The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are back in the playoffs after their seesaw 2024 Stanley Cup Final that Florida won in Game 7, but this time they will have to start on the road.
Every champion since 2018 is in this year’s field and there are also several teams returning after long absences such as the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens.
Who will survive the four playoff rounds and come out on top?
USA TODAY’s Jason Anderson, Mike Brehm and Jace Evans provide their predictions for the Stanley Cup Final teams, the NHL champion and the Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP:
Jason Anderson
Stanley Cup Final: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Colorado Avalanche
Champion: Colorado Avalanche
Conn Smythe: Cale Makar
It’s all coming together for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar look ready to take over, and while goalie Mackenzie Blackwood has no playoff experience, he sure looks ready for the big time. Gabriel Landeskog’s potential return from a years-long battle with injury could provide a major spark, and Colorado is one of the only teams that can skate with Carolina.
Mike Brehm
Stanley Cup Final: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche
Champion: Colorado Avalanche
Conn Smythe: Nathan MacKinnon
The Avalanche have done more to address their issues than any other team. They traded both their goaltenders and the newcomers have done much better. They addressed their need for a No. 2 center with a trade for Brock Nelson, plus added center Charlie Coyle. This is a deep team. Just like in 2022, the Avalanche will beat the Lightning in the Final.
Jace Evans
Stanley Cup Final: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Champion: Tampa Bay Lightning
Conn Smythe: Nikita Kucherov
The path to the Final certainly won’t be easy — starting with a first-round matchup against the rival Panthers — but perhaps no team is as well-rounded as Tampa Bay. The Bolts were the highest-scoring team in the league and tied for third in goals against. Two of the men most responsible for those finishes, NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, are some of the best playoff performers of the 21st century. They lead the way again and Kucherov finally gets his Conn Smythe.