1 bold prediction for each 2018 Stanley Cup playoff team

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 04: The Pittsburgh Penguins watch their 2017 Stanley Cup Championship banner rise to the rafters behind the Stanley Cup prior to a game agains the St. Louis Blues at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 4, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 04: The Pittsburgh Penguins watch their 2017 Stanley Cup Championship banner rise to the rafters behind the Stanley Cup prior to a game agains the St. Louis Blues at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 4, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ST. PAUL, MN – JANUARY 13: Devan Dubnyk
ST. PAUL, MN – JANUARY 13: Devan Dubnyk /

Minnesota Wild

Devan Dubnyk will have a higher save percentage than Connor Hellebuyck

Connor Hellebuyck is another goaltender who’s going to be in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy this season as the league’s best goaltender.

But the bold play here is to claim that Devan Dubnyk will outplay Hellebuyck in this series. It’s going to be a closer series than some people are predicting, and that will be because of the play of Dubnyk. He was .918 this season, which was below his .923 from last season but he also performed very well in the playoffs last year. It may only have been a five-game run, but the only reason the Wild lost that series was because St. Louis Blue netminder Jake Allen went full 2011 Boston Bruins-era Tim Thomas and stopped everything that came his way.

Dubnyk had a .925 save percentage in the five playoff games he started. Look for him to be at that number again in these playoffs and try to carry the Wild to an upset over the Winnipeg Jets.