NHL playoff matchups set and here's who's most likely to win the Stanley Cup
After a gruelling 82-game season, the NHL playoffs are finally just around the corner.
Sixteen teams — eight from each conference — have officially qualified for the postseason, with all eight playoff matchups for the first round now set.
Thursday will see 14 teams in action for the final day of the regular season, but the games are more of a tune-up than anything, with seeding now set for all of the playoff matchups.
The NHL playoffs officially begin Saturday, April 19, with the full schedule expected to be announced by the league later today.
Here’s what the playoff bracket is looking like this year:
The Stanley Cup Playoff bracket is set (NHL)
Western Conference
- Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues
- Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
- Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild
- Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers and Kings matchup is the fourth year in a row that the pair will meet in the first round of the playoffs.
Eastern Conference
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers
- Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
For fans in Canada, they’ll be pleased to see the first Battle of Ontario since 2004, as well as the Montreal Canadiens back in the playoffs for the first time since their 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Who’s winning the Stanley Cup?
Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have:
- Carolina Hurricanes, +650
- Colorado Avalanche, +700
- Vegas Golden Knights, +750
- Florida Panthers, +750
- Washington Capitals, +950
- Winnipeg Jets, +950
- Tampa Bay Lightning, +1000
- Edmonton Oilers, +1000
- Dallas Stars, +1100
- Toronto Maple Leafs, +1400
- Los Angeles Kings, +1700
- Ottawa Senators, +3600
- New Jersey Devils, +3700
- St. Louis Blues, +4100
- Minnesota Wild, +4400
- Montreal Canadiens, +9000
Winnipeg has the best odds for a Canadian team at +950, followed by the Oilers at +1000 and the Maple Leafs at +1400. The Canadiens, meanwhile, are at the longest odds of any of the 16 teams at +9000, while the Senators are 12th on the list at +3600.