Let the fun begin.
Nearly seven months and 1,312 games later, and the NHL playoffs are here. The field has been set, as 16 teams are ready to begin the postseason with the first round commencing on Monday.
This year's regular season saw a number of incredible achievements. The Bruins set new NHL records for the most wins and points by a team in a single season, Connor McDavid became just the sixth player to hit 150 points in a single season and there were five 50-goal scorers, including McDavid.
However, that's all in the past. Everyone's record resets at 0-0-0 for the postseason, as the focus is solely on surviving and advancing, with the Stanley Cup looming ahead at the end of the journey.
NHL PLAYOFFS: FULL BRACKET | PREDICTIONS
The Sporting News ranks the 16 teams participating in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Power ranking the 16 NHL playoff teams
1. Boston Bruins
Boston enters the playoffs coming off a record-breaking regular season. The Bruins set new NHL marks for the most wins in a season (65) and most points in a season (135), while finishing as the top-ranked defense (2.12 goals allowed per game) and second-best offense (3.66 goals per game).
Of course, none of that matters in the playoffs, but this Bruins team does not look like it's going to lose a seven-game series.
2. Edmonton Oilers
The Bruins might have been the top team in the regular season, but the best team in the back half of the season was the Oilers. Once the trade deadline passed, Edmonton ripped off a record of 16-1-2 to close out the season, including ending the regular season on a nine-game winning streak.
Only the Oilers have averaged more goals this season than the Bruins with their mark of 3.96. Their 32.4% success rate on the power play set an NHL single-season record, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers finally have the goaltending and defense to make them a legitimate Cup contender.
3. Colorado Avalanche
Every team deals with injuries, but no one was as decimated as much as the Avalanche this season. Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Arturri Lehkonen, Bowen Byram (shall I go on?) are all players that missed extensive time due to injuries.
Nonetheless, Colorado is in the postseason, looking to defend its 2022 Stanley Cup. The team isn't 100% healthy, as the Avalanche recently announced that Gabriel Landeskog is going to miss the entire postseason. But even a Colorado crew operating at 90% health is a dangerous opponent.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
Another year, another excellent regular season from the Maple Leafs. A potent power play, strong goaltending and a plethora of star players propelled Toronto to the postseason for the seventh consecutive year.
Of course, all Maple Leafs fans know to throw out everything from the regular season, as it hasn't mattered one bit for the last few years. This Toronto team is more than capable of getting over the first-round hump, but the Leafs have to go out and get the job done. Otherwise, there could be some serious changes coming to the Six.
5. Carolina Hurricanes
If there is a team whose entire philosophy is built around the concept of "defense wins championships", it's the Hurricanes. Carolina finished second in average goals allowed per game, with its mark of 2.55 trailing only Boston.
The Hurricanes have an excellent penalty kill, paired with a below-average power play. The biggest question mark is the offense, which is without Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov, two figures that were supposed to play vital roles in the postseason.
6. New Jersey Devils
The kids did it. The Devils came out of nowhere this season, making the postseason for the first time since 2018 and only the second time since 2012. Relying on its young core, New Jersey finished just behind Carolina in the Metropolitan Division.
The Devils ranked in the top eight in average goals scored per game (3.52) and goals allowed per game (2.71). It's a fairly balanced attack in New Jersey, with a physical blue line and skilled forward group, but the youngest club in the league lacks playoff experience.
7. Dallas Stars
The best part of the Stars making the postseason this year? Fans will be treated to another showing of playoff Jake Oettinger. The Dallas netminder stole the show in the past and is looking to improve upon his showing in the 2023 playoffs. Oettinger helped lead Dallas to the third-best defense in the league, as the team allowed just 2.62 goals per game.
This club is no longer the one-line offense it was last year. The depth scoring of the team has greatly improved and played a factor in the Stars' success. Dallas had a top-five power play and penalty kill in the regular season as well, making the club a tough out in the Western Conference.
8. Vegas Golden Knights
Like the Avalanche, the Golden Knights have dealt with their fair share of injuries, especially in net, where the team has been forced to use five different goaltenders this season. Despite the team's ailments, Vegas managed to secure the top spot in the Western Conference.
It's a bit surprising to see the success the Golden Knights have. Neither the offense nor the defense ranked in the top 10 in the league. Both the power play and penalty kill were average. Yet, Vegas has found ways to win and holds the home-ice advantage through the first three rounds.
9. New York Rangers
The Rangers enter the 2023 playoffs no longer as a team relying solely on goaltending and the power play, but a balanced squad capable of winning games from both ends of the ice. New York's forward group is one of the deepest in the league, thanks to the deadline additions of Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko.
The strength of the team is still in the crease, led by Igor Shesterkin. While he wasn't as lights-out as he was last year, the Rangers finished fourth in GAA, averaging 2.63 goals per game. He'll be called upon to lead the team again this postseason as he did in 2022 when he helped the Rangers to the conference finals.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
Did the Lightning look great to end the regular season? Eh, not really. Does it matter at all now that it's playoff time? Nope.
If there's one team that has gained the luxury of not being judged by the regular season, it's Tampa Bay. The Lightning always seem to flip a switch once the playoffs roll around, no matter where they finish in the standings. Is a fourth-straight Stanley Cup Final appearance on deck for the Lightning?
11. Minnesota Wild
The Wild's 2022-23 regular season was a roller coaster. It was a year mixed with winning and losing streaks in Minnesota, but it was enough for a fourth consecutive postseason berth for the franchise.
No other playoff team scored at a lower rate than Minnesota. The Wild's 2.91 goals per game ranked 23rd in the NHL. Luckily, the goaltending tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury has been terrific, posting a team GAA of 2.67, the seventh-best in the league. Minnesota needs to find its offensive footing in the postseason in order to get its first playoff win since 2015.
12. New York Islanders
Despite Mat Barzal being out the last two months of the regular season, the Islanders were able to make the postseason, securing the top wild-card spot in the East. Ilya Sorokin played a large part in that and is the key to the Islanders finding any sort of success in the playoffs.
The Isles' 2.65 goals-against average was the fifth-best mark in the regular season, making up for the 2.95 goals per game the offense averaged. While it's Lane Lambert, not Barry Trotz, at the helm this year, New York is still a defense-first team that is going to go only as far as Sorokin takes them.
13. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have been sneaky good this season. The team can be very streaky, but that may not be a bad thing for the postseason, where a team can make a deep playoff run if they get hot at the right time.
Los Angeles' offense ranks 10th (3.34 goals per game), but its goaltending is 16th (3.10 goals allowed per game). The penalty kill is the major issue for the Kings, especially facing a potent Oilers power play. No playoff team had a worse rate on the PK than the Kings did in the regular season, killing off just 75.8% of their penalties.
14. Florida Panthers
The Panthers looked dead in the water heading into the new year, but the team managed to turn things around in 2023 and punch a ticket to the postseason. A large part of their success was due to the play of Matthew Tkachuk, who recorded another 100-point season in his first year as a Panther.
Florida's offense is still the team's driving force. The team averaged 3.51 goals per game, ranking sixth in the league. However, defense/goaltending is still concern, as no playoff team averaged as many goals against as the Panthers (3.32). Can the goaltending magic as of late from Alex Lyon carry over into the playoffs?
15. Seattle Kraken
After an underwhelming inaugural season, the Kraken posted one of the best turnarounds in the NHL, improving by 40 points from last year and clinching the franchise its first postseason berth.
The Kraken are not a team built on star power, instead relying on depth at both forward and defense. Seattle's offense ranked fifth in the NHL, averaging 3.52 goals per game, but its special teams ranked in the bottom half in both power play and penalty kill. It's great for the city of Seattle and Kraken fans to experience playoff hockey so early in the franchise's history, but their stay in the postseason probably won't be long.
16. Winnipeg Jets
A miserable February and an average month of March nearly put the Jets out of the playoffs, but Connor Hellebuyck would have none of that. The goaltender put the team on his back, starting 13 games in a row in order to clinch Winnipeg a spot in the 2022 postseason.
Like most seasons with the Jets, Hellebuyck is being asked to do way too much and any sort of success in the playoffs is going to come on the shoulders of their goaltender. Hellebuyck is more than capable of stealing a game or two, but can he steal a series?
2023 Stanley Cup odds
In the U.S., Bet 365 has the Bruins as the odds-on favorite to win the 2023 Stanley Cup, coming in at +325 to start the postseason.
Odds provided by Bet 365
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | +325 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +675 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +675 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +800 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1000 |
| New Jersey Devils | +1000 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1200 |
| New York Rangers | +1400 |
| Dallas Stars | +1400 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +2000 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +2000 |
| Minnesota Wild | +2500 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +3000 |
| Seattle Kraken | +3500 |
| New York Islanders | +3500 |
| Florida Panthers | +3500 |
