The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs has eight matchups featuring the 16 NHL teams that qualified. This includes the top three teams from each division: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific, plus two wild card teams from the Eastern Conference and two wild cards from the Western Conference.
NHL playoff action is almost here. Which matchups will be the most exciting to watch? Here are all eight series power ranked in order of watchability.
8. Washington Capitals (M1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (WC2)
The Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens will face off in the first round of the playoffs. Washington is the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and Montreal clinched a wild card berth. The Canadiens were last in the playoffs in 2021 when they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Capitals were eliminated in the first round last year. The last time the Capitals won a playoff series was in 2018 when they won the Cup.
These teams have met just once in the playoffs, in 2010, when the Canadiens beat the Capitals. The Canadiens pulled off an upset back then, and if they win this series, it would again be a shock. The Caps have the advantage in each area of the game. They're way better this year than expected prior to the season.
Neither team ended the season on a strong note. The Canadiens stumbled into the playoffs after fumbling multiple opportunities to clinch. You might want to check out how Alex Ovechkin is doing since breaking the all-time goals record, but there are more exciting series than this one.
7. Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Minnesota Wild (WC1)
Up next are the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild. The Golden Knights won the Cup in 2023 and were eliminated in the first round in 2024. The Wild missed the playoffs last year and have not won a round of playoff hockey since 2015.
It's not likely that this series will be super competitive. Both teams have solid defense, but the Golden Knights outperform on offense. They have the second-best power play in the league, while the Wild are 30th on the penalty kill. According to MoneyPuck, the Golden Knights have the second-best chance to win the Cup, at 10 percent. The Wild have the second-lowest odds to win the Cup, at 0.9 percent.
It would be shocking if the Wild managed to pull off an upset and knock the Golden Knights out of the playoffs. Of course, anything can happen once the playoffs start, but a Wild series win is unlikely.
6. Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs. New Jersey Devils (M3)
The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils will meet in the first round. When these teams met in the second round two years ago, the Hurricanes stomped on the Devils. It wasn’t a competitive series for the Devils at all.
Both teams had a rather underwhelming end to the regular season. The Canes are heavily favored, and they still would be even if the Devils had Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler. Making this a little more interesting is the return of Dougie Hamilton.
The Canes are undoubtedly the better team at 5v5, but the Devils have a far superior power play and an almost as strong penalty kill. If the special teams put up a fight and Jacob Markstrom gives the Devils an elite performance in goal, this series could at least be competitive. There’s a divisional rivalry here, but if you aren’t a Devils or Canes fan, there are more interesting matchups to pay attention to.
5. Winnipeg Jets (C1) vs. St. Louis Blues (WC2)
Next up is the series between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues. The Jets were eliminated in the first round last year, while the Blues missed the playoffs the last two years. The Jets are the favorites, but the Blues should not be counted out.
The Jets are a powerhouse team and they also have the best goaltender in the world, Connor Hellebuyck. The Blues have their work cut out for them in trying to get the puck past him. The rest of the team in front of Hellebuyck isn’t easy to get past, either. Although the Jets have more depth, the Blues' defense can help keep these games close.
The Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best regular season record this season. Historically, the team that wins this doesn’t often come away with the Stanley Cup. Can the Jets shake off the Presidents’ Trophy curse and go all the way? They’ll have to get through the pesky Blues first.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) vs. Ottawa Senators (WC1)
The Battle of Ontario will occur in the first round with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators meeting. This is one of the NHL’s top rivalries. It’s their first playoff meeting since 2004, but there’s a long history between these two teams. Ottawa has never beat Toronto in the playoffs.
This is the Senators’ first playoff appearance since 2017, and it’s Brady Tkachuk’s first time in the playoffs. He missed eight games with an upper-body injury and returned for part of the last regular season game. He is expected to play in the playoffs.
Although they have made the playoffs every year since 2017, the Maple Leafs have won just one playoff series in two decades. They’re trying to go further with their talented lineup including Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares. Toronto is favored to come away with the series win, but they’ve been there before. They’re the better team, but they’ll have to play like it.
3. Dallas Stars (C2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3)
One of the more exciting matchups will be between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. The Stars have made it to the Conference Finals two years in a row, while the Avalanche won the Cup in 2022 and made the playoffs the past two years, as well. These two teams have a long-standing rivalry. In their most recent playoff meeting, the Stars beat the Avalanche last year in the second round.
With all the Mikko Rantanen trade drama, it’ll be interesting to see how he does playing against his former team, the Avalanche. Concerning for the Stars is that Miro Heiskanen is injured and questionable for the opening series. If he can make it back, that would give the Stars a boost. The Avalanche have plenty of starpower, including Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
These two teams are evenly matched. The Stars are a favorite in the playoffs, but the Avalanche are going to be tough to beat. MoneyPuck has the odds at 50.8 percent for the Avalanche and 49.2 percent for the Stars. It feels like this is one that might go to a Game 7. This series is a must-watch.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) vs. Florida Panthers (A3)
For the second year in a row and the fourth time in five years, the Florida teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, are meeting up in the playoffs. This interstate hockey rivalry is sure to be an exciting battle. It's hard to predict which way this one will go.
The Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and are once again expected to be a threat. The Lightning were knocked out in the first round two years in a row in 2023 and 2024, with their elimination last year coming at the hands of the Panthers. They made three consecutive Finals from 2020-2022, winning the Cup twice.
Both teams have elite goaltending, with Sergei Bobrovsky for the Panthers and Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning leads the NHL in points for the 2024-25 season. Matthew Tkachuk will be back in the lineup for the Panthers. He last played in the 4 Nations Face-Off where he sustained a lower-body injury. His return provides a huge boost for the Panthers and a big reason for fans to be excited. This series will be worth tuning into.
1. Los Angeles Kings (P2) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P3)
This is the fourth consecutive meeting of the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs. The Oilers have knocked the Kings out three years in a row. But the Kings have been incredible to close out the regular season. They’re heading into the playoffs looking hard to beat, they have home-ice advantage and they’re due for playoff success.
Considering the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year, there’s pressure to get there again. They’ve experienced a lot of injuries, including Connor McDavid missing time, but they battled through. Mattias Ekholm is missing at least the first round. Leon Draisaitl is expected to play. As a whole, the Kings have more depth. They have also gotten very strong goaltending from Darcy Kuemper this year.
This should be a relatively even series. MoneyPuck gives the Kings the slight edge to make the second round, at 51.8 percent to the Oilers’ 48.2 percent. This is surely a series to watch and not just because McDavid is in it.