The 2025-26 NHL regular season is over, and the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set with 16 teams in and 16 out. Before the first-round series began, ’s panel of experts laid out its picks for every matchup, turning the bracket into a snapshot of how the race looks before a single playoff puck is dropped.
The clearest consensus came in a few spots. The Sabres drew 18 of 24 picks in one first-round series, the Lightning earned 19 of 24 in another, and the Hurricanes were the strongest favorite with 21 of 24 picks. Those numbers matter because they show where the bracket looks most settled and where the panel expects the least drama when the stanley cup chase begins.
The predictions also split sharply in places. Sean Allen took the Bruins in six, the Lightning in five, the Hurricanes in seven and the Penguins in six. John Buccigross had the Sabres in seven, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in seven and the Penguins in seven. Stormy Buonantony backed the Sabres in seven, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in six, while Cassie Campbell-Pascall went with the Sabres in six, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in five and the Penguins in six.
Other experts pushed some of the same teams through with different paths. Sachin Chandan picked the Sabres in seven, the Lightning in six, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in five. Ryan S. Clark had the Sabres in seven, the Lightning in six, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in seven. Gregg Colli chose the Sabres in six, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in five and the Penguins in six, and Ray Ferraro took the Sabres in seven, the Lightning in six, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in seven.
Not every panelist lined up with the consensus favorites, and that is where the bracket gets interesting. Erik Johnson picked the Bruins in six, the Canadiens in seven, the Hurricanes in six and the Flyers in six. Emily Kaplan went with the Sabres in seven, the Lightning in six, the Hurricanes in seven and the Penguins in seven. Tim Kavanagh chose the Sabres in five, the Canadiens in six, the Hurricanes in five and the Flyers in six.
More forecast cards followed the same pattern. Rachel Kryshak picked the Sabres in six, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in seven. Peter Lawrence-Riddell had the Bruins in seven, the Lightning in six, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in six. Steve Levy leaned to the Sabres in seven, the Lightning in seven, the Senators in seven and the Flyers in seven. Vince Masi picked the Bruins in seven, the Lightning in six, the Hurricanes in seven and the Penguins in six, and Victoria Matiash matched that general shape with the Bruins in seven, the Lightning in six, the Hurricanes in seven and the Penguins in six.
Sean McDonough backed the Sabres in six, the Canadiens in seven, the Hurricanes in five and the Penguins in five. Mark Messier chose the Sabres in six, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in six. Arda Öcal went with the Sabres in six, the Canadiens in six, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in seven. T.J. Oshie picked the Sabres in six, the Lightning in seven, the Senators in seven and the Penguins in seven. Kristen Shilton chose the Sabres in six, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in six, while Bob Wischusen landed in the same lane with the Sabres in six, the Lightning in seven, the Hurricanes in six and the Penguins in six.
The panel also said who it thinks will win the Stanley Cup in June and who will take the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, though those selections were not included in the text provided. That leaves the first round as the immediate point of focus, and the variation in picks shows how wide open several series still look even after the regular season is done.
The next step comes quickly: the opening 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs games will decide whether the consensus holds or whether one of the lower-picked teams turns the bracket upside down.
