It's finally set. The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are ready to begin in just two days on Monday, April 17. It took until the third-to-last day to determine all 16 teams and until the very last night for all the seeds to be decided. We saw the Pittsburgh Penguins excluded from the postseason for the first time in 17 years, and the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals doing the same after 8 straight years in the mi x. New blood like the Seattle Kraken and the surprising New Jersey Devils makes this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs unique and all the more exciting. With that in mind, we have a preview for the action to come and a best bet for which team will ultimately hoist the Cup.
Along with our Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for the upcoming postseason action.
2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview
Unsurprisingly, the Boston Bruins are the clear favorites to hoist Lord Stanley in 2023. They're coming into their postseason matchup against last year's Presidents' Trophy winners – the Florida Panthers – after winning it themselves by setting the NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) in a season.
Despite them needing until the final game of the regular season, the defending-champion Colorado Avalanche are the favorites out of the Western Conference. Following the Avs comes two Canadian teams in the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite being a hockey powerhouse, a Canadian team hasn't hosted the Cup since 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens won it. We'll get to see the Leafs in a rematch from last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are looking to make their 4th straight appearance in the Final.