Picks: First-round series, cup champ, Conn Smythe

18.04.2026, 15:07 espn.com

The 2025-26 NHL regular season is officially in the books. Sixteen of the league's teams have made the postseason bracket, and 16 have been eliminated.

Before the first-round series begin, ESPN's experts have identified their picks for each matchup, along with the team that will win the Stanley Cup in June and the player who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

More: Full scheduleMega-previewLapsed fan's guideStanley Cup oddsFlaws for each team

Sean Allen: Bruins in sixJohn Buccigross: Sabres in sevenStormy Buonantony: Sabres in sevenCassie Campbell-Pascall: Sabres in sixSachin Chandan: Sabres in sevenMeghan Chayka: BruinsRyan S. Clark: Sabres in sevenGregg Colli: Sabres in sixRay Ferraro: Sabres in sevenErik Johnson: Bruins in sixEmily Kaplan: Sabres in sevenTim Kavanagh: Sabres in fiveRachel Kryshak: Sabres in sixPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Bruins in sevenSteve Levy: Sabres in sevenVince Masi: Bruins in sevenVictoria Matiash: Bruins in sevenSean McDonough: Sabres in sixMark Messier: Sabres in sixArda Öcal: Sabres in sixT.J. Oshie: Sabres in sixKristen Shilton: Sabres in sixBob Wischusen: Sabres in sixGreg Wyshynski: Sabres in five

Consensus prediction: Sabres (18 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Lightning in fiveJohn Buccigross: Lightning in sevenStormy Buonantony: Lightning in sevenCassie Campbell-Pascall: Lightning in sevenSachin Chandan: Lightning in sixMeghan Chayka: LightningRyan S. Clark: Lightning in sixGregg Colli: Canadiens in sevenRay Ferraro: Lightning in sixErik Johnson: Canadiens in sevenEmily Kaplan: Lightning in sixTim Kavanagh: Canadiens in sixRachel Kryshak: Lightning in sevenPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Lightning in sixSteve Levy: Lightning in sevenVince Masi: Lightning in sixVictoria Matiash: Lightning in sixSean McDonough: Canadiens in sevenMark Messier: Lightning in sevenArda Öcal: Canadiens in sixT.J. Oshie: Lightning in sevenKristen Shilton: Lightning in sevenBob Wischusen: Lightning in sevenGreg Wyshynski: Lightning in six

Consensus prediction: Lightning (19 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Hurricanes in sevenJohn Buccigross: Hurricanes in sevenStormy Buonantony: Hurricanes in sixCassie Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in fiveSachin Chandan: Senators in sixMeghan Chayka: HurricanesRyan S. Clark: Hurricanes in sixGregg Colli: Hurricanes in fiveRay Ferraro: Hurricanes in sixErik Johnson: Hurricanes in sixEmily Kaplan: Hurricanes in sevenTim Kavanagh: Hurricanes in fiveRachel Kryshak: Hurricanes in sixPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes in sixSteve Levy: Senators in sevenVince Masi: Hurricanes in sevenVictoria Matiash: Hurricanes in sevenSean McDonough: Hurricanes in fiveMark Messier: Hurricanes in sixArda Öcal: Hurricanes in sixT.J. Oshie: Senators in sevenKristen Shilton: Hurricanes in sixBob Wischusen: Hurricanes in sixGreg Wyshynski: Hurricanes in seven

Consensus prediction: Hurricanes (21 of 24 picks)

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Sean Allen: Penguins in sixJohn Buccigross: Penguins in sevenStormy Buonantony: Flyers in sixCassie Campbell-Pascall: Penguins in sixSachin Chandan: Penguins in fiveMeghan Chayka: PenguinsRyan S. Clark: Penguins in sevenGregg Colli: Penguins in sixRay Ferraro: Penguins in sevenErik Johnson: Flyers in sixEmily Kaplan: Penguins in sevenTim Kavanagh: Flyers in sixRachel Kryshak: Penguins in sevenPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Penguins in sixSteve Levy: Flyers in sevenVince Masi: Penguins in sixVictoria Matiash: Penguins in sixSean McDonough: Penguins in sixMark Messier: Penguins in sevenArda Öcal: Penguins in sixT.J. Oshie: Penguins in fiveKristen Shilton: Penguins in fiveBob Wischusen: Penguins in sixGreg Wyshynski: Flyers in six

Consensus prediction: Penguins (19 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Avalanche in fourJohn Buccigross: Avalanche in fourStormy Buonantony: Avalanche in fiveCassie Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in fiveSachin Chandan: Avalanche in fourMeghan Chayka: AvalancheRyan S. Clark: Avalanche in sixGregg Colli: Avalanche in fourRay Ferraro: Avalanche in fiveErik Johnson: Avalanche in sixEmily Kaplan: Avalanche in fiveTim Kavanagh: Avalanche in fourRachel Kryshak: Avalanche in fivePeter Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche in fiveSteve Levy: Avalanche in fiveVince Masi: Avalanche in fiveVictoria Matiash: Avalanche in fiveSean McDonough: Avalanche in fiveMark Messier: Avalanche in fourArda Öcal: Avalanche in sixT.J. Oshie: Avalanche in fourKristen Shilton: Avalanche in fiveBob Wischusen: Avalanche in fiveGreg Wyshynski: Avalanche in five

Consensus prediction: Avalanche (24 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Wild in sevenJohn Buccigross: Wild in sevenStormy Buonantony: Wild in sixCassie Campbell-Pascall: Wild in sevenSachin Chandan: Stars in sevenMeghan Chayka: WildRyan S. Clark: Stars in sixGregg Colli: Wild in sevenRay Ferraro: Stars in sevenErik Johnson: Stars in sevenEmily Kaplan: Wild in sevenTim Kavanagh: Stars in sevenRachel Kryshak: Stars in sevenPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Stars in sevenSteve Levy: Wild in sevenVince Masi: Wild in sixVictoria Matiash: Wild in sevenSean McDonough: Stars in sevenMark Messier: Wild in sixArda Öcal: Wild in sixT.J. Oshie: Wild in sevenKristen Shilton: Stars in sevenBob Wischusen: Stars in sevenGreg Wyshynski: Stars in seven

Consensus prediction: Wild (13 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Mammoth in sevenJohn Buccigross: Golden Knights in sevenStormy Buonantony: Golden Knights in sixCassie Campbell-Pascall: Mammoth in sixSachin Chandan: Golden Knights in fiveMeghan Chayka: Golden KnightsRyan S. Clark: Mammoth in sevenGregg Colli: Golden Knights in sixRay Ferraro: Golden Knights in sixErik Johnson: Golden Knights in sixEmily Kaplan: Golden Knights in sevenTim Kavanagh: Golden Knights in sevenRachel Kryshak: Golden Knights in fivePeter Lawrence-Riddell: Mammoth in sevenSteve Levy: Golden Knights in sixVince Masi: Golden Knights in sevenVictoria Matiash: Golden Knights in sevenSean McDonough: Golden Knights in sixMark Messier: Golden Knights in fiveArda Öcal: Mammoth in sevenT.J. Oshie: Golden Knights in sixKristen Shilton: Mammoth in sevenBob Wischusen: Golden Knights in sevenGreg Wyshynski: Golden Knights in six

Consensus prediction: Golden Knights (18 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Oilers in fiveJohn Buccigross: Oilers in fiveStormy Buonantony: Oilers in fiveCassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers in fiveSachin Chandan: Oilers in fiveMeghan Chayka: OilersRyan S. Clark: Oilers in sixGregg Colli: Oilers in fiveRay Ferraro: Oilers in sixErik Johnson: Oilers in fourEmily Kaplan: Oilers in sixTim Kavanagh: Ducks in sixRachel Kryshak: Oilers in sixPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Oilers in sevenSteve Levy: Oilers in sixVince Masi: Oilers in sixVictoria Matiash: Oilers in sixSean McDonough: Oilers in sixMark Messier: Oilers in fiveArda Öcal: Oilers in fiveT.J. Oshie: Oilers in fiveKristen Shilton: Oilers in sixBob Wischusen: Ducks in sixGreg Wyshynski: Oilers in four

Consensus prediction: Oilers (22 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: WildJohn Buccigross: AvalancheStormy Buonantony: WildCassie Campbell-Pascall: AvalancheSachin Chandan: LightningMeghan Chayka: AvalancheRyan S. Clark: AvalancheGregg Colli: Golden KnightsRay Ferraro: LightningErik Johnson: AvalancheEmily Kaplan: OilersTim Kavanagh: StarsRachel Kryshak: OilersPeter Lawrence-Riddell: AvalancheSteve Levy: SabresVince Masi: LightningVictoria Matiash: AvalancheSean McDonough: AvalancheMark Messier: OilersArda Öcal: OilersT.J. Oshie: AvalancheKristen Shilton: HurricanesBob Wischusen: AvalancheGreg Wyshynski: Avalanche

Prediction breakdown: Avalanche (11), Oilers (4), Lightning (3), Wild (2), Golden Knights (1), Stars (1), Sabres (1), Hurricanes (1)

Sean Allen: Kirill KaprizovJohn Buccigross: Nathan MacKinnonStormy Buonantony: Quinn HughesCassie Campbell-Pascall: Nathan MacKinnonSachin Chandan: Nikita KucherovMeghan Chayka: Nathan MacKinnonRyan S. Clark: Nathan MacKinnonGregg Colli: Mitch MarnerRay Ferraro: Andrei VasilevskiyErik Johnson: Nathan MacKinnonEmily Kaplan: Connor McDavidTim Kavanagh: Jake OettingerRachel Kryshak: Leon DraisaitlPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Nathan MacKinnonSteve Levy: Rasmus DahlinVince Masi: Nikita KucherovVictoria Matiash: Nathan MacKinnonSean McDonough: Nathan MacKinnonMark Messier: Connor McDavidArda Öcal: Connor McDavidT.J. Oshie: Nathan MacKinnonKristen Shilton: Andrei SvechnikovBob Wischusen: Nathan MacKinnonGreg Wyshynski: Nathan MacKinnon

Prediction breakdown: Nathan MacKinnon (11), Connor McDavid (3), Nikita Kucherov (2), Kirill Kaprizov (1), Quinn Hughes (1), Mitch Marner (1), Andrei Vasilevskiy (1), Jake Oettinger (1), Leon Draisaitl (1), Rasmus Dahlin (1), Andrei Svechnikov (1)