The 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs begin Monday.
Even though Penguins fans won't get to watch them in the big dance for the first time since Sidney Crosby's rookie season, this postseason is shaping up to be quite the spectacle for those without a rooting interest.
Here's what I'll be watching for during each first-round matchup, including my picks to advance:
Bruins vs. Panthers
The Bruins are coming off one of the best regular seasons in NHL history after loading up with the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov at the trade deadline. Even though Patrice Bergeron (who's going to be a Selke finalist yet again at age 37) is questionable for the start of the series due to an upper-body injury suffered in the team's season finale, they're simply too deep to be ousted in the first round. David Pastrnak just potted 61 goals and will be in the Hart conversation. Charlie McAvoy is one of the best defensemen in the league and he wasn't even the Bruins' best on the blue line this season. That would be Hampus Lindholm, who turned in a dominant two-way campaign and will be in my top three for the Norris. I've yet to mention that they possess the best goaltending tandem in the league by a country mile with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Matthew Tkachuk has the ability to take games over for the Panthers, but I see too many inefficiencies throughout their lineup and don't trust either of Sergei Bobrovsky or Alex Lyon between the pipes. Bruins in five.
Maple Leafs vs. Lightning
Are the Maple Leafs in line to finally win a postseason series for the first time since 2004? They were my preseason pick to come out of the Eastern Conference and, while I'm not so confident that will be the case anymore, I like their chances of getting by the Lightning. You'll struggle to find a top six around the league spoiled with as much talent as theirs, featuring Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares. Michael Bunting has served as a great complementary piece next to Matthews, and now they've got Ryan O'Reilly in the fold. I don't love the Maple Leafs' depth, but it could be worse. Their defense corps is a mixed bag, but ultimately good enough to get the job done in the first round. The Lightning aren't what they were two seasons ago. A part of that is because of uninspiring depth, but another -- likely larger -- factor is that Victor Hedman had a really poor season defensively. In fact, he had some of the worst defensive impacts among defensemen in the entire league. What else concerns me about the Lightning is that they were 23rd in the league by standings points percentage after the trade deadline, which was worse than the Penguins. Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Andrei Vasilevskiy all getting hot at the same time would be tough to handle, but they're primed for an early exit. Maple Leafs in six.
Hurricanes vs. Islanders
This won't be long because this series really comes down to one matchup: The Hurricanes' finishing vs. Ilya Sorokin. No NHL team was better at controlling play at both ends of the ice during the regular season, as they boasted an absurd 59.9% share of expected goals at 5-on-5. Of course, part of that is due to their plan of attack that's based on throwing anything and everything toward the net, every chance they get. And because of that, they scored considerably below expectations and saw their shooting percentage steadily decline as the season wore on. Even so, the Islanders' skater lineup pales in comparison to theirs. The only reason the Islanders are even in the postseason is because of Sorokin's excellence. He absolutely has the ability to steal a series, but I envision the Hurricanes grinding them down far too much for it to happen. Hurricanes in six.
Devils vs. Rangers
There are so many different aspects of this Devils team I love. They have quite the blend of skillful forwards in their top nine, which makes them one of the most lethal teams in transition. They also have an incredibly balanced blue line that now features Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Jack Hughes. Damon Severson and John Marino are interchangeable second-pairing guys behind Dougie Hamilton on the right side and Jonas Siegenthaler is a hidden gem on the left side. Tomas Tatar is one of the most underrated play-driving forwards in the league, Jesper Bratt has become a legitimate threat in his own right, and now Timo Meier has his footing under him after being acquired from the Sharks. The Rangers added quite a bit of talent in Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, but both players arguably hurt as much as they help due to porous defensive impacts. Everyone in Pittsburgh knows Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider are always lurking on the counterattack, but I question if the Rangers are structured enough to handle the speedy and skilled Devils. Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin aren't to be ignored, either, but unless Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere pop off, I don't see it happening for the blue shirts this season. Devils in seven.
Avalanche vs. Kraken
I was bullish on the Kraken coming into the season and they still managed to exceed my optimism. What they lack in star power is made up for with balance and efficiency on each forward line. Matty Beniers will be a Calder finalist, Jared McCann just scored 40 goals, and freakin' Daniel Sprong just finished third in the league in goals per hour at 5-on-5 while playing on the fourth line. Vince Dunn excelled in a prominent role as their No. 1 on the back end, but I'm not a huge fan of the rest of that unit, aside from Jamie Oleksiak. And considering they've got two suspect options in goal between Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones, I can't pick them over the defending Stanley Cup champs, but I could see it being a competitive series. Avalanche in six.
Stars vs. Wild
I suspect the Stars are going to be a tough out, and I'm not sure the Wild can overcome the loss of Joel Eriksson Ek. At this point, most people are aware that Jason Robertson is a stud. I'm not convinced that everyone is aware that he's a legitimate superstar right now. His shot and playmaking are extremely high-end, and he's able to attack and manipulate defenders in several ways thanks to elite deception. He'll be the Stars' biggest difference-maker, but they also have more depth up front than they've had over the last couple seasons thanks to Jamie Benn's resurgence, Wyatt Johnston's emergence, as well as the acquisitions of Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov. The Stars' defense corps is unspectacular, but Miro Heiskanen's presence makes that not matter. I haven't even mentioned Jake Oettinger, who has solidified himself as one of the top young goalies in the league. I don't believe the Wild will be able to fill the net enough to keep up. Stars in five.
Golden Knights vs. Jets
After a bit of a bumpy ride through the early stages of the season, the Golden Knights put it all together down the stretch and finished third in the NHL post-trade deadline. The Jets, on the other hand, kind of stumbled into the playoffs after previously looking like they might be a force out of the Western Conference. The Golden Knights' lineup should be bolstered for game one by the return of Mark Stone. They are still without No. 1 goalie Logan Thompson, so it'll be up to either Laurent Brossoit or Jonathan Quick to keep the Jets' attack at bay. The Jets' first line of Kyle Connor, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Mark Scheifele shouldn't have any problems, but beyond that, the absence of Nikolaj Ehlers will be felt. Blake Wheeler is a shell of his former self, leaving Nino Niederreiter as the only other somewhat trustworthy source of offense up front. Josh Morrissey is a threat in his own right on the blue line and Connor Hellebuyck has the ability to win the series all by himself, but I'm rocking with Vegas. Golden Knights in six.
Oilers vs. Kings
The Oilers were my preseason pick to win the Stanley Cup, solely because it felt like Connor McDavid would inevitably drag them there one way or the other at some point. He turned in a ridiculous season that will likely earn him the Hart, scoring 64 goals and recording 153 points. Leon Draisaitl went bananas, too, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins even racked up 104 points. Heck, Zach Hyman scored 36 goals. No team in the NHL was better than the Oilers after the trade deadline. They went 17-2-1 in their final 20 games. The addition of Mattias Ekholm isn't to be ignored in that matter. He has shored up their blue line with incredibly strong two-way impacts. The Kings pose a threat themselves, though. Few teams are as well-rounded as they are, even though they lack top-of-the-line offensive firepower. Their defense corps was my favorite heading into the season, and then they went out and nabbed Vladislav Gavrikov. They do struggle to score at times, which is why I question if they'll be able to keep up. Oilers in six.
