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ESPN NHL reporter
- Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.
The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs are here! Unlike in some recent years, the bracket was known a few days in advance, as the Montreal Canadiens clinched the final spot — and a first-round matchup against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Division lined up for the Battle of Ontario (Toronto Maple Leafs-Ottawa Senators) and Battle of Florida (Tampa Bay Lightning-Florida Panthers).
In the West, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets open against the resurgent St. Louis Blues, while Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars face his former team, the Colorado Avalanche. And for the fourth straight postseason, the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers square off in Round 1.
We’ve got all the angles covered to get you ready for the playoffs as ESPN hockey reporters Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton take a look at each of the 16 postseason teams, offering the reasons each team could win it all, along with the biggest X factor, players to watch and a bold prediction for every team.
Note: Profiles for the Atlantic and Metropolitan playoff brackets were written by Shilton, while Clark analyzed the Central and Pacific clubs. Also note that wild-card teams are listed according to the playoff bracket in which they’re playing (so the Canadiens are in the Metro, and the Minnesota Wild are in the Pacific).
Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey.
Read more: Full schedule
Bracket, schedule
Expert picks
Wyshynski’s bracket
Contender flaws
Get hyped for the Stanley Cup playoffs, beginning April 20 on ESPN.
Atlantic Division
Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 52-26-4, 108 points
First-round opponent: Senators
Case for a Stanley Cup run: If not now … when? The Maple Leafs are arguably the deepest, most complete team they’ve been in the Core Four (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander) era. First-year coach Craig Berube’s north-south style took some getting used to, but the Leafs have thrived in it. Toronto is top 10 in league scoring without being top-heavy. The stars (especially Marner and Tavares) are pumping in goals, but the Leafs get solid contributions throughout the lineup.
Defensively, Toronto has buckled down, allowing fewer than three goals per game and their top-four rotation is stronger than ever. And the Leafs’ goaltending? Locked in, with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll both pulling their weight as a tandem of No. 1s with a collective .916 save percentage.
X factor: The Leafs have serious postseason demons to overcome. How much does Toronto’s history of first-round failure hang over the team going into another playoffs? The Leafs have basically been through it all the past decade — they’ve earned series leads and blown them, come back from the brink (and still fallen short) and experienced every high and low in between.
The belief that Toronto can not only get through one round, but many rounds, has to start with the players. And for some reason, that swaggering confidence the Leafs have in the regular season dies out like a candle in the wind by playoffs. How Toronto manages its emotions and allows this season to be its own adventure — without influence from past failings — could determine just how many days or weeks this postseason lasts.
Player to watch: Marner. The Leafs’ top winger has had a sensational regular season, pacing his club with 26 goals and 99 points. Marner must translate that success to the postseason and in a timely fashion. Marner has 11 goals and 50 points in 58 postseason tilts to date, but what’s often been lacking are timely contributions, those big-time plays at critical moments. The Leafs have seen opportunity slip away when their best players like Marner (and Matthews) can’t produce. This is a contract year for Marner, too. An impactful playoff performance could add some serious dollars onto his next deal.
Bold prediction: The Leafs sweep their way to a first-round series win and don’t look back. Toronto bullies the competition en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Record: 47-27-8, 102 points
First-round opponent: Panthers
Case for a Stanley Cup run: It’s easy to cite Tampa Bay’s recent success as the reason it could add another banner to the rafters. But this Lightning team is built differently. Tampa Bay is not just relying on its elite goal scorers (ahem, Nikita Kucherov) to carry the day. The Lightning are well established defensively, and that’s been a driver of their success the second half of this season. Since Feb. 1, Tampa has allowed the sixth-fewest goals in the league (2.40), with an impressive top-10 penalty kill (80.3%).
