Tomorrow afternoon, the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin without the Winnipeg Jets for the first time since the 2021-22 season. It’s always nicer when your team is in the playoffs, but even though Jets fans won’t get to cheer on their team this time around, it’s still the most exciting time of the hockey season. Two months of playoff hockey is on the horizon, and it’s time for me to do my 3rd straight year of Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions here on Jets Nation. A reminder that these are just my own personal predictions for the playoffs, and they’re almost entirely based on a mix of what I think and what I want to happen throughout each matchup.
Looking back at my predictions article from 2025, I was way off yet again, selecting the Jets to defeat the Capitals in the finals. It was never going to be the two top seeded teams in the finals, but I can’t help but wonder if the top two teams could meet in the finals in this year’s playoffs. Although I did make my 2025 article shorter than my way too long 2024 predictions, I think I can be even more concise with my picks for this year. Let’s jump on in to Connor’s full 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions.
Round 1
Starting over in the Western Conference, I have the Colorado Avalanche quickly moving on to round 2 past the Los Angeles Kings. On paper this is easily the most one sided matchup, as it features the team 1st in the league standings against the team 20th in the league standings. The Kings finished the season with 90 points and only 22 regulation wins, going to overtime in nearly half their games this season while setting an NHL record with 20 overtime/shootout losses. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will roll into the 2nd round, but I think the Kings will win one game with a great performance from either Darcy Kuemper or Anton Forsberg in net.
Avalanche win the series in 5 games.
The next matchup features the other two elite teams from the Central Division, the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. Both teams probably deserve to be in the 2nd round of the playoffs this season, but because of the current playoff format they meet in round one. Both teams have well balanced lineups, but I think the slight edge has to go to the Stars with their previous playoff experience. Some of the games this series will be super high scoring, and others will be super low scoring, it’ll be a series where you don’t know what will happen next.
Stars win the series in 7 games.
Moving down to the Pacific Division against Wildcard One matchup, which should be another fairly entertaining matchup. I think the Utah Mammoth are better than people realize, and they’re lower in the standings mostly because they’re in the ultra competitive Central Division. The Vegas Golden Knights have been on a roll down the stretch after hiring John Tortorella, and I think that momentum and their previous playoff experience will carry them into the next round.
Golden Knights win the series in 6 games.
The final matchup in the West features the back to back Western Conference Champions: the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers won’t need to play the Kings in the first round for a 5th straight playoffs, which should make for a more interesting round one matchup. The inexperienced Anaheim Ducks did well this season to get back into the playoffs, but it will be a very tough matchup for them as they try to shutout the dynamic playoff duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Oilers win the series in 6 games.
Over to the Eastern Conference now, where each round one matchup offers something a little different. The Buffalo Sabres are back in the playoffs for the first time in forever, and they’ll have to take on a team that can’t seem to miss the playoffs despite not being predicted to be in the playoffs this season in the Boston Bruins. This series might be the most unpredictable of the first round because of this, but I think the Sabres proved enough throughout this season to be able to win a playoff round.
Sabres win the series in 6 games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens should be another electric round one matchup, and can be somewhat comparable to the Stars vs. Wild series. Two great teams meet in the first round, and there’s different storylines for this series that could change the outcome. I’m going back to the reliable playoff experience again here, as the Lightning have a more well rounded and overall better team built to win playoff series.
Lightning win the series in 7 games.
The Carolina Hurricanes against the Ottawa Senators series is similar to the Golden Knights vs. Mammoth series in some ways. The Senators are a better team than some may realize, and they had a good final stretch in the season to avoid slipping out of their wild card spot. The Hurricanes are almost at the point where it’s win a Stanley Cup or disappointment, as they’ve been unable to get out of the Conference Finals. The Hurricanes are a strong defensive team, and their home ice advantage will help them move on to the next round.
Hurricanes win the series in 6 games.
The final round one matchup features the 7th and 8th seeded teams in the Eastern Conference because of the current playoff format. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers have both exceeded expectations this season, and one of these teams will be in the 2nd round this season. Sidney Crosby in the playoffs is not an easy ask for an inexperienced Flyers team to stop. Both teams have concerns with defence and goaltending, which will make for a fun series that will go the distance.
Penguins win the series in 7 games.
Round 2
The Avalanche and Stars will meet in round 2, although this should be the Western Conference Finals if the format was set up differently. Both teams have proven throughout the season why they’re a level better than the other teams in the Western Conference. The Stars are in a similar situation to the Hurricanes right now, as they seem to always be “almost there” but not quite good enough to make it to the finals. The Avalanche move on in a tightly contested series.
Avalanche win the series in 6 games.
The Golden Knights and Oilers will be a pretty unpredictable battle of the top two teams in the Pacific Division. Both teams have struggled with goaltending this season. Both teams aren’t the same quality in terms of depth that they used to have in recent seasons. Playoff McDavid will find a way to get his team into a 3rd straight Conference Finals.
Oilers win the series in 6 games.
Over to the Eastern Conference, where a recent playoff beast in the Lightning will take on the Sabres, a team that had the longest playoff drought entering this season. The Sabres will put up a decent fight in this series, but the Lightning have too much depth and playoff experience, and that will lead them into the Conference Finals.
Lightning win the series in 6 games.
The Hurricanes and Penguins should be a fun battle between the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins will rely heavily on their experienced veterans in round two, but it won’t be enough to upset the well-rounded Hurricanes, who will be on a mission this season.
Hurricanes win the series in 5 games.
Round 3
The Western Conference Finals will be an epic matchup between McDavid and the Oilers and MacKinnon and the Avalanche. Arguably the two best players in the world will face off for a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Avalanche goaltending has been better than expected with the emergence of the Wedgewood/Blackwood combo, and the Oilers will be hoping that either Ingram or Jarry can be the difference maker against a stacked Avalanche team. The Avalanche will find a way to shut down McDavid and move on to the finals.
Avalanche win the series in 6 games.
The Eastern Conference Finals features two teams with a lot of recent playoff experience. Both the Lightning and Hurricanes will be determined to get to the finals, and they’ll be relying on different strengths to do so. The Hurricanes defence is their biggest strength, while the Lightning have a high powered offence led by Nikita Kucherov. The Hurricanes Conference Finals struggles will end with an epic win on home ice in game 7 to get to the finals.
Hurricanes win the series in 7 games.
Stanley Cup Finals
I keep telling myself not to pick the number one seeded teams in the finals, but I’ve somehow got to this point again in these playoffs. The Avalanche and Hurricanes will meet in the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals in a matchup that could go either way. The Avalanche have been the “team to beat” almost since the beginning of this season, and that will be the case until they lift the cup. The Hurricanes will be the more worn down team entering the finals after their matchup against the Lightning, and that will benefit the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon becomes the playoff MVP and Gabriel Landeskog lifts the Stanley Cup for the second time in his career.
Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 6 games.
The NHL 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday afternoon, so get ready to enjoy the beginning of another post season full of exciting and thrilling moments.
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