2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Betting Preview

Welcome to the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview. In this article I’ll share my thoughts on all eight series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway Monday, so you have a couple of days to get your picks in. Be sure to check out the Bet Tracker before and throughout the playoffs for NHL futures and daily NHL props and NHL picks. 

I plan on adding all my future NHL bets, series bets and NHL props by Sunday evening. 

Be sure to check out the Dangle Bet Celly Stanley Cup Preview Show which will feature all of our NHL futures bets, including series picks and which players to draft and fade in your fantasy hockey playoff pools. 

We’re also running a Dangle Bet Celly NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Bracket pool, which you can enter by clicking here. (Check out our full breakdown of the Stanley Cup Bracket Challenge.) Join in on the fun and see if you can take down Eric Young and me!

Eastern Conference 

(A1) Boston Bruins vs. (WC2) Florida Panthers

Bruins -320 (65-12-5, 135 PTS) vs. Panthers +250 (42-32-8, 92 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

BOS 2-1-1
GF:GA 17-14 (BOS)

FLA 3 @ BOS 5
BOS 2 @ FLA 5
FLA 3 @ BOS 7
BOS 3 @ FLA 4 OT

Team Stats 

GF: BOS 3.67 (2)/FLA 3.51 (6)
GF/60 (5v5): BOS 3.1 (2)/FLA 3.01 (3)
GA: BOS 2.12 (1)/FLA 3.32 (21)
GA/60 (5v5): BOS 1.78 (1)/FLA 2.51 (16) 
PP: BOS 22.2% (12)/FLA 22.8% (10)
PK: BOS 87.3% (1)/FLA 76.0% (23)
SF/60 (5v5): BOS 32.04 (8)/FLA 35.64 (1)
SA/60 (5v5): BOS 29.0 (9)/FLA 30.29 (22)
HDCF/60 (5v5): BOS 12.86 (10)/FLA 14.82 (1)
HDCA/60 (5v5): BOS 11.19 (10)/FLA 12.89 (26)

Team Leaders

Goals

David Pastrnak — 61
Patrice Bergeron — 27
Jake DeBrusk — 27

Carter Verhaeghe — 42
Matthew Tkachuk — 40
Sam Reinhart — 31

Points 

David Pastrnak — 113
Brad Marchand — 67
Patrice Bergeron — 58

Matthew Tkachuk — 109
Aleksander Barkov — 78
Carter Verhaeghe — 73

Breakdown 

For the second straight year, the Panthers ranked near the top in shots and high danger chances at 5v5/60. However, they play too loose a style as they rank in the bottom 10 in shots allowed, high danger chances surrendered and goals allowed. They have a poor penalty kill and although Alex Lyon has been good down the stretch, Boston has a big advantage in goal. 

People will gravitate to Florida to be different with their NHL Bracket. It’s worth pointing out that the Panthers have been playing their best hockey of the season over the past month and while we’re pointing things out,  the Presidents’ Trophy curse seems to be a thing people like to talk about. The Presidents’ Trophy has been awarded 33 times, but only eight of the winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. Only three teams since 2005-06 (salary cap era) have won the Presidents’ Trophy and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. The 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings and 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks are the only two teams to win both trophies over that span. Just ask the Tampa Bay Lightning, who chased down NHL records only to get swept in the first round. 

This Bruins team feels different.  Boston won an NHL record 65 games and finished with 135 points.  They’re the deepest team in the league up front and on the blue line. They may not win the cup, but they have a ton of experience and I expect them to take care of business like they have all season long, especially at home where they posted a 31-8-2 record.

Prediction: Bruins In 6
Best Bets: BOS -1.5 (-145), David Pastrnak Most Goals in Series (+220), Jake DeBrusk Most Goals in Series  .5 units (+1000)
Playoff Pool Targets: David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart, Taylor Hall
Deep Sleepers: David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi, Hampus Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Dmitry Orlov

(A2) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning

Maple Leafs -150 (50-21-11, 111 PTS) vs. Lightning +130 (46-30-6, 98 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

TOR 2-0-1
GF:GA 11-8 (TOR)

TOR 3 @ TB 4 OT
TB 1 @ TOR 4
TOR 4 @ TB 3

Team Stats 

GF: TOR 3.39 (9)/TB 3.41 (8)
GF/60 (5v5): TOR 2.8 (7)/TB 2.68 (10)
GA: TOR 2.68 (7)/TB 3.07 (14)
GA/60 (5v5): TOR 2.16 (4)/TB 2.48 (15)
PP: TOR 26.0% (2)/TB 25.4% (3)
PK: TOR 81.9% (12)/TB 79.7% (15)
SF/60 (5v5): TOR 31.14 (12)/TB 30.5 (13)
SA/60 (5v5): TOR 28.26 (6)/TB 30.52 (21)
HDCF/60 (5v5): TOR 13.9 (7)/TB 14.28 (5)
HDCA/60 (5v5): TOR 11.6 (14)/TB 11.74 (13)

Team Leaders

Goals

William Nylander — 40
Auston Matthews — 40
John Tavares — 36

Brayden Point — 51
Steven Stamkos — 34
Nikita Kucherov — 30

Points

Mitch Marner — 99
Alexander Nylander — 87
Auston Matthews — 85

Nikita Kucherov — 113
Brayden Point — 95
Steven Stamkos — 84

Breakdown 

I correctly picked TB in seven games last season, but I felt lucky to get it. I thought the Maple Leafs were the better team, but of course they found a way to lose again in seven games. Toronto has been bounced in the first round in each of the last six seasons, and they haven’t made it to the second round since 2003-04. This core is weak and they’ve been unable to carry over strong regular seasons into postseason success. However, this team is deeper, and they have much better goaltending than previous squads.

I still give the edge to Tampa Bay in goal and behind the bench, and experience goes a long way in the playoffs, but the Leafs are more complete now than ever. The addition of Ryan O’Reilly is exactly what was needed and he makes them tougher to play against at 5v5. Tampa Bay hasn’t played great hockey down the stretch and they’re dealing with a couple of injuries. I don’t think either team makes it past the Bruins in the second round.  If the Leafs win it’ll be in five or six. I don’t think they have a Game 7 win in them, so consider the series spread -1.5 at +135.

Prediction: Maple Leafs in 6
Best Bets: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+135), William Nylander More Goals than Steven Stamkos (-120), Auston Matthews More Goals than Brayden Point (-140), Mitch Marner Most Points in Series (+330), Auston Matthews Most Goals in Series (+380)
Playoff Pool Targets: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, Morgan Rielly
Deep Sleepers: Michael Bunting, Calle Jarnkrok, Anthony Cirelli

(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC1) New York Islanders

Hurricanes -190 (52-21-9, 113 PTS) vs. Islanders +160 (42-31-9, 93 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

CAR 3-1
GF:GA 12-9 (CAR)

NYI 6 @ CAR 2
CAR 3 @ NYI 0
CAR 5 @ NYI 2
NYI 1 @ CAR 2

Team Stats 

GF: CAR 3.20 (15)/NYI 2.95 (22)
GF/60 (5v5): CAR 2.65 (13)/NYI 2.62 (16)
GA: CAR 2.56 (2)/NYI 2.65 (5)
GA/60 (5v5): CAR 2.12 (2)/NYI 2.16 (5)
PP: CAR 19.8% (20)/NYI 15.8% (30) 
PK: CAR 84.4% (2)/NYI 82.2% (9) 
SF/60 (5v5): CAR 34.17 (3)/NYI 30.07 (16)
SA/60 (5v5): CAR 24.7 (1)/NYI 29.99 (14)
HDCF/60 (5v5): CAR 14.73 (2)/NYI 12.74 (11)
HDCA/60 (5v5): CAR 10.36 (2)/NYI 12.75 (25)

Team Leaders 

Goals 

Sebastian Aho — 36
Martin Necas — 28
Andrei Svechnikov — 23

Bo Horvat — 38
Brock Nelson — 36
Anders Lee — 28

Points 

Martin Necas — 71
Sebastian Ago — 67
Brent Burns — 61

Brock Nelson — 75
Bo Horvat — 70  (7G & 16 PTS w/ NYI)
Mathew Barzal — 50

Breakdown

As seen above, Carolina is better than the Islanders at everything. The Hurricanes don’t have a great power play, but the Islanders have the third-worst PP. Carolina has the second-best penalty kill and allowed the fewest shots at 5v5. They don’t surrender high danger chances, and they keep the puck out of their net. This is a team that generates a lot of scoring chances, but they lack finishers. They weren’t able to replace Andrei Svechnikov or Max Pacioretty at the deadline, and I believe that will be their downfall. 
 

They may squeak out a win in the first round, but I don’t expect them to go far. The Islanders don’t score a lot of goals either, so expect a low scoring series. This may be the least entertaining series to watch or look for NHL props from, but I think New York has the best chance of pulling off an upset because of how strong they are in net. Ilya Sorokin is good enough to take New York on an unexpected run. I wouldn’t target many players at all from this series in your pools. Neither team can score, so I’ll side with the better goaltender. 

Prediction: Islanders in 7
Best Bets: Islanders +1.5 (-130),  Brock Nelson Most Goals .5 units (+800), Kyle Palmieri More Goals than Teuvo Teravainen (-120)
Playoff Pool Targets: Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, Anders Lee, Noah Dobson, Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, Brent Burns, Teuvo Teravainen
Deep Sleepers: Kyle Palmieri, Seth Jarvis

(M2) New Jersey Devils vs. (M3) New York Rangers

Devils -120 (52-22-8, 112 PTS) @ Rangers +100 (47-22-13, 107 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

NJ 3-0-1
GF:GA 14-11 (NJ)

NJ 5 @ NYR 3
NJ 3 @ NYR 4 OT
NYR 3 @ NJ 4 OT
NYR 1 @ NJ 2

Team Stats 

GF: NJ 3.52 (5)/NYR 3.33 (12)
GF/60 (5v5): NJ 2.93 (5)/NYR 2.68 (11)
GA: NJ 2.71 (8)/NYR 2.63 (4)
GA/60 (5v5): NJ 2.29 (9)/NYR 2.28 (10)
PP: NJ 21.9% (13)/NYR 24.1% (7)
PK: NJ 82.6% (4)/NYR 81.2% (13)
SF/60 (5v5): NJ 33.72 (5)/NYR 29.3 (20)
SA/60 (5v5): NJ 27.31 (5)/NYR 28.9 (7)
HDCF/60 (5v5): NJ 14.69 (3)/NYR 11.75 (19)
HDCA/60 (5v5): NJ 10.32 (1)/NYR 12.51 (22)

Team Leaders

Goals 

Jack Hughes — 43
Timo Meier — 40 (9G & 14 PTS w/ NJ)
Jesper Bratt — 32

Mika Zibanejad — 39
Chris Kreider — 36
Artemi Panarin — 29

Points

Jack Hughes — 99
Nico Hischier — 80
Dougie Hamilton — 74

Artemi Panrin — 92
Mika Zibanejad — 91
Adam Fox — 72

Breakdown 

This is the toughest series for me to call. If it goes how I think and how I hope it’ll go, we’ll see seven hard fought games with plenty of overtime magic (two of the four matchups between these two teams went to OT). We should see some great hockey between these two rivals — whoever comes out may just represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

When I dive into the numbers, I feel better about the Devils. They’re the more structured team at 5v5 and it’s not particularly close. New Jersey doesn’t allow a lot and they drive offense at even strength. Having said that, I’m a big believer in learning how to lose before you learn how to win. I think the experience of the Rangers coming one goal away from the SCF last season will be the difference. Igor Shesterkin hasn’t been the same goalie this season as he was when he took home the Vezina Trophy, but I expect him to be the X-factor. It should be fun, buckle up! 

I truly believe the winner of this series will go to the SCF. If you nail a few of the players listed below in your pool, it could be the difference. If NYR or NJ players fly off the board, go the other way.

Prediction: Rangers in 7
Best Bets: 7 Games (+200), Rangers 4-3 Series Win .5 units (+550),  Mika Zibanejad Most Goals .5 units (+600), Jack Hughes Most Goals .5 units (+475),  Vladimir Tarasenko Most Goals .25 units (+2500)
Playoff Pool Targets: Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Jack Hughes, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Patrick Kane, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton, Vincent Trocheck, Vladimir Tarasenko, Dawson Mercer
Deep Sleepers: Filip Chyitl, Tomas Tatar, Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere 

Western Conference 

(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Seattle Kraken

Avalanche -260 (51-24-7, 109 PTS) vs. Kraken +210 (46-28-8, 100 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

SEA 2-0-1
GF:GA 7-6 (SEA)

SEA 3 @ COL 2 
COL 2 @ SEA 1 SO
COL 2 @ SEA 3 OT

Team Stats 

GF: COL 3.34 (11)/SEA 3.52 (4)
GF/60 (5v5): COL 2.65 (14)/SEA 3.13 (1)
GA: COL 2.72 (9)/SEA 3.07 (15)
GA/60 (5v5): COL 2.21 (7)/SEA 2.4 (13)
PP: COL 24.5% (6)/SEA 19.8% (21)
PK: COL 79.0% (17)/SEA 76.7% (21)
SF/60 (5v5): COL 34.24 (6)/SEA 30.29 (14)
SA/60 (5v5): COL 30.39 (20)/SEA 25.84 (2)
HDCF/60 (5v5): COL 11.41 (21)/SEA 10.6 (25)
HDCA/60 (5v5): COL 11.69 (12)/SEA 10.96 (8)

Team Leaders 

Goals

Mikko Rantanen — 55
Nathan MacKinnon — 42
Artturi Lehkonen — 21

Jared McCann — 40
Matty Beniers — 24
Jordan Eberle — 20

Points

Nathan MacKinnon — 111
Mikko Rantanen — 105
Cale Makar — 66

Jared McCann — 70
Vince Dunn — 64
Jordan Eberle — 63

Breakdown 

Don’t be surprised if the Kraken give the defending champion Avalanche a good run. Seattle led the NHL in goals at 5v5/60 and finished fourth overall in goals per game. They played good hockey on the road (26-11-4) en route to 100 points in their second season in the league. They won two of their three matchups against Colorado this season and they picked up a point in all three games.

The Avs will continue to play without Gabriel Landeskog, and Cale Makar’s status is unknown. Makar has been skating, so he may be back sooner rather than later. He’ll be key to any chance of a repeat. It’s hard to pick against Colorado if Makar is good to go. Unlike last season, I think the Avs can be beaten as I don’t think they did a good enough job replacing Nazem Kadri. They’re just as strong in goal with Alexandar Georgiev, but I don’t care for their bottom six.  

The Kraken proved they can keep up with any team on offense. I’m not too concerned that their league-high 10.34% shooting rate at 5v5 won’t carry over into the playoffs. They’re may have been a bit of luck on their side, but they play great hockey at even strength. It’s their goaltending I have concerns about. Seattle allowed the second-fewest shot attempts and eighth-fewest high danger chances at even strength but they’re in the middle of the pack in goals allowed. They also rank bottom 10 on special teams. It would be a nice story for Philipp Grubauer to get revenge on the Avs, who left him unprotected in the NHL Expansion Draft two years ago, but I don’t see it happening. 

Prediction: Avalanche in 6
Best Bets: COL -1.5 (-135)
Playoff Pool Targets: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews, Jared McCann, Jordan Eberle, Vince Dunn, Matty Beniers, Evan Rodrigues 
Deep Sleepers: J.T. Compher, Evan Rodrigues, Jaden Schwartz, Oliver Bjorkstrand

(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C2) Minnesota Wild

Stars -140 (47-21-14, 108 PTS) vs. Wild +120 (46-25-11, 103 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

DAL 2-0-2
GF:GA 14-10 (DAL)

MIN 6 @ DAL 5 SO
DAL 4 @ MIN 1
MIN 1 @ DAL 4
DAL 1 @ MIN 2 SO

Team Stats

GF: DAL 3.43 (7)/MIN 2.91 (23)
GF/60 (5v5): DAL 2.65 (15)/MIN 2.2 (29)
GA: DAL 2.62 (3)/MIN 2.67 (6)
GA/60 (5v5): DAL 2.2 (6)/MIN 2.13 (3)
PP: DAL 25.0% (5)/MIN 21.4% (15)
PK: DAL 83.5% (3)/MIN 82.0% (10)
SF/60 (5v5): DAL 30.7 (17)/MIN 28.66 (23)
SA/60 (5v5): DAL 28.96 (8)/MIN 30.18 (18)
HDCF/60 (5v5): DAL 12.51 (7)/MIN 10.86 (24)
HDCA/60 (5v5): DAL 10.84 (6)/MIN 10.58 (3)

Team Leaders 

Goals 

Jason Robertson — 46
Roope Hintz — 37
Jamie Benn — 33

Kirill Kaprizov — 40
Matt Boldy — 31
Joel Eriksson Ek — 23

Points

Jason Robertson — 109
Jamie Benn — 78
Joe Pavelski — 77

Kirill Kaprizov — 75
Mats Zuccarello — 67
Matt Boldy — 63

Breakdown 

I really liked Dallas last season, I just didn’t think they had enough offense. It may not seem like much, but I love what they did at the deadline. Dallas brought in Evgenii Dadanov and Max Domi, and it’s given them three lines that can score. The top line with Jason Robertson has been one of the best lines in hockey since last season. The combination of Jamie Benn’s bounceback and Wyatt Johnston’s breakout gives them more fire power on line two and on the second PP. Dadonov has fit in nicely on that line, and Domi has played great alongside Seguin. They scored 3.43 goals per game last season, compared to 2.84. They were in the bottom 10 in GF/G last season and in the top 10 this year.

Dallas’ offense is up, their special teams are in the top five and they’re just as strong in goal. Jake Oettinger had his coming out party in the playoffs a year ago. Minnesota is equally strong in net, but they don’t have the same depth up their lineup. The loss of Joel Eriksson Ek is tremendously bad for the Wild. I like the Stars to make some noise in the playoffs. I stand by our 16-1 NHL Stanley Cup Future from mid-season.

Prediction: Stars in 6
Best Bets: DAL (-140), DAL -1.5 (+140)
Playoff Pool Targets: Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, Jamie Benn, Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy, Tyler Seguin, Miro Heiskanen
Deep Sleepers: Wyatt Johnston, Evgenii Dadonov, Max Domi, Ryan Hartman, Marcus Johansson

(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC2) Winnipeg Jets

Golden Knights -170 (51-22-9, 111 PTS) vs. Jets +140 (46-33-3, 95 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

VGK 3-0
GF:GA 13-8 (VGK)

WPG 2 @ VGK 5
WPG 1 @ VGK 2 OT
VGK 6 @ WPG 5

Team Stats 

GF: VGK 3.26 (14)/WPG 3.0 (21)
GF/60 (5v5): VGK 2.69 (9)/WPG 2.42 (23)
GA: VGK 2.74 (11)/WPG 2.73 (10)
GA/60 (5v5): VGK 2.32 (11)/WPG 2.25 (8)
PP: VGK 20.3% (18)/WPG 19.3% (23)
PK: VGK 77.4% (19)/WPG 82.4% (7)
SF/60 (5v5): VGK 29.89 (18)/WPG 29.65 (19)
SA/60 (5v5): VGK 29.89 (13)/WPG 29.65 (11)
HDCF/60 (5v5): VGK 12.17 (16)/WPG 12.64 (13)
HDCA/60 (5v5): VGK 10.99 (9)/WPG 11.52 (11)

Team Leaders

Goals 

Jonathan Marchessault — 28
Jack Eichel — 27
Reilly Smith — 26

Mark Scheifele — 42
Kyle Connor — 31 
Pierre-Luc Dubois — 27

Points

Jack Eichel — 66 
Chandler Stephenson — 65
Jonathan Marchessault — 57

Kyle Connor — 80
Josh Morrissey — 76
Mark Scheifele — 68

Breakdown 

This is the second-toughest series for me to call. The Jets have been widely inconsistent this season, unlike the Golden Knights. Vegas has been steady all season, despite dealing with plenty of injuries for the second straight year. They’ve ridden multiple goalies this season and they’ve played a majority of the year without their captain Mark Stone. Stone is expected to return at some point for the playoffs, and he’ll give a big boost to Vegas in many ways. 

I think the Jets have better goal-scorers up front and they’re very strong in goal with Connor Hellebuyck. However, Vegas plays more of a complete game. I think they’re more sound on both sides of the ice. I’d say the Jets have the best chance of pulling off a first-round upset and that’s why I have this series going the distance. 

Prediction: Golden Knights in 7
Best Bets: Jets +1.5 (-145), Kyle Connor More Goals than Jack Eichel (+100), Kyle Connor Most Goals in Series .50 units (+500), Jonathan Marchessault Most Goals in Series .50 units (+800)
Playoff Pool Targets: Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, Chandler Stephenson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Morrissey, Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler
Deep Sleepers: Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, Ivan Barbashev, Nino Niederreiter 

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

Oilers -240 (50-23-9, 109 PTS) vs. Los Angeles Kings +190 (47-25-10, 104 PTS)

Head-to-Head Matchup

SERIES 2-2
GF:GA 10-9 LA

LA 3 @ EDM 1
EDM 3 @ LA 6
LA 0 @ EDM 2 
EDM 3 @ LA 1

Team Stats 

GF: EDM 3.96 (1)/LA 3.34 (10)
GF/60 (5v5): EDM 2.91 (6)/LA 2.58 (18)
GA: EDM 3.12 (17)/LA 3.10 (16)
GA/60 (5v5): EDM 2.56 (17)/LA 2.43 (14)
PP: EDM 32.4% (1)/LA 25.3% (4)
PK: EDM 77.0% (20)/LA 75.8% (24)
SF/60 (5v5): EDM 31.83 (9)/LA 31.72 (10)
SA/60 (5v5): EDM 29.86 (12)/LA 26.26 (4)
HDCF/60 (5v5): EDM 13.77 (8)/LA 12.96 (9)
HDCA/60 (5v5): EDM 10.84 (5)/LA 10.85 (7)

Team Leaders

Goals

Connor McDavid — 64
Leon Draisaitl — 52
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — 37

Adrian Kempe — 41
Anze Kopitar — 28
Viktor Arvidsson — 26

Points 

Connor McDavid — 153
Leon Draisaitl — 128
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — 104

Anze Kopitar — 74
Kevin Fiala — 72
Adrian Kempe — 67

Breakdown

We have a 45-1 Stanley Cup future on the Kings, so it’s hard not to feel a little biased here. As I mentioned in the tweet, I love where this Oilers team is right now. They’re much more complete after trading for Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bjugstad. In fact, Edmonton is 18-2-1 since acquiring Ekholm at the deadline. He’s exactly what the Oilers needed on the blue line and Bjugstad makes them tougher to play against in the bottom six. 

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have taken their game to another level if you can believe it. This team went to the third round last season and lost to the cup champs, but they had very little help in goal and Draisaitl was basically playing on one leg. Stuart Skinner has a top 10 5v5 save percentage since Jan. 1, which is why this team feels different. 

Edmonton and Los Angeles played each other in the first round last season and the series went seven games. I see a very similar series this time around as the Kings improved their offense in the offseason for this rematch. I just don’t think LA will be able to keep EDM off the score sheet and I don’t believe in their goaltending. LA has been one of the best 5v5 teams in the league over the last two months (fewest shot attempts allowed), but this is a tall task. This power play and that offense, forget about it. 

I would be on the Kings in any other matchup as this is a team I’ve really liked all season long. I’ve completely bought into what the Oilers are selling. I wonder how healthy Kevin Fiala is as well. He was a big reason why we jumped on 45-1 in the summer. 

Prediction: Oilers in 6
Best Bets: Leon Draisaitl Most Goals in Series (+450),  Connor McDavid Most Points in Series (-140),  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Most Goals in Series .5 (+1100), Adrian Kempe More Points than Evander Kane (-120)
Playoff Pool Targets: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Viktor Arvidsson, Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse
Deep Sleepers: Kailer Yamamoto, Trevor Moore

Full Playoff Bracket

Fantasy Hockey Playoff Pool Rankings

 — Snake Draft

1. Connor McDavid, EDM
2. Leon Draisaitl, EDM
3. David Pastrnak, BOS
4. Nathan MacKinnon, COL
5. Mikko Rantanen, COL
6. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM
7. Cale Makar, COL
8. Zach Hyman, EDM
9. Jason Robertson, DAL
10. Mitch Marner, TOR
11. Auston Matthews, TOR
12. Jake DeBrusk, BOS
13. Brad Marchand, BOS
14. Patrice Bergeron, BOS
15. Evander Kane, EDM
16. Roope Hintz, DAL
17. Joe Pavelski, DAL
18. Artturi Lehkonen, COL
19. Valeri Nichushkin, COL
20. Artemi Panarin, NYR
21. Mika Zibanejad, NYR
22. William Nylander, TOR
23. John Tavares, TOR
24. Jack Hughes, NJ
25. Chris Kreider, NYR
26. Patrick Kane, NYR
27. Jamie Benn, DAL
28. Nico Hischier, NJ
29. Timo Meier, NJ
30. Nikita Kucherov, TB
31. Brayden Point, TB
32. David Krejci, BOS
33. Taylor Hall, BOS
34. Charlie McAvoy, BOS
35. Jesper Bratt, NJ
36. Evan Bouchard, EDM
37. Dawson Mercer, NJ
38. Steven Stamkos, TB
39. Kirill Kaprizov, MIN
40. Matt Boldy, MIN
41. Adam Fox, NYR
42. Dougie Hamilton, NJ
43. Vladimir Tarasenko, NYR
44. Ryan O’Reilly, TOR
45. Jack Eichel, VGK
46. Jonathan Marchessault, VGK
47. Matthew Tkachuk, FLA
48. Wyatt Johnston, DAL
49. Tyler Seguin, DAL
50. Mark Stone, VGK
51. Evgenii Dadonov, DAL
52. Aleksander Barkov, FLA
53. Carter Verhaeghe, FLA
54. Sam Reinhart, FLA
55. Vincent Trocheck, NYR
56. Sebastian Aho, CAR
57. Martin Necas, CAR 
58. Tyler Bertuzzi, BOS
59. Max Domi, DAL
60. Brent Burns, CAR
61. Alex Pietrangelo, VGK
62. Shea Theodore, VGK
63. Evan Rodrigues, COL
64. Kyle Connor, WPG
65. Brock Nelson, NYI
66. Michael Bunting, TOR 
67. Miro Heiskanen, DAL
68. Mark Scheifele, WPG
69. Jared McCann, SEA 
70. Jordan Eberle, SEA 
71. Bo Horvat, NYI
72. Hampus Lindholm, BOS
73. Mats Zuccarello, MIN
74. Devon Toews, COL
75. Darnell Nurse, EDM
76. Pierre-Luc Dubois, WPG
77. Morgan Rielly, TOR
78. Josh Morrissey, WPG
79. Victor Hedman, TB
80. Mikhail Sergachev, TB
81. Anze Kopitar, LA
82. Shayne Gostisbehere, CAR
83. Anders Lee, NYI
84. Anze Kopitar, LA 
85. Adrian Kempe, LA
86. Pavel Zacha, BOS
87. Kevin Fiala, LA
88. Vince Dunn, SEA
89. Reilly Smith, VGK
90. Chandler Stephenson, VGK
91. Brandon Hagel, TB
92. Viktor Arvidsson, LA
93. William Karlsson, VGK
94. Matty Beniers, SEA
95. Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG
96. J.T. Compher, COL
97. Ryan Hartman, MIN
98. Brandon Montour, FLA
99. Ivan Barbashev, VGK
100. Blake Wheeler, WPG

Try to go all in on three or four teams. If three of your four teams get to the final four you’ll be in good shape.

Goalies

1. Boston
2. Edmonton 
3. Dallas
4. Colorado
5. Vegas
6. New York Rangers
7. New Jersey 
8. Toronto
9. Tampa Bay
10. Minnesota 
11. Los Angeles
12. New York Islanders
13. Carolina 
14. Winnipeg 
15. Seattle 
16. Florida