Stanley Cup Playoffs: Who Would Survive Round 1 If the Playoffs Started Today?

The regular season is far from over. Sure, no team has any more than 17 remaining games, but no team has clinched a playoff spot either. Much less has any seeding been decided.

So why speculate on how the Stanley Cup Playoffs will unfold when there likely will not be one current first-round matchup that ends up happening?

If anything, that's exactly why it's worthwhile to speculate. As a hockey fan, you only get one Stanley Cup Playoffs a year. And while that's probably good for player health, diehard fans like myself would love more.

And because we won't get to see many—if any—of these series, we won't have a chance to discuss and debate them once playoff time rolls around.

Why not speculate while we still can?

No. 1 New York Rangers vs. No. 8 Winnipeg Jets

The Eastern Conference has four tiers this season: There's the really bad teams, the mediocre teams, the good teams and the New York Rangers.

This would be a matchup of the best mediocre team versus the best team, and no matter who that mediocre team ends up being, New York will come out on top.

In this case, it happens to be the Jets. Winnipeg is one of the top-10 teams in the NHL at home, which would give them a chance to make it a long series if New York wasn't the league's No. 1 road team. In fact, the Rangers' road record is better than all but four home records around the league.

Speaking of which, they are also the third-best home team in the NHL, bad news for the league's sixth-worst road team.

Rangers in five. The Jets win Game 3 in front of their great fanbase, but are thoroughly dominated besides that.

Series MVP: Henrik Lundqvist

No. 2 Boston Bruins vs. No. 7 Ottawa Senators

In what looks like another big-time mismatch at first glance, a closer look reveals a different truth.

Ottawa is only two non-shootout wins behind Boston. Granted, the Bruins have three games in hand, but Ottawa rivals Boston in other areas as well.

The Senators have a winning record both at home and on the road, a plus team five-on-five, dangerous on the power play, and above 50 percent on draws. The only area where they really struggle is on the penalty kill, but the Bruins power play is their weakest component.

So the Sens will be competitive. Given that, they don't do anything well enough to really exploit Boston, and ultimately, don't have the necessary depth to win late in the series.

Bruins in seven. This matchup will throw Boston off just by being tougher than they may expect, but after falling behind two games to one, the Bruins will right the ship.

Series MVP: Milan Lucic

No. 3 Florida Panthers vs. No. 6 New Jersey Devils

Let me preface this by saying I still expect the Capitals to win the Southeast. They have four more non-shootout wins than Florida and a lot more pride at stake.

And even if Florida does make it in and faces New Jersey, the Devils will eliminate the Panthers.

Both teams are weak five-on-five and decent on the power play. But the Devils have the NHL's second-best penalty kill and fifth-best road record, two classic ingredients to winning as a lower seed.

While New Jersey may not have the depth to knock off a Boston or New York, if they hold onto the sixth seed, they will find themselves in the second round.

Devils in five. New Jersey wins Game 1 and grabs momentum they never relinquish, winning another road game to clinch it in Game 5. Florida fails to score a power-play goal.

Series MVP: Adam Henrique

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers

The two best hockey teams in Pennsylvania meet up in round one of the playoffs.

Much of the outcome of this series will depend on who's healthy on each side, particularly if Sidney Crosby plays and how well he plays.

I've stood by the opinion all year that Pittsburgh with a healthy Sid is the best team in the NHL. But as the season has worn on, I've become more and more doubtful that we'll see the real Sidney Crosby again this season, if he plays at all.

Without Sid, the Flyers have a couple clear edges while neutralizing Pittsburgh's strengths. Philly has four more non-shootout wins. Their road record neutralizes Pittsburgh's home-ice advantage, and their high-octane power play could cool Pittsuburgh's awesome penalty kill.

Flyers in six. If Ilya Bryzgalov raises his game even a little, Philly will have no trouble supporting him on the scoreboard.

Series MVP: Claude Giroux

No. 1 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 8 San Jose Sharks

Wow, did I type that wrong?

At the beginning of this season, Sharks-Blues did not seem unlikely as a first-round series, or even a one-versus-eight matchup. The Sharks have been a top-two seed four years running, and St. Louis had an eventful offseason and was a common pick to join the playoff picture.

Of course, the seeding was flipped in that preseason scenario, as was the projected outcome. Everything St. Louis has done right this year—win at home, hold leads, play hard, play deliberate—San Jose has struggled with.

After the Blues' decisive 3-1 win in San Jose four nights ago gave them the 4-0-0 season series sweep, this series looks like a likely snoozer.

If San Jose ends up as a low seed, they have a great chance at upsetting a team like Detroit, Nashville or whoever wins the Pacific. If they meet St. Louis, they're going to be quickly disposed of.

Blues in five. The Sharks can't win in St. Louis and slip up at home in Game 4. Todd McLellan finds a new job this summer.

Series MVP: Kevin Shattenkirk

No. 2 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 7 Phoenix Coyotes

The Rangers and Blues may have the better record right now, but no team in the NHL is as good as the Canucks.

Vancouver is in the league's top seven teams at home, on the road, five-on-five, on the power play, on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle.

So how do you beat them? You be as well-rounded, tough defensively, deep offensively, amazing in net and mentally unflappable as last year's Bruins.

The Coyotes don't quite fit that criteria. They were dominated by Detroit in the first round last year and don't look like a more dangerous team this season. Their only hope is that the Canucks overlook them, but they are too determined and too well-coached to do that.

Canucks in four. A couple games will be close. A couple won't.

Series MVP: Daniel Sedin

No. 3 Dallas Stars vs. No. 6 Chicago Blackhawks

Similar preface to the one I made in the three-six Eastern matchup: I still expect the Sharks to win the Pacific. 

But this series would have much more intrigue than the Florida-New Jersey one. First of all, Chicago beat out Dallas by a single game for the eighth seed last year. Secondly, everyone would be expecting the Hawks to advance, but Dallas would be the team that did so.

The Stars may not have Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Stanley Cup rings or any money, but they have some important edges over Chicago. Their deep group of wingers will give Corey Crawford fits, while Kari Lehtonen will battle with Chicago's deep group.

Dallas will use their home-ice advantage to exploit Chicago's weak road record and penalty kill, two things essential to advancing as a lower seed.

Stars in seven. No team will lose a home game, but the series won't be as close as seven games sounds. Dallas will control that final game.

Series MVP: Loui Eriksson

No. 4 Detroit Red Wings vs. No. 5 Nashville Predators

Nashville was a five seed last season and advanced. They're a better team this year, so they'll advance again, right?

Well, they are playing the Red Wings and not the Ducks. But also, Nashville is not better than they were last year.

Although Nashville has a slightly, and I mean slightly, better point percentage right now than they did last season, they also have less forward depth. Sure, Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Pekka RInne are as good as ever, but don't forget that it was Joel Ward and Cody Franson leading their forwards and blueliners, respectively, last postseason.

But even if Nashville is better than last year, the Red Wings are still decisively better. Don't be surprised if Nick Lidstrom outplays Weber and Suter in this series, and do be very surprised if Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg don't outplay Martin Erat and David Legwand.

Red Wings in six. Detroit will come out hard at home. The Preds will win one in Nashville and Pekka will steal Game 5 in Detroit, but the WIngs slam the door on the road in Game 6.

Series MVP: Nicklas Lidstrom