After falling to the Dallas Stars in the second round one year ago, the Colorado Avalanche will look to use that experience toward a different result as they start their 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs looking for revenge.

“They’ve ended our year a couple of different times since I’ve been here,” said Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar on Wednesday. “They’re a very good team. They’re very opportunistic. You’ve got to find ways to expose them on all areas of the ice.”

This spring, there’s one big change: longtime Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen is playing on the other side. The Avalanche and Stars start their first-round seriesthis weekend.

Over seven seasons, Rantanen put up 101 playoff points in 81 games and was a key cog in Colorado’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2022.

“Mikko’s a playoff player,” Makar said. “That’s what he’s born and bred to do. So it’ll definitely be tough to defend. But that team in general – they’re very good.”

Before the Avalanche won their championship three years ago, then-GM Joe Sakic shored up his team’s roster by acquiring goaltender Darcy Kuemper during the summer of 2021, then bringing in Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen and Andrew Cogliano at the 2022 deadline.

This year, Chris MacFarland has pulled off even more extensive roster renovations. 

He handed the goaltending reins to Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood on top of adding forwards Martin Necas, Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle, along with defenseman Ryan Lindgren.

“I look back at the year we won, and they made some key additions at the deadline,” Makar said. “Those were huge to finding success in the playoffs and we've only done more of those throughout this year – what the management thinks we need. It’s definitely great that they have trust in us, and they give us the best opportunity to win.”

Two familiar faces from ’22 are also getting back in the mix: veteran blueliner Erik Johnson, who was re-acquired at the deadline, and left winger Gabriel Landeskog.

The Colorado captain, 32, hasn’t played an NHL game since he hoisted the Cup overhead after the Avalanche dethroned the Tampa Bay Lightning. But after nearly three years of rehab, Landeskog successfully suited up for a pair of AHL games with the Colorado Eagles. He also looked every bit like his usual feisty self when he joined his Avs teammates for practice on Wednesday in Denver.

“He definitely hasn’t lost a step,” Makar said. “It’s going to take some time to get back to where he was. Missing three years of gameplay is pretty crucial, but I think he’s doing the right thing, making the right steps here. Hopefully he just keeps progressing, and it’s nice to have him around the team. That’s for sure.”

Makar was part of a group that made the trek out to Loveland to take in Landeskog’s return to action last weekend. As an added bonus, he also got to see his younger brother and Avs prospect, Taylor Makar, suit up for the first-place Eagles, just two weeks after the left winger turned pro following a Hockey East championship at the University of Maine.

“Really cool experience,” Cale Makar said. “I haven't got the chance to watch my brother live since such a long time ago – probably, like, minor hockey.”

Already a past winner of the Calder, Conn Smythe and Norris Trophies, Makar just finished his most productive season yet. 

He led all NHL defensemen with 92 points while landing in the top 10 in overall scoring. He also became just the ninth blueliner of all time to score 30 goals and the first since Mike Green of the Washington Capitals tallied 31 in 2008-09. 

As he sits in pole position for his second Norris while NHL Awards voting takes place this week, perhaps the only person in the hockey world who’s not impressed is Makar himself.

“I think it just goes back to the team, and how well they've done at giving us good players to succeed,” he said. “You’re not achieving any of that without good teammates. For us, they’ve found great fits here, and I think that’s only elevated everybody’s play.”

With playoffs set to begin, Makar and Florida Panthers left winger Matthew Tkachuk are this year’s faces of the ‘Check In To Win’ sweepstakes at Great Clips, the official hair salon of the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.

From now through May 19, fans who download the Great Clips app and check in will be entered for a chance to see epic on-ice checks live from the stands at the 2025 Stanley Cup final. Other prizes include gift cards for Great Clips and NHLshop.com.

“It's pretty exciting for them to be sending one person to a Stanley Cup final game,” Makar said. “It's an honor to do a partnership with them.”

On top of a good haircut, Makar says “a lot” goes into his preparation to bring his best each game day.

“Nothing too superstitious or ritual-wise, but just making sure your body’s physically and mentally ready to get it going.”

Cale Makar and the Avalanche will start their first-round series against the Stars on the road on Saturday, April 19, at American Airlines Arena.

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The first-round matchups are finalized for the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs. That means it’s time for the time-honored tradition of THN.com playoff predictions. 

We begin with this writer’s picks for who wins each Western Conference first-round series. There's expected to be a lot of thrilling action and some bitter rivals punishing each other.

To hedge our bets, we’re also going to entertain the possibility that the teams we see as first-round losers might be able to win instead.

With that said, here are our guess-timates for the four Western Conference series:

Winnipeg Jets (C1) Vs. St. Louis Blues (WC2)

Season series: 3-1 Winnipeg

Why Winnipeg will win: As the NHL’s best regular-season team, the Jets were dominant from post-to-post this year, winning 55 games. They’ve also got an intimidating home record of 29-7-4 – and combined with the Blues’ mediocre road record of 20-16-5, it’s clear Winnipeg is the rightful favorite to win this series. 

The Jets will face major changes if they flame out in the opening round, but they’ve got too much talent – especially in net, with Vezina Trophy front-runner Connor Hellebuyck leading the way – to be upset in the first round of this year’s post-season.

Why St. Louis will win: The Blues overcame a 25-26-6 record by going 19-4-2 the rest of the season – essentially playing must-win hockey for two months – so they’re now in peak form. 

The Jets beat them 3-1 in their most recent showdown on April 7, but that was with backup goalie Joel Hoefer in net. The Blues will turn to starter Jordan Binnington to begin their first-round series. As we know, Binnington can live up to the moment, winning gold for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He has a 2.69 goals-against average on the season and a 2.23 GAA after the 4 Nations pause. 

St. Louis has the essentials to at least extend the series to six games – and from there, it could be either team’s series to win.

Prediction: Jets in six games

The Jets have an enormous amount of pressure on them, having lost both of their first-round showdowns in the last two seasons. But Winnipeg is as deep as they’ve ever been, and the Blues – in spite of their late-season hot streak – are considerably less talented in an all-around sense. It isn’t going to be a sweep for the Jets, but they should be able to send St. Louis home for the summer.

NHL Power Rankings: Each Team's MVP As Jets Finish On TopWelcome to the last edition of the NHL power rankings for the 2024-25 season. Thanks for following along in what has been another unpredictable and exciting season. 

Vegas Golden Knights (P1) Vs. Minnesota Wild (WC1)

Season series: 3-0 Vegas

Why Vegas will win:The Golden Knights handled Minnesota easily this season, outscoring the Wild 9-2 in their most recent two games. 

Vegas’ underrated offense is superior to Minnesota’s. The Golden Knights rank fifth in the NHL at an average of 3.33 goals-for per game, compared to the Wild’s 25th-ranked offense at 2.74. 

The Knights’ defense is also impressive, as it has the fourth-best defense at 2.62 goals against per game, compared to Minnesota’s 14th-best defense at 2.88. 

The Golden Knights also have the NHL’s second-best power play at a 28.3 percent success rate, while the Wild ranked 20th in that regard. Both squads’ penalty kills rank in the bottom 10, but Vegas still has a higher kill rate.

By virtually any metric, the Golden Knights are better than the Wild, and that should be reflected with a Vegas series win.

Why Minnesota will win:The Wild have the best goalie in this series in Filip Gustavsson, who has a .914 save percentage, a 2.56 goals-against average and five shutouts this year. Contrast that with Vegas starter Adin Hill’s .906 SP and four shutouts, and you see where Minnesota may have the edge in net. 

The Golden Knights went through a stretch from the first week of January through the beginning of February where they went 3-8-3, so they’re far from perfect. 

The Wild also have Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back in the lineup. Kaprizov missed more than two months of action, while Eriksson Ek missed over a month. Minnesota ranked eighth in the NHL before Kaprizov’s injury, so they have looked promising when everyone’s healthy.

Prediction: Golden Knights in five games

Full disclosure – we haven’t been big on the Wild for years now, and this season is no different. Minnesota might have the most dynamic player in this series with Kaprizov, but there’s a reason why the Wild haven’t won a playoff series since 2014-15 – they just don’t have enough high-end depth to run-and-gun with the league’s best teams. Vegas, on the other hand, is a proven Cup champion, so we expect the Knights to dispose of Minnesota in short order.

Dallas Stars (C2) Vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3)

Season series: 2-1 Colorado

Why Dallas will win:The Stars finished second in the highly competitive Central Division via a stunningly potent offense. They have the NHL’s third-most goals-for per game at 3.35.

Dallas’ defense also was no slouch, ranking sixth overall at 2.71 goals against per game. That’s better than the Avalanche in both categories – and imagine how much better Dallas would be if they had star right winger Mikko Rantanen all season long. 

The Stars also have veteran Tyler Seguin back from injury, adding another terrific asset to their already formidable lineup. They’ve got all the components to go on a lengthy playoff run.

Why Colorado will win: The Stars won the first game against the Avalanche this season, but that was back on Nov. 29. In the two games that followed, the Avs took it to Dallas, beating them by a combined score of 10-6. 

Colorado has added incredible depth, especially on the back end, with a defense corps that is now the envy of virtually every other NHL team. The presumed absence of star Dallas blueliner Miro Heiskanen, at least at the beginning of the first round, gives the Avalanche an advantage. Stars left winger Jason Robertson’s status is also uncertain after leaving the rink Wednesday nightwearing a knee brace. 

So long as goalie Mackenzie Blackwood doesn’t fall apart, the Avs will push the Stars to their limit and end Dallas’ season prematurely. 

Prediction: Avalanche in seven games

This is going to be the toughest first-round series this season, and the truth is it could go either way. That said, Colorado has the best player in the series in center Nathan MacKinnon and the best blueliner in the series in Cale Makar. 

All other factors being equal, the Avalanche’s superstars will be the difference-makers, and the Avs will move on to the second round by beating the Stars in a hugely entertaining seventh game.

These NHL Veterans Hope Their First Stanley Cup Win Is Coming This SpringFrom the first day they strap on a pair of skates, aspiring NHL players dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup. 

Los Angeles Kings (P2) Vs. Edmonton Oilers (P3)

Season series: 3-1 Los Angeles

Why Los Angeles will win:The Kings are a team to reckon with this year, particularly at home, where they’re a league-best 31-5-4. 

Los Angeles has thrived since the NHL’s trade deadline, going 17-4-0 since then. The Kings are doing it with the league’s second-best defense averaging 2.44 goals against and the seventh-best penalty kill, averaging 81.3 percent efficiency. 

The Kings may not have a generational talent to rival the Oilers’ Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, but they have a well-balanced lineup and a patient game that can clamp down on Edmonton’s high-octane attack when it counts.

Why Edmonton will win: The Oilers got within one game of a Cup last season, and they have many familiar faces from that run. They’ll get a boost from the eventual return of left winger Evander Kane, and they’ve added depth in center Trent Frederic and defenseman Jake Walman. 

Edmonton has a slightly better offense than the Kings, and L.A. has no one who can compare to McDavid and Draisaitl. If either or both of those two superstars impose their will on the series, there will be nothing the Kings can do about it. So long as the Oilers’ goaltending holds up, Edmonton can eliminate the Kings for the fourth straight season.

Stanley Cup Blueprint: Believe It Or Not, The Jets, Kings And Lightning Have The Most Makings Of A ChampionWhat does a Stanley Cup winner actually look like? It’s a question that all 32 NHL teams ask every season. 

Prediction: Kings in six games

Playoff series against L.A. have gone in Edmonton’s favor in the last three years, but this time will be different. It’s largely because L.A.’s goaltending is better than the Oilers’. Kings starter and Cup champion Darcy Kuemper has stats (2.02 GAA, .922 SP) better than those of Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner (.894 SP, 2.87 GAA). 

Due to the Kings’ smothering defense, we see them shocking the Oilers and eliminating them before the series gets to a seventh game.

Share your predictions for each series in the comments.

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Most of the speculation regarding the Philadelphia Flyers has focused on their potential replacements for fired coach John Tortorella. 

Candidates range from interim coach Brad Shaw and the University of Denver's David Carle to Vancouver Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet.

As the off-season approaches, there is growing conjecture over their roster plans. GM Daniel Briere is reportedly open to using one of his three first-round picks in this year's draft as trade bait to acquire an established young player. 

Kevin Kurz of The Athletic wondered if Briere might consider going the offer-sheet route this summer. He pointed out the Flyers GM isn't afraid to make bold moves during the off-season.  

Kurz suggested Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks, Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild and Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs as potential offer-sheet targets. However, there's no certainty that those pending RFAs will be open to entertaining offers from other clubs.

McTavish could be an intriguing possibility. Anaheim has a projected cap space of $38.6 million with 16 active roster players under contract for next season. Kurz points out that the rebuilding Ducks usually don't spend to the cap ceiling, noting they must ensure they have sufficient long-term space for rising stars Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier.

Kurz believes fixing their goaltending should be the Flyers' priority. Their team save percentage (.879) and goals-against per game (3.43) are among the league's worst.

The Flyers could stick with Samuel Ersson as their starter and have Ivan Fedotov as their No. 3. Aleksei Kolosov is reportedly returning to Belarus following this season. 

Kurz suggested Jake Allen of the New Jersey Devils and oft-injured Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes could be the best option in a thin free-agent market for goaltenders. 

Trade options could include John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. Thatcher Demko might be available if the Canucks decide to part with him after signing Kevin Lankinen to a contract extension. 

Briere could also be in the market for a young prospect with another club who could soon be NHL-ready. 

The Hockey News' Jonathan Bailey suggested the Flyers' seven picks in the first two rounds of this year's draft could help them make a competitive bid for Isaac Howard if the Tampa Bay Lightning decide to trade the 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner.

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It was back in September — long before the Montreal Canadiens went on a Cinderella run that resulted in a wild card berth in their final game of the regular season — that Nick Suzuki revealed to The Hockey News that this year might just be more than another rebuilding year.

In other words, forget about getting another top-5 pick in the draft. The Habs captain was more interested in grabbing a playoff spot.

"Personally, I feel like you can’t just keep stockpiling prospects," Suzuki said back then. "I want to be in the playoffs. I’ve been in the playoffs twice now and they haven’t been on normal circumstances, so I haven’t got to play at the Bell Centre in front of a sold-out crowd. That’s definitely something I’m itching for this year."

On Wednesday, Suzuki scratched that itch.

The Canadiens have done the improbable — if not the seemingly impossible.

They are a playoff team.

Ole, ole, ole, ole... Habs are going to the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/aZyJIHyjy4

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) April 17, 2025

That they did it before the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings ended their playoff droughts should not be lost on the Chicago Blackhawks or San Jose Sharks or any other franchise that preaches a long rebuild in order to get back to the playoffs. Yes, the Canadiens haven't been in the post-season since reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2021. But compared to the Ottawa Senators, who missed for seven years, this return to the playoffs feels very premature.

No one was picking the Habs to be a wild card when the season began. Now, they will  face the top-seeded Washington Capitals in the first round, where the Canadiens are the "underdogs."

However, bet against them at your own peril.

"We wanted to make playoffs no matter what and we did it. That was our main goal all the time," Suzuki told reporters after the playoff-clinching 4-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. "You can't talk loud about it. It was our little goal that we kept between us and, yeah, it happened."

Mission Accomplished, The Canadiens Are Back In The PlayoffsThe puck dropped on the Montreal Canadiens’ 82nd game of the season at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night, with the Carolina Hurricanes in town. Martin St-Louis’ men had already failed to clinch a playoff berth in their last three games, and expectations were high in Montreal, especially since the visitors decided to rest some of their regular players. Rod Brind’Amour even went as far as using Jesperi Kotkaniemi as his top-line center.

It happened mostly because of Suzuki, who since the March 7 trade deadline has scored the fifth-most points of any player in the NHL. But the Canadiens probably wouldn't have qualified without the unlikely contributions from their youngsters.

Defenseman Lane Hutson, who is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy, led all NHL rookies with 66 points in 82 games. Juraj Slafkovsky, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 draft, had a breakout year with 51 points. Cole Caufield, who is still only 24, led the team with 37 goals. Even 18-year-old Ivan Demidov, who has played in two games since coming over from Russia, has contributed with a goal and an assist.

And then, there were the players who everyone thought would have been gone by now.

Instead of trading Jake Evans at the deadline, the team signed him to an extension. On Wednesday, he rewarded that decision by scoring the empty-netter that sealed the win. Marc Savard, another player who was rumored to be moved, led the team with 180 blocked shots.

"Top to bottom, we have really deep forwards," said Suzuki. "I think our young D will just keep getting better. We’re adding probably some young guys that will make the team and give us a boost. From the first line to the fourth line, I think we could be one of the deepest at that position."

Canadiens' Suzuki Itching For Playoff Hockey In Sold-Out Bell CentreMontreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish this season before it began.

Add it up and Montreal looks like they could be one of those dark horse teams that goes further than anyone expected. By making the playoffs, they've already done that.

Now, who knows what else they can do.

From the first day they strap on a pair of skates, aspiring NHL players dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup. 

When they make it to the league, the dream gets even closer. But championships can be elusive, and some NHL stars can play well into their 30s or even 40s while still striving to sip from the silver chalice.

Last summer, the Florida Panthers’ roster was rich with veterans who finally realized their Stanley Cup dreams, from Sergei Bobrovsky to Kyle Okposo, through Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dmitry Kulikov and on down the line. 

Here’s a look at this year’s longest-tenured veterans who are looking for their storybook ending in 2025 and, for many, a boost that will help them maximize their bargaining power for next season.

Ryan Suter, St. Louis Blues, 1,526 games

At 40, Ryan Suter has been the oldest skater in the NHL this season, 54 days younger than goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. After signing in St. Louis on a one-year, league-minimum contract following his buyout by the Dallas Stars, the 2003 seventh-overall pick appeared in all 82 games for the Blues and skated nearly 20 minutes a night. 

Suter’s 1,526 games played lead all active players, and he hasn’t missed a game since 2018. His personal ironman streak stands at 535 games and counting. 

But in 20 NHL seasons, Suter has not yet appeared in a Stanley Cup final. He has been getting closer — his longest runs to date came in his last two playoffs, when he got to the Western Conference final with Dallas.

After the Blues’ storybook run through the second half of the season, Suter now gets another chance to see if this is the year.

Cam Fowler is another veteran St. Louis defender who’s looking to make the most of this opportunity. 

At 33, the longtime Anaheim Duck has 1,042 games on his resume. With 36 points in 51 games since his December trade to St. Louis, he has been a crucial addition to the Blues’ top pair. Under contract for one more year, Fowler is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. His best playoff run came in 2015, when the Ducks lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference final. 

Brent Burns, Carolina Hurricanes, 1,495 games

With 923 consecutive games played, Brent Burns is the NHL’s reigning active ironman and the only man ahead of his fellow quadragenarian, Suter. 

Burns has been to the Stanley Cup final once, putting up 24 points in 24 games before the San Jose Sharks fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016. With 120 total playoff games, Burns also reached the Western Conference final with the Sharks in 2019 and the Eastern Conference final with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023.

The Hurricanes are making their seventh straight playoff appearance – one of the NHL’s longest active streaks. With free agency looming for the bearded one, is this the year that Carolina finally puts it all together and raises the Cup for the second time in franchise history?

Claude Giroux, Ottawa Senators, 1,262 games

As a 22-year-old, Claude Giroux put up 21 points in 23 games during the Philadelphia Flyers’ Cinderella run to the 2010 Stanley Cup final. He’s been trying to get back ever since, but his last attempt fizzled in the second round when he joined the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers for their 2022 playoffs – a couple of years too early, as it turned out.

Now, at 37, Giroux is back where he grew up in Canada’s Capital Region. This spring, he’ll chase the Cup in front of an Ottawa Senators fan base that’s thrilled to finally put its seven-year playoff drought to bed in just the second season under new owner Michael Andlauer.

Giroux is also on the cusp of free agency, finishing out the three-year deal he signed with Ottawa in 2022.

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars, 1,191 games

The pattern continues. At 35, Jamie Benn is in the final season of the eight-year extension that he signed all the way back in 2016. His Art Ross Trophy days are nearly a decade in the rearview mirror, and he has been excruciatingly stuck on 399 career goals for more than a month. But since Benn took over the captaincy from Brenden Morrow in 2013, his Stars have gone to the Stanley Cup final in the 2020 bubble and, more recently, had back-to-back appearances in the final four.

The Stars’ Matt Duchene also sits high on the list of Cupless vets at 1,137 games. After making his first-career trip to a Conference final last year, he re-upped with Dallas in hopes of finishing the job. This season, Duchene has played some of his best hockey, cracking the 80-point mark for just the second time in his 16 years.

NHL Playoffs: Skinner, Tkachuk Headline New Faces To Watch In The Cup ChaseWith just over a week to go in the 2024-25 NHL regular season, our 16 playoff competitors look about set.

John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs, 1,183 games

For every pundit who predicted that John Tavares’ seven-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs would be an albatross in its later stages, the 34-year-old silenced them with yet another point-per-game campaign, ace face-off work and 18 reliable minutes a night under new taskmaster coach Craig Berube, consistent with his ice-time average in Toronto.

Both team and player have indicated they’d like to continue the relationship, but as always, the Leafs’ future plans will hinge on their playoff results. Though he ceded the captaincy to Auston Matthews last summer, Tavares might end up being named a Leaf for Life if he and his teammates can find a way to erase the curse of 1967 this spring.

James van Riemsdyk, Columbus Blue Jackets, 1,081 games

He’s not in yet. But the fact that James van Riemsdyk could still qualify for the playoffs with the Columbus Blue Jackets after 81 games deserves a mention. 

Just a few weeks before he turns 36, van Riemsdyk has played an important leadership role in Columbus as part of the feel-good story of the season. The Blue Jackets refuse to go away, and he has been skating in the top six while chipping in five points in his last four games.

In 16 NHL campaigns, van Riemsdyk has only made the playoffs eight times so far. His best run came all the way back in his rookie year, with Giroux on the 2010 Flyers team that fell to the Blackhawks.

Signed to his second-straight one-year deal at a bargain-basement rate, van Riemsdyk has shown he can still make a meaningful contribution at the NHL level.

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets, 567 games

Approaching age 32 with six years to play on his current contract, Connor Hellebuyck’s situation is different from most of the players on this list. 

He still has plenty of runway left to chase a Cup. But as the favorite to win his third-career Vezina while part of a Presidents’ Trophy-winning team, there’s no time like the present for him to check a championship off his to-do list.

Last year, Bobrovsky was the goalie who’d played the most games without a Cup win — and got it done. Semyon Varlamov (621 games) is now the only active Cup-less goalie with more games played than Hellebuyck, but his New York Islanders didn’t qualify for the dance.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

It's time to preview the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs from a betting and fantasy hockey lens on The Cheat Sheet.

First-Round NHL Playoff Odds, Early Conn Smythe Look And More by The Cheat Sheetundefined

Here's what George Nassios and Andrew McInnis discussed in this episode:

0:00: Do the New Jersey Devils have any chance at taking down the Carolina Hurricanes?

3:32: Are the Dallas Stars (+104) a smart underdog bet against the Colorado Avalanche? (-125)

6:55: Betting the length of the Battle of Ontario series

10:15: Best bets to target in the Battle of Florida series

14:11: Can the St. Louis Blues (+188) have a tight series with the Winnipeg Jets? (-230)

17:46: How should bettors look at the Minnesota Wild (+195) in their series against the Vegas Golden Knights? (-240)

22:58: Could the Los Angeles Kings (+116) be a strong upset candidate in their series against the Edmonton Oilers? (-146)

27:11: Is Jack Eichel (+1700) a strong candidate for an early Conn Smythe bet?

30:38: Would you rather have Jake Sanderson or Lane Hutson in a fantasy keeper league?

33:24: Should Kirill Marchenko be a high fantasy draft pick next season?

Subscribe to The Hockey News Cheat Sheet on your preferred platform and come back on Wednesdays for the latest episodes.

What does a Stanley Cup winner actually look like? It’s a question that all 32 NHL teams ask every season. 

By analyzing the regular-season profiles of the last 10 champions, there are statistical trends that consistently lead to post-season success and can be used to see which 2025 Cup contenders match the mold.

The general framework for this experiment prioritizes some key aspects that have historically dictated a team’s success in the playoffs: offensive depth, puck possession, defensive strength and goaltending.

Here’s a rundown of the stats and criteria being used, and why each of them is important.

After that, it's time to see which NHL teams fit the bill the most.

(Stats courtesy of moneypuck.com, naturalstattrick.com and hockey-reference.com.)

What Stats Often Determine A Stanley Cup Champion?

Goals against per game: While offensive efficiency in the regular season has varied across previous champions, defense has always been consistent. Seven of the last 10 Cup winners have ranked in the top 10 in goals against per game.

Expected goals differential: How dangerous are the chances you are creating, and how dangerous are the ones you are giving up? They can individually be valuable, but the best teams are good at both. Eight of the last 10 champions finished in the top 12 in expected goal differential.

Goal differential: While expected stats provide a good measurement of a team’s overall process, results are truly what matter. Seven of the last 10 Stanley Cup champions finished in the top four in goal differential.

Power-play percentage and penalty-kill percentage: Special teams have always had the potential to decide which team wins a game, which can apply to an entire playoff run. Seven of the last eight winners finished with a top 10 power play in the regular season.

Corsi-for percentage: Possession dominance at even strength has increasingly become a factor leading to success in the regular season, which translates to success in the playoffs. Seven of the last 10 Stanley Cup winners finished in the top 10 in Corsi-for percentage during the regular season.

PDO: Every team needs bounces to go their way in the quest for the Stanley Cup. While not perfect, PDO is the best indicator of favorable bounces throughout a season. It measure shooting percentage plus save percentage. Five of the last 10 teams that won it all finished in the top five in PDO, and nobody finished lower than 13th.

Regulation wins: With no 3-on-3 overtime, wins in regulation can be a way of measuring even-strength dominance. Nine of the last 10 Stanley Cup champions have finished top-10 in regulation wins.

Here are some other factors being taken into consideration that aren’t accounted for with the analytics above.

Weight: Playing “heavy hockey” has been an important part of today’s game. While the 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16 and 2016-17 ranked in the bottom half of average weight, five of the last seven Stanley Cup rosters have been in the top 10.

Star talent: Defining a “star” isn’t always a linear process, but for the sake of this exercise, it’s defined as a player who averages over a point per game throughout the regular season. Seven of the last 10 champs have had at least one in their lineup, and five of them have had two or more.

Depth scoring: While the stars lead you to the playoffs, having offensive depth has always been an important part of every Stanley Cup run. Six of the last 10 winners had four or more 20-plus-goal scorers, and every team other than the 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning (shortened season) had three.

Goaltending stability: When nothing seems to be going right, the best teams have historically had a goaltender to rely on to potentially steal a game or two in the post-season. Seven of the last 10 champions have had a goaltender with at least a .915 save percentage, and six teams had at least one that finished top-10 in goals saved above expected (GSAx)

2024-25 NHL Teams That Match The Blueprint The Most

Winnipeg Jets

Canada’s best chance of winning a Stanley Cup in 2025, according to this exercise, lies in the hands of the Winnipeg Jets.

The Presidents' Trophy winners are primed for a deep playoff run with Hart Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck and the dynamic offensive duo of Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. This team has long felt like a contender, but now the pieces might finally fall into place.

This year is different. The Jets’ offense seemingly struggled throughout the regular season last year, finishing 15th in goals-for per game (3.16). With scoring dropping around the league this year, the Jets have only produced offense at a slightly higher clip (3.37) and rank fourth in goals per game. For even further context, that pace would have them finish ninth in league scoring last season.

Last year’s first-round matchup with the Colorado Avalanche was a track meet the Jets simply could not keep up with, especially with a power play that ranked in the bottom 10 in the NHL. Now, the Jets are the best team in the NHL with the man-advantage and have the best goaltender in a league where nearly every other team has had offensive regression.

NHL Power Rankings: Each Team's MVP As Jets Finish On TopWelcome to the last edition of the NHL power rankings for the 2024-25 season. Thanks for following along in what has been another unpredictable and exciting season. 

Los Angeles Kings

What the Los Angeles Kings lack in star power, they make up for in structure and depth. 

They’ve arguably been the best defensive team in the NHL this season, ranking first in expected goals against and second in total goals conceded. Their penalty kill is also among the league’s best, ranking seventh.

While the Kings play a tight brand of defense, goaltender Darcy Kuemper deserves a ton of credit for his efforts. 

The 34-year-old is outperforming his 2021-22 Cup-winning campaign with a .922 save percentage, a top-six GSAx ranking and a 2.02 goals-against average – tied with Hellebuyck. 

The Kings haven’t had any real stability in their crease since the departure of Jonathan Quick, and a resurgence like this could give them the edge in playoff rounds where they might not be favored.

Offense has, and will continue to be, the biggest question for the Kings. 

Adrian Kempe is their only player with over 70 points. They rank 28th in power-play percentage and 13th in goals-for per game (3.06). 

That said, their formula seems to be working, putting together an absurd 41-0-2 record when scoring three goals or more. 

Aside from Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala and even Quinton Byfield have all been significant contributors to this balanced offense. It will be guys like Alex Laferriere, Warren Foegele and Trevor Moore who leverage matchup opportunities and drive them on a deep run.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning just won’t go away. 

Even after losing two integral pieces to their core in Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev last off-season, the Lightning built a regular-season resume that has them looking just as dangerous as they were in their pursuit of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

The Lightning arguably have the most star power out of any playoff team this season, led by Art Ross leader and Hart Trophy candidate Nikita Kucherov. They also have three other players who have scored at least 35 goals and averaged over a point per game in Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel. 

This high-powered offense is third in even-strength goals while also having the fifth-best power play, leading them to score more total goals than anyone in the NHL. There isn’t an on-ice scenario where the Lightning aren’t capable of scoring, and they do it at a rate higher than any other team in the league.

GM Julien BriseBois also deserves credit for the additions made in the summer and at the trade deadline. Aside from Guentzel fitting in perfectly as the Lightning’s new trigger man, re-acquiring Ryan McDonagh has also been a huge win, covering up a lot of the defensive shortcomings this blueline looked to have heading into the season. 

Oliver Bjorkstrand was also a nice pickup, adding a defensively responsible winger with some scoring upside to a bottom-six group that already wins most of its matchups offensively. Having him recovered from injury would give the team another depth boost in the playoffs, but he's currently out week-to-week.

The Lightning also have the best goal differential in the Eastern Conference, largely due to a Vezina-caliber season from Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Russian netminder is quietly having one of the best statistical years of his career, boasting a .921 SP and 2.18 GAA while sitting only behind Hellebuyck in GSAx.

There’s no perfect formula for winning the Stanley Cup – but there are some patterns. Teams that have depth scoring, dominant goaltending and strong defensive structure tend to be the ones lifting the Cup this summer. The margin between contenders and pretenders is razor-thin, but these three teams have set themselves up for success in the coming weeks.

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Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Birthday Backcheck features Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, who turns 24 on April 16.

Wolf is the fifth-fastest American-born rookie goalie to hit 20 wins in a season. He was the goaltender of the year in the CHL in 2020, the AHL in 2022 and 2023 and the AHL's MVP in 2023.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.      

Welcome to the last edition of the NHL power rankings for the 2024-25 season. Thanks for following along in what has been another unpredictable and exciting season. 

The Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals have ranked first and second for much of the season, even though neither was considered a top-tier contender. Yet, here we are, one day away from the last day of the regular season with the Jets winning their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy and the Capitals clinching the Eastern Conference title.

What’s left? Aside from wondering when the Canadiens will clinch the final spot in the East – or how the Blue Jackets will steal it from right under their noses – the last thing to do is to name the MVP for each team this season.

1. Winnipeg Jets (55-22-4, +85. Previous: 1)

The Jets have allowed the fewest goals this season. With already the fourth-highest single-season wins total in the cap era, Connor Hellebuyck is not only a shoo-in for the Vezina, but he also could be the first goalie since Carey Price since 2014-15 to win the Hart as NHL MVP.

2. Washington Capitals (51-21-9, +59. Previous: 2)

The sentimental pick would be Alex Ovechkin, and truly, he’s solidified himself as the greatest after breaking the all-time goals record. But every triggerman also needs a good set-up man. Dylan Strome is one of five Caps forwards slated to play all 82 games and will finish the season as the Capitals’ top scorer with career highs across the board.

3. Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-10, +53. Previous: 4)

Jack Eichel has blossomed into an elite, top-tier, two-way superstar for the Knights. He’s scored nearly 30 points more than the next highest scorer, Mark Stone, and has also played the most games since his breakout 2018-19 season with the Sabres. 

4. Los Angeles Kings (48-24-9, +48. Previous: 5)

It’s difficult to pinpoint a singular player on such a balanced team. The Kings’ two stalwarts have been captain Anze Kopitar, who’s on the shortlist for another Selke Trophy, and Darcy Kuemper, who’s quietly had a terrific season. The last time Kuemper won 30 games and finished with a save percentage above .920 was his Cup win in 2022 with the Avs. Foreshadowing?!  

5. Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4, +43. Previous: 3)

Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon are nearly inseparable as a unit and deservedly share the recognition for how they’ve carried the Avalanche. Even when the Avs made the shocking decision to trade Mikko Rantanen, they barely missed a beat thanks to their two play-driving superstars.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs (51-26-4, +36. Previous: 7)

Mitch Marner reached the century mark, and he’s been the Leafs’ most consistent and reliable player all season. It’s very conceivable he finishes top-three in Selke voting for the second time in three seasons.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning (47-26-8, +79. Previous: 9)

How crazy is it that Nikita Kucherov can win consecutive Art Ross Trophies and not win any other major award? Kucherov’s 1.56 point-per-game average over the past five seasons trails only Connor McDavid. He has the highest career point-per-game average among all Russian-born NHL players and will soon become just the sixth to score 1,000 points. 

8. Florida Panthers (47-31-4, +29. Previous: 11)

Sam Reinhart just quietly does his thing, notching his fourth straight 30-goal season even with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk missing significant time. He ranks first among Panthers forwards in ice time per game and plays an important role on their penalty kill and power play. 

9. Carolina Hurricanes (47-28-5, +37. Previous: 8)

It feels like it’s Sebastian Aho every year, and rightfully so. He’s led the Hurricanes in scoring in all but two (!) seasons since joining the team in 2016-17.

NHL Playoffs: Six Teams That Can't Afford An Early ExitThe stakes are too high for some of the NHL’s top playoff teams to go home early.

10. Dallas Stars (50-25-6, +57. Previous: 6)

With so much star power up front, we’re going slightly off the board here with Thomas Harley, who leads all Stars defensemen in nearly every single statistical category. Since Miro Heiskanen’s game on Jan. 28, Harley has scored 27 points, including 12 on the power play, in 29 games while averaging 25 minutes per game. The Stars' defense would be in shambles without him picking up the slack.

11. Edmonton Oilers (47-29-5, +20. Previous: 10)

Leon Draisaitl is the top challenger to Connor Hellebuyck for the Hart Trophy. With Connor McDavid having a subpar season – for his standards – Draisaitl has picked up the slack with his third 50-goal campaign in four seasons and become just the third player not named Ovechkin, Crosby, Stamkos or Matthews to win the Rocket Richard in the past 15 seasons.

12. St. Louis Blues (44-30-8, +21. Previous: 12)

It’s easily Robert Thomas, one of the league’s top playmakers and premier No. 1 pivot that nobody really talks about. He’s just one of five forwards (Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid, Pastrnak) to score at least 20 goals and 60 assists in each of the past two seasons. 

13. Ottawa Senators (44-30-7, +7. Previous: 13)

Tim Stutzle has faded a little down the stretch with just five goals in 22 games, but he will finish as their top scorer for the second time in three seasons. He is the team leader in even-strength points (45), power-play points (31) and average ice time among forwards (19:50).

14. New Jersey Devils (42-32-7, +23. Previous: 15)

There is a very, very strong case for Nico Hischier to win the Selke. Along with his 35 goals, he plays tough matchups with lots of defensive-zone starts, has excellent underlying possession numbers, gets a lot of ice time on the league’s second-ranked PK, and ranks first in faceoffs taken and second in faceoffs won. 

15. Minnesota Wild (45-30-7, -11. Previous: 16)

It’s easily Kirill Kaprizov had he not missed half the season, but Filip Gustavsson’s big bounce-back season is arguably the biggest reason why the Wild are where they are right now. Gustavsson solidified himself as the team’s No. 1 and ranks tied-sixth in wins (31), third in saves (1,547) and sixth in minutes played (3423:35). Did I mention he’s also scored a goal?

16. Columbus Blue Jackets (39-33-9, even. Previous: 19)

If Zach Werenski doesn’t finish at least second in Norris Trophy voting, we’re not watching the same game. If the Jackets clinch the last playoff spot – and given the way things are trending, it’s very, very possible – does that tip the scales in Werenski’s favor to win the Norris? P.S. It’s a small source of pride that the power rankings has quite accurately reflected the 16 playoff teams before the end of the regular season in the past couple of seasons – don’t disappoint me, Columbus. 

17. Montreal Canadiens (39-31-11, -22. Previous: 14)

The Habs have been streaky and they’re taking forever to clinch a playoff spot, but the one constant this season has been Nick Suzuki. We could argue that Lane Hutson’s contributions have completely changed the Canadiens’ dynamic on offense, but they’re not in this spot without the steady guidance and clutch scoring from their captain.

Canadiens And Blue Jackets Have Divergent Expectations With Playoff Spot On The LineAnyone who suggested prior to the season that the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets would be battling for the final playoff spot in the final days of the 2024-25 campaign might have been laughed out of the room.

18. Calgary Flames (40-27-14, -17. Previous: 18)

Dustin Wolf’s incredible rookie season – in any other season, he’d be a lock for the Calder – is just another feather in his cap for an undersized goalie nobody (except maybe himself) expected to be this good. There are shades of Miikka Kiprusoff here, another undersized goalie picked late in his draft year who dominated in other leagues before dominating the NHL. 

19. Utah Hockey Club (38-31-13, -10. Previous: 17)

You can tell Clayton Keller was doing his darndest to carry this team into the playoffs in its inaugural season in Utah. He set career highs in assists and points and also finished nearly 30 points ahead of their next top scorers, Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz, who also wouldn’t have put up the numbers they did without playing with Keller.

20. Vancouver Canucks (38-29-14, -14. Previous: 20)

It’s a crying shame the Canucks wasted another brilliant season from Quinn Hughes, who could still finish as high as third in Norris voting despite missing 14 games. He ranks third in even-strength points (47), second in power-play points (29), and second ice time per game (25:44) among defensemen. He’s their biggest play driver and the Canucks rate out as a mediocre club without him on the ice.

21. Detroit Red Wings (38-35-7, -23. Previous: 23)

Someone other than Dylan Larkin has to really step up because this supposed brilliant Yzerplan is really getting long in the tooth. Lucas Raymond will finish as the team’s scoring leader but his impact still doesn’t quite rival Larkin’s, who plays more minutes and often in tougher situations. 

22. Buffalo Sabres (35-39-7, -21. Previous: 21)

Rasmus Dahlin is getting so little attention he’s really entering underrated territory even though he’s a top-10 defenseman. He will likely finish top-five in scoring among defensemen in the league and currently leads all Sabres defenseman with a plus-11 rating on a team that has a minus-21 goal differential.

23. Philadelphia Flyers (33-38-10, -47. Previous: 27)

It’s Travis Konecny almost by default in a season where the Flyers really took a step back. He was one of their few constants all season and ranks 11th in ice time among all forwards. Over the past three seasons, Konecny is the only Flyer to have scored more than 200 points, and only one other active Flyer, Owen Tippett, has more than 100. 

24. New York Rangers (38-36-7, -3. Previous: 24)

The Rangers would be a lottery team without Igor Shesterkin, who’s saddled with a team that needs significant changes in just about every area except the crease. Per naturalstattrick.com, Shesterkin has the second-highest expected goals against and the most high-danger shots faced at 5-on-5, and yet the Rangers are just slightly below average ranking 21st in goals against per game. 

25. Anaheim Ducks (35-37-9, -41. Previous: 22)

For the first time in four seasons, no Duck will score 60 points, which means Lukas Dostal is the MVP almost by default. His play trailed off after a brilliant start to the season (.945 SP in October) but, for the most part, he was a big reason why the Ducks were able to stay competitive in most games. Dostal was able to overcome the fifth-worst power play in the cap era to maintain a .500 record. Incredible stuff.

26. Seattle Kraken (35-41-6, -18. Previous: 26)

Joey Daccord set career highs in starts, wins and saves. He trails only Hellebuyck and Anthony Stolarz in total goals saved above average at 5-on-5 over the past two seasons, according to naturalstattrick.com.

27. Boston Bruins (33-39-10, -50. Previous: 30)

This team is basically David Pastrnak and Pastrnak’s 17 kids.

NHL Rumor Roundup: More Speculation About The Rangers And Bruins' Off-Season PlansAfter winning the Presidents' Trophy last season, the New York Rangers missing the playoffs is generating growing conjecture about their off-season plans. 

28. Pittsburgh Penguins (33-36-12, -53. Previous: 25)

We need to get Sidney Crosby out of Pittsburgh stat, but the problem is Crosby won’t ever leave Pittsburgh. He is still one of the NHL’s most complete players and his 20 seasons of averaging a point-per-game or better doesn’t get enough respect for just how tough it is to accomplish.

29. Nashville Predators (29-44-8, -64. Previous: 28)

Filip Forsberg is absolved from the blame in the Preds’ disastrous season, scoring at least 30 goals for the third time in four seasons. The Preds’ supposed high-octane offense produced just one 30-goal scorer, and what’s interesting is that Forsberg’s decline in shot volume wasn’t picked up by Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Marchessault. The Preds offense, in general, took a huge leap backwards in terms of generating chances.

30. New York Islanders (35-34-12, -31. Previous: 29)

Bo Horvat stood out from the rest for being their most consistent and reliable player. He scored goals, took a ton of faceoffs and won a ton of them, played on the power play and penalty kill and was the only Islanders forward to average over 20 minutes per game while playing more than half the season.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (25-46-11, -70. Previous: 31)

Connor Bedard’s sophomore season was met with fresh challenges, including a mid-season coaching change, but one thing that stayed consistent was the Blackhawks funnelling their offense through their franchise player. 

32. San Jose Sharks (20-49-12, -102. Previous: 32)

Despite a bevy of losses, the Sharks were able to enjoy themselves once in a while. That’s not hard to do with Macklin Celebrini coming off an excellent rookie season. The Sharks have featured a different scoring leader in each of the past five seasons, but it certainly seems like Celebrini will be topping their leaderboard for many, many seasons to come.

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Anyone who suggested prior to the season that the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets would be battling for the final playoff spot in the final days of the 2024-25 campaign might have been laughed out of the room.

Vying for the No. 1 spot in the NHL draft lottery? Maybe. But the playoffs? No way.

But here we are in the final two days of the season with these two very promising but very flawed teams fighting for the last spot. Montreal needs to get to overtime Wednesday night against Carolina to secure its ticket. Columbus needs Montreal to lose in regulation, and the Jackets need to beat the New York Islanders in regulation Thursday night.

Even though both teams have overachieved, the Blue Jackets' season will have been a success regardless of what happens. The Canadiens, on the other hand, face a lot of questions and a disastrous 2024-25 if they don't lock this down.

Today's video column has more.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.