2026 NHL Playoffs First-Round Predictions: B/R Staff Picks for Every Series
Hockey's dramatic second act is about to commence.
The 2026 NHL Playoffs begin on Saturday with the Hurricanes and Senators kicking things off for the 16 teams vying for the Stanley Cup. One thing is for certain: we will have a new champion this season, as the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers are on the outside looking in.
That leaves a wide-open field in the East and sets up an attritional slog in the West. Will the Avs break the Presidents' Trophy curse? Can Sidney Crosby conjure some old magic to lead the Penguins to glory?
Our B/R NHL Staff provided their predictions for every first-round series.
Disagree with our team? Submit your thoughts on each series of the playoffs in the comments section of the app!
Atlantic Division: Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
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The Sabres ended a league-record 14-year playoff drought this season. This will be the first postseason for many of them, including stars Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. They have a good mix of veterans and young talent, and will be determined to prove themselves as a strong playoff club.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are back in the postseason after missing the cut last year. Led by winger David Pastrnak, defenseman Charlie McAvoy, and goaltender Jeremy Swayman, they have the postseason experience, but they might not have sufficient depth to contain the Sabres' offense.
Prediction: Sabres in 6.
- Lyle Richardson
The best part of this Sabres season? For once, it wasn't about simply trying to make the playoffs -- it was about gaining real confidence and seeing how far this group could take it. They took it to No. 1 in the Atlantic in the regular season, and it doesn't feel like this special season will end with a first-round exit.
Thompson and Dahlin have ample international big-game experience, and they're chomping at the bit to see it carry over to their first Stanley Cup playoff appearances.
We need to give the Bruins credit for not bowing over and accepting a re-tool: Pastrnak is simply too prolific for that, Swayman had a serious bounce-back season, and Morgan Geekie had something to prove. This team isn't going down easy.
But sometimes the vibes are the vibes, and the vibes say the Sabres and the city of Buffalo are going to will this party to the second round.
Prediction: Sabres in 7
-Sara Civian
I'm a Western New York native, so I can appreciate the Sabres returning to the playoffs and waking up the echoes of childhood favorites like Rick Martin, Gil Perreault and Rene Robert, not to mention the dulcet tones of Rick Jeanneret.
Lest anyone forget, "RJ's" historic "May Day" call came in a series-clincher against the Bruins.
But regardless of all that, I'm feeling a contrarian vibe here.
Boston won three of four in the season series while holding a prolific Buffalo team to 2.75 goals per game across the series.
They've got the best single player on the ice in Pastrnak, a goalie who's more proven in Swayman and an under-the-radar difference-maker in Geekie. Put that together with some playoff-newbie nerves across the Sabres roster and it smells like an upset.
Prediction: Bruins in 6
-Lyle Fitzsimmons
Atlantic Division: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
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The Lightning possess considerable veteran depth and postseason experience, led by goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. They will attempt to use that to their advantage in this series, though the absence of veteran defenseman Victor Hedman will be felt.
Meanwhile, the up-and-coming Canadiens have plenty of speed and skill in Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, while Lane Hutson is among the league's best young defensemen. Their overall defensive game needs work, but they're a hungry young club out to make their mark.
Prediction: Canadiens in 6.
- Lyle Richardson
I typically lean toward the team with the advantage in postseason experience, particularly when it's a team that has won two Stanley Cups and reached the final series three times in the last six years.
But the Canadiens are good enough to make me reconsider and go with my fellow Lyle.
There's something about them that just feels inevitable here. They have a battle-tested coach in Martin St. Louis, and the Lightning are just dinged-up enough for it to make an impact.
Prediction: Canadiens in 6
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
Wow, we've got Lyles Squared going with the underdogs. The Canadiens had a statement season: They aren't turning back and don't need any significant changes left in their re-tool. They're here.
The Lightning had a statement season of their own, though: They're still here, and they can handle injuries to key players and keep trucking along. They're also probably relieved to avoid a battle of Florida in the first round this season. The Panthers said the Lightning were the toughest team they faced leading up to the Oilers' last playoff run, and I take that comment seriously.
The Canadiens are at the beginning of a long, fun playoff window, and they will entertain us for seasons to come. The Lightning? They've got one more first-round win in them.
Prediction: Lightning in 7
-Sara Civian
Metropolitan Division: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators
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The Hurricanes are a talented and experienced club that finished first in the Eastern Conference. Their goaltending is a question mark, but that should be offset by an otherwise deep roster featuring forwards Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis, and defenseman Jaccob Slavin.
Meanwhile, the Senators have a good mix of scoring and defensive grit up front with Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Shane Pinto, while Jake Sanderson is an emerging all-star defenseman. However, they have their own goalie issues and lack sufficient depth to contain the Hurricanes.
Prediction: Hurricanes in 5
- Lyle Richardson
This is going to be a fascinating series featuring two of the stingiest teams in the league. These teams play an extremely similar brand of suffocating hockey, allowing opponents few shots on net and generating offense from defense.
The Senators had an especially impressive second half of the season as their confidence grew and the shots started going in, but the Hurricanes are a tough first-round draw for them here. The Canes have to be relieved that the Panthers are nowhere in sight this year in their endless quest to make it past the conference finals. This is their best opportunity to finally make it to the Stanley Cup Final, and the pressure is on.
This is one of the toughest series in the first round, but the battle-tested Hurricanes will persevere.
Prediction: Hurricanes in 6
-Sara Civian
The Hurricanes have been here before. But it hasn't been pleasant.
Six straight seasons of first- or second-place divisional finishes have yielded only two trips to the conference finals and only one win in nine games upon arrival.
Don't think for a moment that that's not on Rod Brind'Amour's mind these days.
But while the necessity of a parade through the streets of Raleigh remains to be seen, there's too much talent, discipline and coaching prowess to allow it to end this quickly, no matter how sturdy the opposition Ottawa provides.
Prediction: Hurricanes in 7
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
Metropolitan Division: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
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Back in the playoffs after a three-year absence, the Penguins have retooled with younger talent. However, they are still led by aging stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and apart from Erik Karlsson, there is reason for concern about their defensive depth.
The rebuilding Flyers exceeded expectations by squeaking into the playoffs. They possess a promising mix of veterans such as Travis Konecny, Trevor Zegras, and Owen Tippett, and youngsters like Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone. They have nothing to lose, which could make them dangerous.
Prediction: Flyers in 6
- Lyle Richardson
While I appreciate a good OT or shootout win as much as the next fan, the one stat that leaps out to me in this matchup is that the Penguins actually had seven more regulation wins during the regular season than the Flyers.
Maybe it matters. Maybe it doesn't. But I noticed it enough to make me believe it shows that the Penguins, while older and probably less interesting to watch, are every bit as good and perhaps better than their Eastern PA counterparts.
Stuart Skinner will no doubt provide some agita along the way—trust me on that one, I'm an Oilers fan—he's typically good enough in the early rounds to get it done when it matters.
Prediction: Penguins in 6
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
Lyle F took the words out of my mouth -- I'm all about the regulation wins meaning something when this season featured so many loser points. I'm also all about Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin's last hurrah meaning something.
The Flyers are probably the most unexpected entry into the postseason, and it happened at the very last second. This could work for them or against them -- will the lack of pressure or the potential lack of preparedness win out?
At the end of the day, Skinner is good for a round-one win and that'll be the difference.
Prediction: Penguins in 5
-Sara Civian
Central Division: Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings
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Maybe the Kings are happy not to see the Oilers for the first time in what feels like forever. Or maybe not, considering they've got the top seeds this time around.
Colorado capped off a magnificent season with a Central Division title and a Presidents' Trophy, the fourth in franchise history. They won a Cup after leading the league in 2000-01, but were beaten in the second round by Vegas after most recently winning it in 2020-21.
Nathan MacKinnon had another stellar season with 127 points and was joined in the 100 Club by Martin Necas, who joined the team in the blockbuster deal that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina. Elsewhere, Cale Makar was third in blue-liner scoring despite missing eight games, and goalies Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood were each in the league's top 10 in goals-against average.
Put it all together, and seems impossible for Los Angeles to snag more than a game in Anze Kopitar's swan song.
Prediction: Avalanche in 5
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
Winners of the Presidents' Trophy, the Avalanche possess plenty of playoff experience. Led by Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, they possess a potent offense. They have solid goaltending and the NHL's top defenseman in Cale Makar. These factors give them a significant edge in this series.
The Kings scraped their way into the postseason. They'll be motivated to give retiring captain Anze Kopitar a strong playoff run. Their offense got a boost with the addition of Artemi Panarin, but it can't match the powerful Avalanche. They'll have their hands full trying to shut down the league's top regular-season team.
Prediction: Avalanche in 5
- Lyle Richardson
Congratulations, Kings, you don't have to face the Oilers in the first round for once. You've got the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. You could call this a genie wish gone wrong, but really, no one is to blame but the Kings themselves for fumbling through the season and somehow punching a ticket to the postseason at the end.
I don't trust LA's lack of production against the league's best goaltending tandem. It's as simple as that.
Prediction: Avalanche in 4
-Sara Civian
Central Division: Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
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The Stars have reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the last three years. With a deep roster featuring winger Jason Robertson, center Wyatt Johnston, and defenseman Miro Heiskanen, they are determined to get over the hump this season and win their first Stanley Cup since 1999.
Wild GM Bill Guerin's acquisition of superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes signaled his intention to force open his club's Stanley Cup window. They have a strong offense led by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, and a solid blueline that improved with the addition of the puck-moving Hughes.
Prediction: Wild in 7
- Lyle Richardson
The Stars are good. They're deep. They're talented. They're tested to the point that they've indeed reached the final four in three straight seasons.
But like Montreal a few paragraphs earlier, there's something about the Wild that seems inevitable here, too. Hughes is probably the best player on either team, Kaprizov is the most dynamic forward, and Minnesota has gotten reliable goaltending all season from Filip Gustavsson.
That translates to a first trip to the second round since 2015.
Prediction: Wild in 6
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
Listen, Quinn Hughes is one of the most singularly impactful players in the league, and the Wild acquiring him is just what they needed to take their team to the next level. I think we can all agree this is a nightmare matchup for fans of both teams and a delightful one for hockey fans. I think we all know it could go either way, and it is going to be dang close.
Still, something in me says the Stars have the edge. The Wild have struggled on the penalty kill this season, and the Stars have excelled on the power play. The close series often comes down to special teams. When you zoom out on the Wild's team defense in general, it's pretty loosey-goosey, with some generous shots allowed to opponents while elite goaltending has cleaned up defensive mistakes (or laziness). The Stars will be able to exploit that.
Prediction: Stars in 7
-Sara Civian
Pacific Division: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth
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Despite one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights clinched first place in the weak Pacific Division. However, they noticeably improved after hiring John Tortorella as interim coach. The Golden Knights have considerable experience, led by stars Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Tomas Hertl.
For many of the Mammoth players, this will be their first foray into the NHL playoffs. They're an exciting young team featuring scoring forwards Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley. The Mammoth have also had steady goaltending all season from Karel Vejmelka, which could make the difference.
Prediction: Mammoth in 6
- Lyle Richardson
If this matchup had been a topic a month ago, the Mammoth are a slam dunk.
But the Tortorella Era in Vegas, as it typically is when the fiery coach first arrives, has been full of success. In fact, the Golden Knights haven't lost a game in regulation since he arrived, parlaying the heater into a fifth division title since 2017-18.
Eichel is a stud. Marner may be invigorated by his first non-Toronto arrival to the playoffs. And there seems to be enough muscle memory in the Vegas room to get it done.
Prediction: Golden Knights in 7
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
The Golden Knights will get this done based on the Torts of it all and this group's collective postseason experience. It won't be pretty, and they don't look primed for the long postseason run we anticipated for them at the beginning of the season, but they're good for a first-round win.
Prediction: Golden Knights in 6
-Sara Civian
Pacific Division: Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks
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The postseason will start off with a different feel for the two-time defending Western champs, who'd begun the last four tournaments with defeats of Los Angeles but will move about 30 miles southeast to face the Ducks.
It's the first time in the mix since 2018 for Anaheim, which beat Nashville to lock up third in the Pacific on Thursday but had gone 1-6-2 in its previous nine games with an unsightly 4.11 goals-against average.
That won't be ideal against the prolific Oilers, led again by six-time Art Ross winner Connor McDavid and returning running mates Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, each of whom had been absent down the stretch with injuries.
The Ducks are stocked with young talent, but how Lukas Dostal holds up in the Anaheim net will probably determine how long this one goes.
Prediction: Oilers in 5
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
The Oilers were plagued by questionable goaltending and a shaky defense throughout this season. However, they have the experience of back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, and the powerful offensive punch of superstar Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who is returning from a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Ducks are returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. This is an exciting young team led by Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier. They also possess the veteran experience of Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, and John Carlson, but it might not be enough to contain the battle-tested Oilers.
Prediction: Oilers in 6
- Lyle Richardson
Draisaitl returning from injury in time for the playoffs is obviously huge for the Oilers, and of course, you can never count out McDavid to will his team to a series win.
Still, the goaltending situation is less-than-ideal, and the defense has suffered overall.
The fresh legs and wide eyes of the Ducks will be a sneaky difficult out for Edmonton, and I think the dynamic is enough to tilt the ice in Anaheim's favor.
Prediction: Ducks in 7
-Sara Civian
