2025-26 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1 series picks
More than any NHL season in recent memory, 2025-26 needed its dying moments to crystallize the playoff picture, as we entered the final day still waiting to learn a couple series matchups. The tightly packed standings were a testament to the league’s extreme parity this season and should make for an unpredictable Round 1 of the postseason.
Will the Buffalo Sabres have not just their first playoff berth in 15 years in them, but also a series win? How will the Utah Mammoth fare in their first playoffs since relocation? And will the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes make deep runs with the Florida Panthers no longer in their way?
It’s time to make our Round 1 predictions for Daily Faceoff.
Our panel:
Matt Larkin, DFO managing editor & senior writer
Steven Ellis, DFO associate editor & prospect analyst
Scott Maxwell, DFO editor & writer
Jason Gregor, co-host of The DFO Rundown podcast
Tyler Yaremchuk, host & senior producer of The Nation Network
Anthony Di Marco, DFO contributing writer
Paul Pidutti, founder of Adjusted Hockey & DFO feature writer
Jonny Lazarus, DFO digital reporter & co-host of Morning Cuppa Hockey
Mike Gould, Writer for DFO and Flames Nation
Anthony Trudeau, DFO columnist
Round 1 picks
The Colorado Avalanche are the lone consensus pick of Round 1. No one has the Kings winning more than a game, while 60 percent of the panel calls for a sweep. It’s the Presidents’ Trophy winners against a team that had the second-fewest regulation victories in the entire NHL. We ain’t overthinkin’ this one. Thanks the the playoff format, the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are forced to play each other with the NHL’s third- and seventh-best records, respectively. Every ballot has the series going at least six games. The Stars have been to three straight Western Conference Finals, but 60 percent of our voters have the Wild breaking through for their first series win since 2014-15. Its it the Quinn Hughes factor? Meanwhile, 70 percent of the panel predicts the John Tortorella Bump will propel the Vegas Golden Knights past a dangerous Utah team, while all but one voter believes Connor McDavid in God Mode, with or without Leon Draisaitl for Game 1, will be enough to topple the young Anaheim Ducks.
In the East, most of us believe the Sabres’ 39-9-5 run over their final 53 games of the season represents sustainable excellence and that the scrappy Boston Bruins won’t be too stiff a test. While the Montreal Canadiens and Lightning make for an extremely entertaining matchup, the Bolts’ experience factor, plus Montreal losing Noah Dobson to injury, has the majority of us leaning Tampa’s way. Despite the Hurricanes winning the conference’s top seed, we expect the Ottawa Senators to push them extremely hard; this series has our only 50/50 split among voters. And most of us believe Sidney Crosby and company will be at their best against their heated divisional rival Philadelphia Flyers and secure the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first playoff series win in eight years.
_____
POST SPONSORED BY bet365
_____