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NHL playoff predictions 2025: Which teams win first round series and advance in bracket?

NHL playoff predictions 2025: Which teams win first round series and advance in bracket?

USA Today18-04-2025
NHL playoff predictions 2025: Which teams win first round series and advance in bracket?
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Paul Bissonnette on Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry over last 20 years
NHL on TNT's Paul Bissonnette breaks down the ongoing rivalry between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby
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The NHL is rolling out its playoff schedule slowly with two Western Conference games on Saturday and the 2024 champion Florida Panthers not starting their Stanley Cup defense until Tuesday.
The Panthers will face the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in what could be one of the best series of the first round. The 2024 Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers will try to make it four years in a row of beating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.
Which eight teams will make it to the second round?
USA TODAY's Jason Anderson, Mike Brehm and Jace Evans give their predictions for the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs:
Jason Anderson: Capitals in 6. The Caps have had some ugly losses in recent weeks to teams that missed the playoffs, including dropping a recent back-to-back pair of games to Columbus by a combined 11-1 score. I'm taking Washington, but with the Habs holding opponents to just 2.4 goals per game over their final 10 regular-season outings, this might be closer than a No. 1-vs.-No. 8 series ought to be.
Mike Brehm: Capitals in 6. The Canadiens are in the same position as the Capitals were last season: clinching on the last game of the season and facing one of the best teams in the league. Those Capitals were swept. These Canadiens won't be, but they are facing a Washington team that has improved in every aspect of the game, even with its late-season issues.
Jace Evans: Capitals in 6. Most of the focus on Washington lately has been on Alex Ovechkin's historic goal chase. While epic, it also obscured the fact that the Caps haven't been playing all that well. Still, the NHL's most surprising team this season should have enough to win this series, particularly if goalie Logan Thompson can return (and return to form).
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
Jason Anderson: Hurricanes in 5. Neither of these teams is coming into the playoffs on a hot streak, with ho-hum goaltending and more recent losses than wins. However, Carolina skates too well and is too deep for a Devils team that hasn't figured out how to replace Jack Hughes (shoulder).
Mike Brehm: Hurricanes in 5. The Devils are more than Jack Hughes, but New Jersey will miss his game-breaking ability against a Hurricanes team that doesn't give you much free space.
Jace Evans: Hurricanes in 4. The season-ending injury to Jack Hughes was so deflating for the Devils. It's just hard to imagine them mustering much of a fight without one of the game's top players.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
Jason Anderson: Maple Leafs in 6. Toronto is clearly the better team here, and is built for playoff hockey. However, no team enters the postseason with a more anxious fanbase thanks to how many times the Leafs have crashed out of the first round (it's eight times in nine postseason trips since the 2004-05 lockout, if you're counting). The Leafs will make it hard on themselves, but they have too much of an edge to pick against them in this series.
Mike Brehm: Maple Leafs in 6. This is when we'll find out how much the coaching change to Craig Berube will help. The Maple Leafs have been good in the regular season and not so good in the playoffs. But Berube has them playing the right way.
Jace Evans: Maple Leafs in 5. Not to be hyperbolic but if the Maple Leafs somehow manage to lose in the first round this year they should fold the franchise. Jokes aside, Toronto is the superior team and has its best opportunity to make a deep run since 2021 ... when it collapsed in the first round against another Canadian team.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
Jason Anderson: Lightning in 7. This one feels like it could be a classic. It's hard to pick against the defending champions, but Florida has been too inconsistent down the stretch to make another long playoff run. Tampa Bay has the edge in goal with Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov has been spectacular, and that's enough to make the home-ice edge in this series count.
Mike Brehm: Lightning in 6. The Panthers will have to play two games on the road without suspended Aaron Ekblad. And they're facing a Lightning team that made some smart pickups at the trade deadline. The Panthers were busy, too, adding Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, but they also have had injury issues.
Jace Evans: Lightning in 6. Beyond questions about Matthew Tkachuk's health (and effectiveness after so much time away), Florida has just played an awful lot of hockey the last two years. It's very hard to make three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final and it's an even bigger ask to begin that journey on the road against a team as good as Tampa.
Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues
Jason Anderson: Jets in 6. The Presidents' Trophy has been a bit of a curse, but it's hard to pick against Winnipeg in this series. The Blues have played the Jets close this season, but St. Louis gives away too many chances in front and has too much trouble killing penalties to convert that into a major upset.
Mike Brehm: Jets in 5. The Jets play a strong defensive game and Connor Hellebuyck is heading toward a second consecutive Vezina Trophy. That didn't help him in last season's playoffs, when he was blown out by Colorado, but the Blues aren't the Avalanche and don't have their firepower.
Jace Evans: Blues in 6. Connor Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the world. But he's been a disaster the prior two postseasons. The Jets were the best team in the league this year. But no Presidents' Trophy winner has made the Stanley Cup Final since 2013 and only two since then have even made the conference finals (2015 and 2024 Rangers). I'm picking the upset.
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
Jason Anderson: Avalanche in 6. Plenty of data points suggest the Avs' record isn't quite as good as it should be, and that Dallas has had a bit of luck on its side. It's also impossible to ignore that the Stars enter the playoffs on a shocking seven-game losing streak. Despite Dallas having home ice, Colorado's scoring depth should be able to wear the Stars down.
Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 5. I had toyed with picking the Stars to reach the Stanley Cup Final. But that was before they cratered down the stretch. If Miro Heiskanen remains out and Jason Robertson misses time, Dallas will have a tough time.
Jace Evans: Avalanche in 7. The Stars are deep and seem like a title contender once again ... but they don't have the same level of star-power Colorado has. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will help the Avs find a way.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild
Jason Anderson: Golden Knights in 5. Vegas won all three regular-season meetings, and while the Wild have the best goalie in the series in Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota is also one of two teams to get into the playoffs despite a negative goal difference (-11) on the season. The Golden Knights are the stronger team top to bottom.
Mike Brehm: Golden Knights in 6. The Golden Knights lost key players to free agency but are a deeper team because of the emergence of players such as Pavel Dorofeyev. They didn't even make a stunning move at the deadline, just bringing back Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights have plenty of leftovers from the 2023 Stanley Cup champions and could go far.
Jace Evans: Golden Knights in 6. Minnesota has gotten healthy at the right time, but Vegas is a deep, balanced group that is loaded with championship experience. The Wild haven't won a playoff series since 2015.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
Jason Anderson: Kings in 6. It's NHL tradition at this point for the Kings and Oilers to play in the first round, but this year Los Angeles finally gets one over on Edmonton. Darcy Kuemper gives the Kings an edge between the pipes, and it's impossible to assume the Oilers' long list of dinged-up players can be at their best.
Mike Brehm: Kings in 7. The Kings are dominant at home and they have home-ice advantage in this series. The Oilers will miss injured Mattias Ekholm.
Jace Evans: Oilers in 7. The Oilers were hit by the injury bug about as hard as any team in the playoffs, and there remains eternal questions about their goaltending. And yet, if the big guns are in the lineup, I just trust they'll find a way to score goals and beat the Kings — as they have the prior three years.
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Getting a new CBA without a lockout is bad, actually: The Contrarian returns
Getting a new CBA without a lockout is bad, actually: The Contrarian returns

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time16 minutes ago

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Getting a new CBA without a lockout is bad, actually: The Contrarian returns

It's late July, we're two months away from games that matter, and NHL GMs have apparently taken the rest of the summer off. Let's get Contrarian. This is the feature where you send in your most obvious takes, and I tell you that you're wrong, whether I believe it or not. In the past, we've made the case that Mark Messier was a great Canuck, Ray Bourque's Cup win was bad, but Brett Hull's crease goal was good and Bobby Orr's flying goal photo is overrated. Last time, we made the case for Alex Ovechkin being an overrated bum, and also for Alex Ovechkin being an underrated legend, because we're flexible like that. Advertisement This time, we've got a new CBA, an old legend and everything in between. Let's dive in. Note: Submissions have been edited for clarity and style. The NHL and NHLPA agreeing on a new CBA quickly and without any work-stoppage drama is a good thing. — Kevin S. On the contrary, Kevin S., you twit. Unless, of course, you're an owner. Are you an owner, Kevin? Are you? 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You know who else did? The Oilers! If the story had really played out the way the modern version does, and was so instrumental to Edmonton learning how to win, shouldn't their celebrations have been muted? Instead, this is the team that invented the Cup handoffs and team photos and maybe did some other things. Does that sound like a team that had learned that the key to winning was being too beat up to be happy about it? No, because that never happened. Let's stop pretending it did. If you'd like to submit a take for future editions of The Contrarian, you can do that here. (Photo of Islanders' Bryan Trottier hoisting the Stanley Cup in 1983: Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios / Getty Images)

Evaluating Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga options as free agency stalemate drags on
Evaluating Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga options as free agency stalemate drags on

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Evaluating Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga options as free agency stalemate drags on

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The Dubs' main problem is that there simply isn't a market for Kuminga right now. Since they aren't getting offers that intrigue them and the two sides remain far apart in negotiations, the next question many are asking is whether Kuminga would consider taking a chance on himself for one year. A qualifying offer agreement is Warriors' worst nightmare If things go south between Kuminga and the Warriors in negotiations, and the team continues to essentially hold him hostage when it comes to sign-and-trade scenarios, then the 22-year-old may be forced to take a bet on himself. As a restricted free agent, Kuminga was extended a $7.9 million qualifying offer by Golden State. This is a standard one-year offer that must be given to a player entering restricted free agency, assuming the team wants to maintain its rights on said player. That is the case here with Kuminga and the Warriors, as they don't want to lose him for nothing. The longer this stalemate drags on, the more questions will be asked about whether Kuminga will take control of the situation and possibly accept his qualifying offer. In doing so, he would basically lock himself in with the Warriors on a one-year contract that contains a no-trade clause. Golden State would not be able to flip Kuminga before the trade deadline without his permission, and he would become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Essentially, the Warriors would lose complete control of Kuminga and not be able to do anything about it. However, why would Kuminga and his camp do this other than to create a nightmare scenario for the Warriors? Not only would Kuminga run the risk of getting injured with Golden State before signing a long-term, high-paying contract, but he would also be stuck in a system that doesn't fit him. If he were to accept this qualifying offer, what is stopping the Warriors from continuing to bench him at times and this becoming a toxic situation? 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However, neither player can sign and officially hit the Dubs' cap sheet until Kuminga's situation is figured out because Golden State needs every dollar below the first apron to maintain flexibility in discussions. If the Warriors were to sign players to minimum deals or utilize their mid-level exception in Horford's case, then any other team could swoop in and sign Kuminga to an offer sheet. As a result, Golden State would be in 'checkmate' since they wouldn't be able to match Kuminga's deal with another team. In recent days, it has also become clear that the Warriors' interest in Seth Curry, Steph's brother, is mutual. Seth was a player we reported on last week for Golden State, with league personnel beginning to link him to the Dubs during NBA Summer League. While anything is possible, the Kuminga situation isn't expected to have a clear resolution entering August. Until either side budges or a team swoops in with a valid sign-and-trade offer, the Warriors will continue to go around in circles with the young forward. A return to the Warriors is still in play. Should this occur, then all eyes will shift to January 15, the date when Kuminga would become available to be dealt before February's trade deadline. Related: Warriors rumors: Insider confirms Seth Curry 'mutual interest' Related: Warriors' Stephen Curry tells funny bowling story involving LeBron, 4-year-old Bronny

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Rangers' Brett Berard played with shoulder tear for most of season

New York Post

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  • New York Post

Rangers' Brett Berard played with shoulder tear for most of season

Access the Rangers beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers. tRY IT NOW Brett Berard revealed that he tore his labrum in his shoulder during his fourth NHL game last season, which lingered throughout the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign before forcing him to withdraw from Team USA at the 2025 World Championship. 'That happened [on Nov. 30] against Montreal, right when I got called up,' the 22-year-old said Thursday before participating in the Shoulder Check Showcase at Terry Conners Rink in Stamford, Conn. 'Just kind of lingered all year, wore a brace all year. It was good to kind of get that situated. It feels good, it feels strong. So just trying to get it all better, but we feel a lot better now.' Advertisement No surgery was required, and Berard expects to be 100 percent ready to go for training camp. At the time of the injury, Berard had just been called up for the first time since the Rangers drafted him No. 134 overall in 2020. After the injury, the Rhode Island native missed just three games before returning to the lineup. Advertisement Brett Berard plays in the third annual Shoulder Check hockey showcase game at Terry Conners Rink on July 24, 2025, in Stamford, CT. Corey Sipkin for New York Post 'It was really just kind of a normal hit, I just went in weird. … It didn't feel great at all,' said Berard, who appeared in 35 games last season with the Rangers. 'I was out for a week or so. But it's one of those things where you're up in the NHL, you work your whole life for it. I felt like I was playing pretty good hockey, too, so you don't want to really lose that. So, just tried to play through it.' As first reported by The Post in May, Berard pulled out of the international tournament at the last minute due to what was described as 'physical limitations' at the time. Berard said he committed, skated once or twice and his shoulder didn't feel great. Advertisement Brett Berard plays in the third annual Shoulder Check hockey showcase game at Terry Conners Rink on July 24, 2025, in Stamford, CT. Corey Sipkin for New York Post When he realized he'd have no rehab time, Berard made the tough decision not to participate in the tournament. The injury hasn't affected his offseason training. Read the expert take on the Blueshirts Sign up for Larry Brooks' Inside the Rangers, a weekly Sports+ exclusive. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Advertisement 'It stunk. I was rooting for everybody, it was awesome to see them win gold there,' Berard said of Team USA, which won its first standalone world championship title since 1933. 'It makes you a little bit jealous, but I know a ton of those guys, a lot of best friends with them. So it was awesome to watch them. … It was deserved. They had a great team. It was a ton of fun to watch them, but it did stink.'

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