2025 NHL Playoffs: B/R Staff First-Round Predictions

The quest for Lord Stanley's Cup gets underway this weekend as the 16 best teams in the NHL notch up the intensity for the 2025 playoffs.

Will the Florida Panthers repeat as champions? Can a Canadian team end the country's Cup drought? Are the Washington Capitals about to complete a storybook season with a title?

The B/R NHL staff looks ahead to the first round and provides their predictions for every series.

Share your thoughts on the playoffs in the comments section of the app!

Capitals vs. Canadiens is a tale of two seasons: The Capitals flirted with the Presidents’ Trophy, clinched the playoffs on March 20, and had a month or so to take the foot off the gas and rehab some players to get postseason ready. 

The Canadiens went on one heck of a second-half run and owned the most third-period come-from-behind wins in the league, culminating in a wild-card spot clinched in the final game of their season. 

Washington scored the second-most goals in the NHL this season, led by Alex Ovechkin’s successful chase for the all-time goals record.

But don’t get it twisted–the Caps aren’t just the Ovechkin show this year, with Tom Wilson’s 33 goals, Dylan Strome’s team-leading 81 points, and the youth movement featuring Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael entering the chat. Add offseason acquisitions Jakob Chychrun and Pierre-Luc Dubois fitting in better than Washington could’ve hoped, and you’ve got an all-around great team. 

In Montreal, captain Nick Suzuki stepped up for a career year, as did Cole Caufield. Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson ran away as the Calder Trophy favorite as he tied the league record for assists by a rookie defenseman. 

Oh, and don’t look now, but Ivan Demidov just got to Montreal and started his career with one goal and two points in two games. You can’t underestimate the potential of a fresh, potentially elite player coming in and picking up some slack on a scrappy team.

The Capitals are heavy favorites given their consistency all season, record, and offensive depth. But can Alex Ovechkin keep his record-setting season going, or will he run out of steam? Further, goaltender Logan Thompson has missed time down the stretch. Is he fully healthy and ready to play?

On Montreal’s end, the Habs were struggling a bit at the end of the season to clinch the playoff spot and let the Blackhawks come back from a two-goal deficit to win in a shootout. Was this a sign of the team turning into a pumpkin, or a non-issue we shouldn’t overthink? Will goaltender Sam Montembeault return to form after a rough April in an otherwise positive season in net?

The Capitals have a clear edge in virtually every category. This Montreal core is coming together in front of our eyes, and it’s a thrill to watch. But in one of Ovechkin’s last chances to go for a Cup, the Bandz will Make Him Dance. 

Prediction: Capitals in 5

—Sara Civian

The Devils vs. Hurricanes could be the best tactical matchup of the first round.

The Carolina Hurricanes keep pucks in the offensive zone better than anyone else. When the puck is in their end, they recover possession quickly and collaborate brilliantly in five-man units to exit the zone with possession.

When the puck is in the offensive zone, they are hyper-aggressive to maintain play in the zone. Rod Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes are the kings of winning territory and holding territory.

The Devils, meanwhile, are fantastic at creating rush chances from the neutral zone. This could create an interesting dynamic in which the Hurricanes are frequently moving pucks out of their own end only for the Devils to retrieve and quickly attack again. The Hurricanes are vulnerable to conceding those types of entries and subpar goaltending on rush chances has hurt them for years.

Unfortunately, the Devils are impaired. Jack Hughes, a superstar who is an elite creator through neutral zone entries, is out for the season. Dougie Hamilton, the team’s best defenseman, is very banged up. Jonas Siegenthaler is built to defend territory and move pucks out of the defensive zone, which would counter the Hurricanes’ attempts to gain territory and create turnovers. He’s not fully healthy and may miss some of the series.

In a situation where both teams are healthy, this is a true coin flip. It’s hard for any team to persevere through injuries to its first-line center and top-two defensemen. The Devils have enough talent and identity to win this series, particularly if Jacob Markstrom is at his top level. The reality is that health and home-ice advantage push the confidence interval cleanly in the direction of the Hurricanes.

Prediction: Hurricanes in 5

—Adam Herman

It's been 21 years since the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators faced off in the playoffs. It shouldn't take long for this generation's “Battle of Ontario” to become as intense as those of yesteryear.

The Leafs won all four of their previous postseason series. However, the Senators swept their three meetings this season, outscoring their opponent 9-3.

Led by The Core Four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares, the Leafs were seventh this season in goals per game (3.25). The Senators were 21st (2.90) but possess dangerous scorers like team captain Brad Tkachuk, smooth playmaker Tim Stützle and skilled sniper Drake Batherson.

Both clubs are defensively much closer, with Toronto giving up just 2.79 goals against per game to Ottawa's 2.80. The Leafs possess notable veteran defensemen like Morgan Rielly, Brandon Carlo and Chris Tanev, while the Senators counter with mobile blueliners Thomas Chabot and rising star Jake Sanderson.

The Senators have former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark between the pipes, but his postseason stats aren't as stellar as his regular-season numbers. Leafs goalies Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz have good numbers this season, but limited playoff resumes.

Toronto has a slight advantage in special team play. They're seventh in power-play percentage (25.0) to the 13th overall Senators (23.5) and are 17th on the penalty kill (78.1 percent) while the Sens (77.9) are 19th.

Despite the Senators' regular-season sweep, the playoffs are an entirely different situation. The Leafs have one playoff series win since 2016-17, but they have considerably more experience than the Senators, which could make the difference.

Prediction: Maple Leafs in 7

—Lyle Richardson

For the fourth time in five years, the Panthers and Lightning will wage the Battle of Florida. This series has proved to be decisive for the Eastern Conference in the past, as the winner has gone on to the Stanley Cup Final each time.

No one will argue the credentials of the Florida Panthers as an elite NHL team. Their underlying metrics are excellent: They're second in Corsi percentage and expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick. They have a battle-tested group that has gone to the Cup Final two years in a row, led by captain Aleksandar Barkov, and plays an unrelenting style that is nightmarish for opponents.

The question is if they've paid too high a price in the last two seasons for their run to continue.

Matthew Tkachuk remains a question mark to start the playoffs on time, still nagged by a groin injury. Agitator Sam Bennett just recently returned to the lineup after being expected to be out for the rest of the season. Barkov and Gustav Forsling are being rested ahead of the playoffs to protect them from injuries suffered earlier this season.

It's one thing if this were a healthy Panthers team. It's another if they're far from 100 percent.

Oh, by the way? There's a really good team on the other side of the rink.

Much of the core that has won two Stanley Cups for the Tampa Bay Lightning remains in place and any team that has Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and, most importantly, Andrei Vasilevskiy, is going to have more than just a puncher's chance. Jake Guentzel is a proven playoff performer and the trade deadline additions of Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand have rounded out the lineup, giving Tampa the necessary depth for a long run.

Where the series will be won is in net and Vasilevskiy would be a strong contender for the Vezina Trophy if not for the fact that Connor Hellebuyck is having a superhuman season. Sergei Bobrovsky can steal a series, but if he plays as inconsistently as he has this season, the Panthers will be golfing early this Spring.

Make no mistake about it, this will be a coin-flip series that will be intense, nasty and fun to watch for the neutral. But Tampa will (just) get by.

Prediction: Lightning in 7

—Lucky Ngamwajasat

Are you already missing the 4 Nations Face-Off? Great news for you: This Jets vs. Blues first-round series is a rematch between goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington. This is also a rematch of that 2019 first round in which the favored Jets lost before the Blues went on to win the Stanley Cup. 

Now it’s 2025 and things look a bit different.

Binnington led Team Canada to a 4 Nations victory, and his play has improved along with his surging Blues’ ever since – but he’s ending the season at .900 flat with some big, early blemishes that can’t be ignored. Hellebuyck is the best regular-season goalie of our time, but he hasn’t yet been able to prove himself beyond that, and the 4 Nations defeat via Binnington was our most recent reminder.

He led the Jets to the Presidents’ Trophy this year in one of his strongest seasons, ending with a league-best .200 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. Both of those figures are above his career average, so this might be his best chance to translate to the postseason. Still, there’s some concern when you consider his history – and the history of these Jets failing to take their talents to the postseason.

This series is the true pick-your-poison situation in the West’s first round. Would you rather be the team with the best record of the regular season, with all the sturdiness and capability in the world? Or would you rather be the team that caught fire for a franchise record 12-game winning streak, hungry and looking to crash the party?

The Avalanche handled the Jets pretty easily last playoffs after the Jets had a 110-point regular season, and it was just the latest in a slew of Winnipeg postseason disappointments. There’s immense pressure on the team to right the course. At least Kyle Connor and Mark Schiefele are having wonderful seasons, and the league’s No. 1 power play has been a newfound strength. With Nikolaj Ehlers likely out for the series, though, the first unit takes a huge hit.

Meanwhile, St. Louis’ budding star Robert Thomas ended the season in a 12-game point streak and 81 points on the season despite an early injury. It looks like offer sheet acquisition Dylan Holloway, who’s contributed 26 goals, will be out for the Blues and that’s a huge blow to the offense not exactly known for its star power. 

The Blues are going to give the Jets problems, and the Jets are going to be in their heads, given the extensive playoff history between these two teams and the Jets’ inability to make a meaningful Cup run in the past. Ultimately, though, this is a different season and the leaders in Winnipeg are better equipped to handle pressure than they have been in the past. Plus, Hellebuyck knows one more disappointing playoff run will negatively affect his legacy. 

Objectively, the Jets have more depth and a better chance at stopping pucks. With Holloway out, the Blues' scoring threats are a concern.

Prediction: Jets in 6

—Sara Civian

Teams heading into the playoffs in any sport generally want to be playing well and clicking before playing do-or-die games to attempt to win a championship. The Dallas Stars are going about things differently as they head into their battle against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Stars closed out the regular season on a seven-game losing streak (0-5-2) that came on the heels of a seven-game winning streak. They’re also going to start the playoffs trying to wrangle Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar without defenseman Miro Heiskanen in at least Game 1. Forward Jason Robertson also ended the regular season, leaving the Stars’ final game with a lower-body injury. Tyler Seguin returned in time for the postseason, however, and anything positive is a good thing for Dallas.

Colorado isn’t exactly roaring into the playoffs either, going 4-4-1 following a four-game win streak, but they’ve got their top players in the lineup and might get captain Gabriel Landeskog back for the first time since the Avs won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

The cosmos does not appear to be very well aligned for the Stars, but they have Jake Oettinger in goal, who can make even the most stacked odds against them a lot more even. Mackenzie Blackwood has been outstanding in goal for Colorado, though, and considering the war these two teams had in the second round last year, this should be one of the most entertaining first-round series.

Prediction: Avalanche in 6

—Joe Yerdon

It seems a little crazy to say about a team that won its division and finished with one of the NHL's best records during the regular season, but the Vegas Golden Knights seem to be sneaking into the Stanley Cup Playoffs a little under the radar. So much focus has been put on the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, but the Golden Knights are right there with all of them.

Are there questions and some concerns? Absolutely, especially in goal where they do not really have a high-end starter. But when this team is healthy, it is a legitimate contender with high-end talent at all levels of the roster.

Jack Eichel is playing like an MVP, Mark Stone is still an outstanding two-way player, and a healthy Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo completely change the outlook of the defense.

The fact that Minnesota is even in the playoffs at this point is something of an accomplishment. Not only because it was still dealing with the biggest years of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts, but also because it was absolutely ravaged by injuries throughout the season. The most significant of those was the one that knocked Kirill Kaprizov out for half of the season.

They are healthier going into the playoffs, and they should have the goaltending edge with both Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury, but Vegas simply has too much depth.

The other big drama here could be if Fleury ends up playing in this series for the Wild.

It would be an opportunity to get some revenge on the team that benched him several years ago in the playoffs and then traded him away after winning the Vezina Trophy. It would make for a great story, but it is far more likely that the Golden Knights are going to send him into retirement.

Prediction: Golden Knights in 6

—Adam Gretz

One good series deserves another. And another. And apparently another.

It's true, the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers will meet for the fourth straight year and the 11th time in their history when first-round pucks drop this weekend.

It's the second time the franchises have gotten together four straight times, the first having come as the rivalry revved up when Wayne Gretzky transitioned from northern Alberta to southern California. Regardless of the players, though, it's typically been an Edmonton-dominated affair, with the Oilers winning eight of the previous 10.

The Kings haven't eliminated an Edmonton team since Gretzky's inaugural season in silver and black, when Los Angeles rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the two-time defending champion Oilers in seven games in the spring of 1989.

Edmonton swept Los Angeles the following season on the way to a fifth Stanley Cup in 1990 and beat its then-Smythe Division rival again in 1991 and 1992.

The Oilers have won each of the first three meetings in this era, too, having advanced to the Stanley Cup Final after dumping the Kings in five games last spring.

But only the biggest Edmonton apologist wouldn't say it feels different this time.

Los Angeles clinched home-ice advantage with a 5-0 defeat of the Oilers on Monday night and it's particularly important given that the Kings are the NHL's premier home team with a league-high 31 wins at Crypto.com Arena.

They're still barely above the middle of the pack when it comes to scoring, but coach Jim Hiller's squad made a quantum leap on the back end last June with the deal that brought Darcy Kuemper from Washington.

The 34-year-old has been steady all season with a career-best 2.02 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage that's his best in five years, and a win total (31) that's second only to his Cup-winning run with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22.

Meanwhile, Edmonton has limped, literally, to the finish line with many of its highest-profile players–Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and others–missing multiple games with injuries. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm has already been ruled out of the series, and goalie Stuart Skinner has played just once since a concussion sustained in a game against Dallas in late March.

Skinner could be supplanted by career backup Calvin Pickard, whose 31 starts this season were his most since 2016-17. Pickard made a pair of starts and a relief appearance for the Oilers in last season's playoffs, too, and stopped 54 of 59 shots.

Make no mistake, it's possible Edmonton could get some additional jam with the returns of Evander Kane, who's missed all season, and Trent Frederic, who skated just two shifts since a deadline-week trade from Boston. And it's also possible the unplanned time off will be a boon for the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl.

But given L.A.'s health, its marked improvement from last season, and its overwhelming superiority on home ice, it feels like even getting Gretzky back wouldn't be enough to keep the Oilers' first-round streak alive.

Prediction: Kings in 5

—Lyle Fitzsimmons