanche in 4
Mark Spector: Avalanche in 5
Eric Francis: Avalanche in 4
Iain MacIntyre: Avalanche in 4
Sam Cosentino: Avalanche in 5
Jason Bukala: Avalanche in 4
Ryan Dixon: Avalanche in 4
Matt Marchese: Avalanche in 5
Mike Futa: Avalanche in 5
Anna Dua: Avalanche in 4
Adam Vingan: Avalanche in 4
Michael Amato: Avalanche in 5
Wayne Scanlan: Avalanche in 5
Emily Sadler: Avalanche in 4
Sonny Sachdeva: Avalanche in 5
Rory Boylen: Avalanche in 4
David Amber: Stars in 6
Caroline Cameron: Stars in 6
Justin Bourne: Stars in 7
Luke Fox: Stars in 7
Eric Engels: Stars in 7
Mark Spector: Wild in 7
Eric Francis: Stars in 6
Iain MacIntyre: Stars in 6
Sam Cosentino: Stars in 7
Jason Bukala: Stars in 7
Ryan Dixon: Stars in 5
Matt Marchese: Wild in 7
Mike Futa: Wild in 7
Anna Dua: Wild in 7
Adam Vingan: Wild in 7
Michael Amato: Stars in 7
Wayne Scanlan: Stars in 6
Emily Sadler: Wild in 7
Sonny Sachdeva: Stars in 7
Rory Boylen: Stars in 6
David Amber: Golden Knights in 6
Caroline Cameron: Golden Knights in 7
Justin Bourne: Golden Knights in 6
Luke Fox: Mammoth in 6
Eric Engels: Golden Knights in 6
Mark Spector: Golden Knights in 6
Eric Francis: Golden Knights in 6
Iain MacIntyre: Golden Knights in 7
Sam Cosentino: Mammoth in 7
Jason Bukala: Golden Knights in 6
Ryan Dixon: Golden Knights in 6
Matt Marchese: Mammoth in 7
Mike Futa: Golden Knights in 7
Anna Dua: Golden Knights in 6
Adam Vingan: Golden Knights in 6
Michael Amato: Golden Knights in 6
Wayne Scanlan: Golden Knights in 6
Emily Sadler: Mammoth in 7
Sonny Sachdeva: Golden Knights in 6
Rory Boylen: Mammoth in 6
David Amber: Oilers in 6
Caroline Cameron: Oilers in 6
Justin Bourne: Oilers in 5
Luke Fox: Oilers in 5
Eric Engels: Oilers in 6
Mark Spector: Oilers in 5
Eric Francis: Oilers in 6
Iain MacIntyre: Oilers in 5
Sam Cosentino: Oilers in 6
Jason Bukala: Oilers in 7
Ryan Dixon: Oilers in 5
Matt Marchese: Oilers in 6
Mike Futa: Oilers in 5
Anna Dua: Oilers in 6
Adam Vingan: Oilers in 6
Michael Amato: Oilers in 6
Wayne Scanlan: Oilers in 6
Emily Sadler: Oilers in 5
Sonny Sachdeva: Oilers in 6
Rory Boylen: Ducks in 6
David Amber: Dallas
Caroline Cameron: Colorado
Justin Bourne: Colorado
Luke Fox: Edmonton
Eric Engels: Dallas
Mark Spector: Buffalo
Eric Francis: Tampa Bay
Iain MacIntyre: Colorado
Sam Cosentino: Edmonton
Jason Bukala: Colorado
Ryan Dixon: Dallas
Matt Marchese: Colorado
Mike Futa: Edmonton
Anna Dua: Colorado
Adam Vingan: Tampa Bay
Michael Amato: Colorado
Wayne Scanlan: Colorado
Emily Sadler: Colorado
Sonny Sachdeva: Colorado
Rory Boylen: Montreal
David Amber: Ottawa
Caroline Cameron: Montreal
Justin Bourne: Carolina
Luke Fox: Ottawa
Eric Engels: Montreal
Mark Spector: Colorado
Eric Francis: Edmonton
Iain MacIntyre: Tampa Bay
Sam Cosentino: Ottawa
Jason Bukala: Ottawa
Ryan Dixon: Buffalo
Matt Marchese: Buffalo
Mike Futa: Tampa Bay
Anna Dua: Tampa Bay
Adam Vingan: Colorado
Michael Amato: Ottawa
Wayne Scanlan: Tampa Bay
Emily Sadler: Tampa Bay
Sonny Sachdeva: Tampa Bay
Rory Boylen: Colorado
David Amber: Mikko Rantanen
Caroline Cameron: Nathan MacKinnon
Justin Bourne: Nathan MacKinnon
Luke Fox: Connor McDavid
Eric Engels: Miro Heiskanen
Mark Spector: Rasmus Dahlin
Eric Francis: Nikita Kucherov
Iain MacIntyre: Nathan MacKinnon
Sam Cosentino: Leon Draisaitl
Jason Bukala: Nathan MacKinnon
Ryan Dixon: Mikko Rantanen
Matt Marchese: Nathan MacKinnon
Mike Futa: Connor McDavid
Anna Dua: Nathan MacKinnon
Adam Vingan: Brandon Hagel
Michael Amato: Cale Makar
Wayne Scanlan: Nathan MacKinnon
Emily Sadler: Nathan MacKinnon
Sonny Sachdeva: Nathan MacKinnon
Rory Boylen: Juraj Slafkovsky