As the NHL season approaches, hockey fans are already eagerly anticipating the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the league constantly evolving and teams making big moves in the offseason, it’s always difficult to predict which clubs will make it out of the first round. From perennial powerhouses to underdog stories, the first round of the playoffs always delivers intense and exciting matchups. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the most anticipated series and making our predictions on which teams will emerge victorious.
As the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, experts at NHL.com have made their predictions for who will win it all. The Boston Bruins are the most popular pick, with eight of the experts choosing them as the champions. Four believe the Edmonton Oilers will take home the Cup, while two each picked the Carolina Hurricanes and defending champions, the Colorado Avalanche.
Of those who predicted the Bruins would win, four picked forward David Pastrnak as the Conn Smythe winner as the most valuable player of the playoffs, while two chose forward Patrice Bergeron and two picked goalie Linus Ullmark.
The four who picked the Oilers had the Conn Smythe going to forward Connor McDavid, the two who picked the Avalanche thought forward Nathan MacKinnon would be MVP, and the two who picked the Hurricanes had the honors going to defenseman Brent Burns.
The experts’ predictions for the first-round matchups and Conn Smythe winners vary, but many see a Bruins-Oilers or Bruins-Avalanche Stanley Cup Final, with the Conn Smythe going to Bergeron or Pastrnak.
It will be interesting to see which teams make it through the playoffs and if the experts’ predictions will come true. May the best team win!
As we anxiously await the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s no telling what surprises the NHL may have in store for us. Our predictions may be just that – predictions – but what we know is that come April 2023, the best teams in the league will be battling it out for a chance at the coveted Stanley Cup. With so much young talent in the league and new franchises on the rise, this year’s first-round match-ups promise to be exciting and unpredictable. So sit back, buckle up, and get ready for the ride of your life because the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner!
