The NHL season 2024-25 is officially in the rear view mirror. Sixteen of the League teams made the after-season supportand 16 have been eliminated.
Before the start of the first round series, ESPN experts identified their choices for each confrontation, as well as the team that won the Stanley Cup in June and the player who won the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP in the playoffs).
More: Complete calendar
Megapreview
Guide to deferred fans
Paris Intel
Defects
Atlantic division
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: SIX Senators
Meghan Chayka: Maple Leafs in five
Ryan S. Clark: Senators in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Maple Leafs in six
Ray Ferraro: Maple Leafs in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Maple Leafs in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Maple Leafs in five
Vince Masi: Senators in seven
Victoria Matipsh: Maple Leafs in six
Sean McDonough: SIX Senators
Mark Messier: Maple Leafs in six
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 (16 of 20 choices)
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
Rachel Doerrie: Lightning in seven
Ray Ferraro: Lightning in six
Tim Kavanagh: Lightning in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Lightning in seven
Vince Masi: Lightning in six
Victoria Matipsh: Panthers in six
Sean McDonough: Lightning in seven
Mark Messier: Lightning in seven
Arda Öcal: Panthers in six
Kristen Shilton: Lightning in seven
Bob Wischusen: Lightning in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Lightning in seven
Consensus prediction: Lightning (15 of 20 choices)
Metropolitan division
Sean Allen: Six capital
Blake Bolden: Canadian 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: Six capital
Rachel Doerrie: Capitals in five
Ray Ferraro: Capitals in five
Tim Kavanagh: Capitals in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Capitals in five
Vince Masi: Six capital
Victoria Matipsh: Canadians in seven
Sean McDonough: Canadian in six
Mark Messier: Six capital
Arda Öcal: Canadians in seven
Kristen Shilton: Capitals in seven
Bob Wischusen: Canadians in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Capitals in five
Consensus prediction: Capitals (16 of the 20 choices)
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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
Rachel Doerrie: Hurricanes in six
Ray Ferraro: Hurricanes in six
Tim Kavanagh: Devils in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes in six
Vince Masi: Hurricanes in seven
Victoria Matipsh: 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 (16 of the 20 choices)
Central division
Sean Allen: Jets in five
Blake Bolden: Six jets
John Buccigross: Jets in seven
Ryan Callahan: Six jets
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Jets in five
Sachin Chandan: Jets in four
Meghan Chayka: Blues in six
Ryan S. Clark: Jets in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Blues in seven
Ray Ferraro: Jets in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Jets in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Six jets
Vince Masi: Jets in seven
Victoria Matipsh: Six jets
Sean McDonough: Jets in five
Mark Messier: Six jets
Arda Öcal: Blues in six
Kristen Shilton: Six jets
Bob Wischusen: Six jets
Greg Wyshynski: Jets in five
Consensus prediction: Jets (17 of the 20 choices)
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
Rachel Doerrie: Avalanche in six
Ray Ferraro: Avalanche in six
Tim Kavanagh: Stars in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche in seven
Vince Masi: Avalanche in five
Victoria Matipsh: Avalanche in six
Sean McDonough: Avalanche in six
Mark Messier: Avalanche in five
Arda Öcal: Avalanche in seven
Kristen Shilton: Avalanche in six
Bob Wischusen: Avalanche in six
Greg Wyshynski: Stars in seven
Consensus prediction: Avalanche (16 of the 20 choices)
Pacific division
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
Rachel Doerrie: Golden Knights in six
Ray Ferraro: Golden Knights in five
Tim Kavanagh: Golden Knights in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden Knights in five
Vince Masi: Golden Knights in six
Victoria Matipsh: Golden Knights in six
Sean McDonough: Golden Knights in five
Mark Messier: Golden Knights in five
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 (19 out of 20 choices)
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: Six oilers
Ryan S. Clark: Oilers in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Kings in seven
Ray Ferraro: Kings in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Kings in five
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Kings in seven
Vince Masi: Oilers in seven
Victoria Matipsh: Kings in six
Sean McDonough: Kings in seven
Mark Messier: Six oilers
Arda Öcal: Six oilers
Kristen Shilton: Six oilers
Bob Wischusen: Kings in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Six oilers
Consensus prediction: Kings (12 of the 20 choices)
1:05
Mark Messier: Kings will be a problem for the Oilers
Mark Messier explains why the Kings are a different team this year and have a greater challenge for the Oilers.
Stanley Cup
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
Rachel Doerrie: Avalanche
Ray Ferraro: Golden knights
Tim Kavanagh: Golden knights
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden knights
Vince Masi: Lightning
Victoria Matipsh: Plane
Sean McDonough: Golden knights
Mark Messier: Oilers
Arda Öcal: Maple Leafs
Kristen Shilton: Avalanche
Bob Wischusen: Plane
Greg Wyshynski: Stars
Distribution of predictions: Golden Knights (7), Avalanche (5), Maple Leafs (2), Jets (2), Lightning (1), Oilers (1), Stars (1)
Conn Smythe (MVP eliminatory)
Sean Allen: Mitch Marner
John Buccigross: BROCK Nelson
Ryan Callahan: Jack Eichel
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: MAKAR holder
Sachin Chandan: Nathan Mackinnon
Meghan Chayka: Jack Eichel
Ryan S. Clark: Jack Eichel
Rachel Doerrie: Nathan Mackinnon
Ray Ferraro: Jack Eichel
Tim Kavanagh: Jack Eichel
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Jack Eichel
Vince Masi: Brayden Point
Victoria Matipsh: Connor Hellebuyck
Sean McDonough: Jack Eichel
Mark Messier: Connor McDavid
Arda Öcal: William Nylander
Kristen Shilton: Nathan Mackinnon
Bob Wischusen: Connor Hellebuyck
Greg Wyshynski: Jake Oettinger
Distribution of predictions: Jack Eichel (8), Nathan Mackinnon (3), Connor Hellebuyck (2), Mitch Marner (1), Brock Nelson (1), Cale Makar (1), Brayden Point (1), Connor McDavid (1), William Nylander (1), Jake Oettinger (1)