2026 Stanley Cup playoff picks: Every first-round series

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, EasyChamp '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.

Sean Allen: Bruins in six John Buccigross: Sabres in seven Stormy Buonantony: Sabres in seven Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Sabres in six Sachin Chandan: Sabres in seven Meghan Chayka: Bruins Ryan S. Clark: Sabres in seven Gregg Colli: Sabres in six Ray Ferraro: Sabres in seven Erik Johnson: Bruins in six Emily Kaplan: Sabres in seven Tim Kavanagh: Sabres in five Rachel Kryshak: Sabres in six Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Bruins in seven Steve Levy: Sabres in seven Vince Masi: Bruins in seven Victoria Matiash: Bruins in seven Sean McDonough: Sabres in six Mark Messier: Sabres in six Arda Öcal: Sabres in six T.J. Oshie: Sabres in six Kristen Shilton: Sabres in six Bob Wischusen: Sabres in six Greg Wyshynski: Sabres in five

Consensus prediction: Sabres (18 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Lightning in five John Buccigross: Lightning in seven Stormy Buonantony: Lightning in seven Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Lightning in seven Sachin Chandan: Lightning in six Meghan Chayka: Lightning Ryan S. Clark: Lightning in six Gregg Colli: Canadiens in seven Ray Ferraro: Lightning in six Erik Johnson: Canadiens in seven Emily Kaplan: Lightning in six Tim Kavanagh: Canadiens in six Rachel Kryshak: Lightning in seven Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Lightning in six Steve Levy: Lightning in seven Vince Masi: Lightning in six Victoria Matiash: Lightning in six Sean McDonough: Canadiens in seven Mark Messier: Lightning in seven Arda Öcal: Canadiens in six T.J. Oshie: Lightning in seven Kristen Shilton: Lightning in seven Bob Wischusen: Lightning in seven Greg Wyshynski: Lightning in six

Consensus prediction: Lightning (19 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Hurricanes in seven John Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven Stormy Buonantony: Hurricanes in six Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in five Sachin Chandan: Senators in six Meghan Chayka: Hurricanes Ryan S. Clark: Hurricanes in six Gregg Colli: Hurricanes in five Ray Ferraro: Hurricanes in six Erik Johnson: Hurricanes in six Emily Kaplan: Hurricanes in seven Tim Kavanagh: Hurricanes in five Rachel Kryshak: Hurricanes in six Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes in six Steve Levy: Senators in seven Vince Masi: Hurricanes in seven Victoria Matiash: Hurricanes in seven Sean McDonough: Hurricanes in five Mark Messier: Hurricanes in six Arda Öcal: Hurricanes in six T.J. Oshie: Senators in seven Kristen Shilton: Hurricanes in six Bob Wischusen: Hurricanes in six Greg Wyshynski: Hurricanes in seven

Consensus prediction: Hurricanes (21 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Penguins in six John Buccigross: Penguins in seven Stormy Buonantony: Flyers in six Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Penguins in six Sachin Chandan: Penguins in five Meghan Chayka: Penguins Ryan S. Clark: Penguins in seven Gregg Colli: Penguins in six Ray Ferraro: Penguins in seven Erik Johnson: Flyers in six Emily Kaplan: Penguins in seven Tim Kavanagh: Flyers in six Rachel Kryshak: Penguins in seven Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Penguins in six Steve Levy: Flyers in seven Vince Masi: Penguins in six Victoria Matiash: Penguins in six Sean McDonough: Penguins in six Mark Messier: Penguins in seven Arda Öcal: Penguins in six T.J. Oshie: Penguins in five Kristen Shilton: Penguins in five Bob Wischusen: Penguins in six Greg Wyshynski: Flyers in six

Consensus prediction: Penguins (19 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Avalanche in four John Buccigross: Avalanche in four Stormy Buonantony: Avalanche in five Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in five Sachin Chandan: Avalanche in four Meghan Chayka: Avalanche Ryan S. Clark: Avalanche in six Gregg Colli: Avalanche in four Ray Ferraro: Avalanche in five Erik Johnson: Avalanche in six Emily Kaplan: Avalanche in five Tim Kavanagh: Avalanche in four Rachel Kryshak: Avalanche in five Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche in five Steve Levy: Avalanche in five Vince Masi: Avalanche in five Victoria Matiash: Avalanche in five Sean McDonough: Avalanche in five Mark Messier: Avalanche in four Arda Öcal: Avalanche in six T.J. Oshie: Avalanche in four Kristen Shilton: Avalanche in five Bob Wischusen: Avalanche in five Greg Wyshynski: Avalanche in five

Consensus prediction: Avalanche (24 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Wild in seven John Buccigross: Wild in seven Stormy Buonantony: Wild in six Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Wild in seven Sachin Chandan: Stars in seven Meghan Chayka: Wild Ryan S. Clark: Stars in six Gregg Colli: Wild in seven Ray Ferraro: Stars in seven Erik Johnson: Stars in seven Emily Kaplan: Wild in seven Tim Kavanagh: Stars in seven Rachel Kryshak: Stars in seven Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Stars in seven Steve Levy: Wild in seven Vince Masi: Wild in six Victoria Matiash: Wild in seven Sean McDonough: Stars in seven Mark Messier: Wild in six Arda Öcal: Wild in six T.J. Oshie: Wild in seven Kristen Shilton: Stars in seven Bob Wischusen: Stars in seven Greg Wyshynski: Stars in seven

Consensus prediction: Wild (13 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Mammoth in seven John Buccigross: Golden Knights in seven Stormy Buonantony: Golden Knights in six Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Mammoth in six Sachin Chandan: Golden Knights in five Meghan Chayka: Golden Knights Ryan S. Clark: Mammoth in seven Gregg Colli: Golden Knights in six Ray Ferraro: Golden Knights in six Erik Johnson: Golden Knights in six Emily Kaplan: Golden Knights in seven Tim Kavanagh: Golden Knights in seven Rachel Kryshak: Golden Knights in five Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Mammoth in seven Steve Levy: Golden Knights in six Vince Masi: Golden Knights in seven Victoria Matiash: Golden Knights in seven Sean McDonough: Golden Knights in six Mark Messier: Golden Knights in five Arda Öcal: Mammoth in seven T.J. Oshie: Golden Knights in six Kristen Shilton: Mammoth in seven Bob Wischusen: Golden Knights in seven Greg Wyshynski: Golden Knights in six

Consensus prediction: Golden Knights (18 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Oilers in five John Buccigross: Oilers in five Stormy Buonantony: Oilers in five Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers in five Sachin Chandan: Oilers in five Meghan Chayka: Oilers Ryan S. Clark: Oilers in six Gregg Colli: Oilers in five Ray Ferraro: Oilers in six Erik Johnson: Oilers in four Emily Kaplan: Oilers in six Tim Kavanagh: Ducks in six Rachel Kryshak: Oilers in six Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Oilers in seven Steve Levy: Oilers in six Vince Masi: Oilers in six Victoria Matiash: Oilers in six Sean McDonough: Oilers in six Mark Messier: Oilers in five Arda Öcal: Oilers in five T.J. Oshie: Oilers in five Kristen Shilton: Oilers in six Bob Wischusen: Ducks in six Greg Wyshynski: Oilers in four

Consensus prediction: Oilers (22 of 24 picks)

Sean Allen: Wild John Buccigross: Avalanche Stormy Buonantony: Wild Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche Sachin Chandan: Lightning Meghan Chayka: Avalanche Ryan S. Clark: Avalanche Gregg Colli: Golden Knights Ray Ferraro: Lightning Erik Johnson: Avalanche Emily Kaplan: Oilers Tim Kavanagh: Stars Rachel Kryshak: Oilers Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche Steve Levy: Sabres Vince Masi: Lightning Victoria Matiash: Avalanche Sean McDonough: Avalanche Mark Messier: Oilers Arda Öcal: Oilers T.J. Oshie: Avalanche Kristen Shilton: Hurricanes Bob Wischusen: Avalanche Greg Wyshynski: Avalanche

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

Sean Allen: Kirill Kaprizov John Buccigross: Nathan MacKinnon Stormy Buonantony: Quinn Hughes Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Nathan MacKinnon Sachin Chandan: Nikita Kucherov Meghan Chayka: Nathan MacKinnon Ryan S. Clark: Nathan MacKinnon Gregg Colli: Mitch Marner Ray Ferraro: Andrei Vasilevskiy Erik Johnson: Nathan MacKinnon Emily Kaplan: Connor McDavid Tim Kavanagh: Jake Oettinger Rachel Kryshak: Leon Draisaitl Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Nathan MacKinnon Steve Levy: Rasmus Dahlin Vince Masi: Nikita Kucherov Victoria Matiash: Nathan MacKinnon Sean McDonough: Nathan MacKinnon Mark Messier: Connor McDavid Arda Öcal: Connor McDavid T.J. Oshie: Nathan MacKinnon Kristen Shilton: Andrei Svechnikov Bob Wischusen: Nathan MacKinnon Greg 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)