2023 NHL Playoff Predictions

The 2023 NHL playoffs are scheduled to begin on Monday, April 17, 2023, a few days after the conclusion of the 2022–23 NHL season, and will end in June 2023 with the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals.

As we enter the final week of the regular season, there remain a couple of playoff spots open.  In the Eastern Conference the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins are vying for the two wild card spots while in the Western Conference there is one wild card spot left which is being sought by The Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Facts: 2023

Some interesting observations as the 2023 NHL playoffs begin:

  • There are a total of eight playoff teams from each conference. This will be the eighth year in which the top three teams in each division make the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference.
  • The Boston Bruins claimed the Presidents trophy as the NHL’s top regular season team.  With three games left in the regular season, Boston already had 62 wins and 129 points.
  • The Edmonton Oilers roll into the playoffs as the hottest team with the best winning percentage since Christmas.
  • The Seattle Kraken, in only their second year of existence, have qualified for the playoffs after a strong start to the season.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning will meet in the first round for the second consecutive year.  The Bolts beat the Leafs in seven games last season.  The Leafs have not won a playoff series since 2004.
  • The New Jersey Devils qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18 when they were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the opening round.
  • Should the Pittsburgh Penguins fail to qualify for the playoffs in 2023, this will be the first time since the 2005-06 NHL season that they do not qualify for post season play.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for twelve consecutive seasons.  The last time they participated in the playoffs was in 2010-11 when they lost in the Quarterfinals to the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games.
  • After missing the playoffs last season (2021-22) the Vegas Golden Knights return to the post season for the fifth time in their six year existence.
  • Of the 32-team league, sixteen teams qualify for the NHL playoffs.  This season only three of the sixteen playoff teams are from Canada with the Edmonton Oilers Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets qualifying for poster season play.
Stanley Cup Trophy

NHL Playoff First Round Predictions

At the time of this writing there is still some playoff teams and positions to be decided.  Here is a look at the Hockey Fanatic’s predictions for the first round of the 2022-23 NHL playoffs.

Western Conference

Vegas Golden Knights (1) vs. Winnipeg Jets (8 – WC2)
Winner: Vegas Golden Knights in six games.

Colorado Avalanche (2) vs. Seattle Kraken (7 – WC1)
Winner: Colorado Avalanche in five games.

Pacific Division:
Edmonton Oilers (2) vs. Los Angeles Kings (3)
Winner: Edmonton Oilers in six games

Central Division:
Dallas Stars (2) vs. Minnesota Wild (3)
Winner: Dallas Stars in seven games

That leads to the final four matchup in the Western Conference consisting of:

Pacific Division: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers

Central Division: Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars

Eastern Conference

In the Eastern Conference, playoff matchups are looking like this:

Boston Bruins (1) vs. Florida Panthers (8 – WC2)
Winner: Boston Bruins in five games

Carolina Hurricanes (2) vs. New York Islanders (7 – WC-1)
Winner: Carolina Hurricanes in six games

Atlantic Division:
Toronto Maple Leafs (2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (3)
Winner: Toronto Maple Leafs in six games

Metropolitan Division:
New Jersey Devils (2) vs. New York Rangers (3)
Winner: New York Rangers in seven games.

That leads to the final four matchup in the Eastern Conference consisting of:

Atlantic Division: Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan Division: Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers

NHL Second Round Division Finals Playoff Predictions

Here is a look at the Hockey Fanatic’s predictions for the Division Finals (second round playoffs).

Western Conference

Pacific Division:  Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers
Winner: Edmonton Oilers in six games

Central Division: Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
Winner: Colorado Avalanche in six games

Which takes us to a Western Conference rematch of Colorado Avalanche vs. Edmonton Oilers.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division: Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Winner: Boston Bruins in six games

Metropolitan Division: Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
Winner: Carolina Hurricanes in six games

Which takes us to an Eastern Conference matchup of Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes.

NHL Final Four Predictions

Here is a look at which teams The Hockey Fanatic is predicting will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Western Conference: Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche

Edmonton Oilers logo
vs.
Colorado Avalanche Logo

Winner: Edmonton Oilers in seven games

Eastern Conference: Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Boston Bruins logo
vs.
Carolina Hurricanes logo

Winner: Boston Bruins in six games

Which leads us to a Stanley Cup Final of the Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers

Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

We are predicting a rematch of the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals between the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers. (Actually, we could also see a scenario of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes).

Boston Bruins logo
vs.
Edmonton Oilers logo

The drought is over for Canadian teams not being able to win the Stanley Cup as we are predicting that the Edmonton Oilers will defeat the Boston Bruins in a beauty of a series.  Six games is what we want to predict, but seven games is something we could see.  We predict a six game Cup-clinching win as the Oilers will win the Stanley Cup on home ice.  Connor McDavid will be your 2023 Conn Smythe trophy winner and the Oilers will do something a Canadian team has not done since 1993… win the Stanley Cup.