Picks for each first-round series

Welcome to the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs! The primary spherical will get rolling on Saturday with Sport 1 of the Washington Capitals-Boston Bruins collection.

There’s loads of historical past in lots of of those matchups, because the NHL is utilizing an intradivisional format for the primary two rounds, earlier than re-bracketing the ultimate 4 for the semifinals. Click on right here for extra on the format and all of your different questions on the event.

We gathered our panel of NHL specialists to listen to their picks on every collection within the first official spherical of the 2023 playoffs, together with what number of video games it would take to get to the lead to every case.

Extra: Playoff schedule | Sequence previews
Goalie Confidence Index | Lapsed fan’s information

Leap to:
East: PIT-NYI | WSH-BOS
Central: CAR-NSH | FLA-TB
North: TOR-MTL | EDM-WPG
West: COL-STL | VGS-MIN

East Division

Sean Allen: Penguins in six
Ben Arledge: Isles in seven
Pierre Becquey: Penguins in seven
John Buccigross: Penguins in seven
Sach Chandan: Penguins in six
Linda Cohn: Penguins in seven
Emily Kaplan: Isles in seven
Nabil Karim: Isles in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Penguins in seven
Don La Greca: Isles in six
Steve Levy: Isles in seven
Vince Masi: Penguins in seven
Victoria Matiash: Penguins in six
Barry Melrose: Penguins in six
Arda Ocal: Isles in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Penguins in six

Consensus decide: Penguins (10/16)

Sean Allen: Bruins in seven
Ben Arledge: Bruins in six
Pierre Becquey: Bruins in six
John Buccigross: Bruins in seven
Sach Chandan: Bruins in six
Linda Cohn: Bruins in six
Emily Kaplan: Capitals in seven
Nabil Karim: Bruins in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Capitals in six
Don La Greca: Bruins in six
Steve Levy: Bruins in seven
Vince Masi: Bruins in six
Victoria Matiash: Bruins in seven
Barry Melrose: Bruins in six
Arda Ocal: Bruins in six
Greg Wyshynski: Bruins in six

Consensus decide: Bruins (14/16)

Central Division

Sean Allen: Canes in 4
Ben Arledge: Canes in 5
Pierre Becquey: Canes in 5
John Buccigross: Canes in six
Sach Chandan: Canes in 4
Linda Cohn: Canes in 5
Emily Kaplan: Canes in 5
Nabil Karim: Canes in six
Tim Kavanagh: Canes in 5
Don La Greca: Canes in 4
Steve Levy: Canes in six
Vince Masi: Canes in 5
Victoria Matiash: Canes in six
Barry Melrose: Canes in seven
Arda Ocal: Canes in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Canes in 5

Consensus decide: Hurricanes (16/16)

Sean Allen: Panthers in 5
Ben Arledge: Lightning in six
Pierre Becquey: Panthers in seven
John Buccigross: Lightning in seven
Sach Chandan: Lightning in seven
Linda Cohn: Panthers in seven
Emily Kaplan: Lightning in seven
Nabil Karim: Lightning in six
Tim Kavanagh: Panthers in seven
Don La Greca: Lightning in seven
Steve Levy: Lightning in 5
Vince Masi: Lightning in seven
Victoria Matiash: Lightning in seven
Barry Melrose: Panthers in six
Arda Ocal: Lightning in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Lightning in six

Consensus decide: Lightning (11/16)

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Greg Wyshynski breaks down the NHL playoff format this season and the way it differs from years previous.

North Division

Sean Allen: Leafs in 5
Ben Arledge: Leafs in 5
Pierre Becquey: Leafs in six
John Buccigross: Leafs in six
Sach Chandan: Leafs in seven
Linda Cohn: Leafs in 5
Emily Kaplan: Leafs in six
Nabil Karim: Leafs in 5
Tim Kavanagh: Leafs in 4
Don La Greca: Leafs in 5
Steve Levy: Leafs in 5
Vince Masi: Leafs in 5
Victoria Matiash: Leafs in six
Barry Melrose: Leafs in 5
Arda Ocal: Leafs in six
Greg Wyshynski: Leafs in 4

Consensus decide: Maple Leafs (16/16)

Sean Allen: Oilers in six
Ben Arledge: Oilers in seven
Pierre Becquey: Oilers in seven
John Buccigross: Oilers in seven
Sach Chandan: Oilers in 5
Linda Cohn: Oilers in six
Emily Kaplan: Jets in six
Nabil Karim: Oilers in six
Tim Kavanagh: Jets in seven
Don La Greca: Oilers in seven
Steve Levy: Oilers in seven
Vince Masi: Oilers in seven
Victoria Matiash: Oilers in six
Barry Melrose: Oilers in seven
Arda Ocal: Oilers in six
Greg Wyshynski: Jets in seven

Consensus decide: Oilers (13/16)

West Division

Sean Allen: Avs in 4
Ben Arledge: Avs in 4
Pierre Becquey: Avs in 5
John Buccigross: Avs in six
Sach Chandan: Blues in six
Linda Cohn: Avs in six
Emily Kaplan: Avs in 5
Nabil Karim: Avs in 5
Tim Kavanagh: Avs in seven
Don La Greca: Avs in 5
Steve Levy: Avs in seven
Vince Masi: Avs in 4
Victoria Matiash: Avs in 5
Barry Melrose: Avs in six
Arda Ocal: Avs in six
Greg Wyshynski: Avs in 5

Consensus decide: Avalanche (15/16)

Sean Allen: Wild in seven
Ben Arledge: Knights in six
Pierre Becquey: Knights in 5
John Buccigross: Knights in seven
Sach Chandan: Knights in 5
Linda Cohn: Knights in six
Emily Kaplan: Knights in six
Nabil Karim: Knights in six
Tim Kavanagh: Knights in seven
Don La Greca: Knights in six
Steve Levy: Knights in six
Vince Masi: Knights in six
Victoria Matiash: Knights in six
Barry Melrose: Knights in 5
Arda Ocal: Knights in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Knights in seven

Consensus decide: Golden Knights (15/16)

Stanley Cup decide

Sean Allen: Avalanche
Ben Arledge: Golden Knights
Pierre Becquey: Maple Leafs
John Buccigross: Avalanche
Sach Chandan: Maple Leafs
Linda Cohn: Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan: Capitals
Nabil Karim: Golden Knights
Tim Kavanagh: Hurricanes
Don La Greca: Golden Knights
Steve Levy: Golden Knights
Vince Masi: Avalanche
Victoria Matiash: Avalanche
Barry Melrose: Golden Knights
Arda Ocal: Maple Leafs
Greg Wyshynski: Maple Leafs

High decide: Golden Knights (six)

Conn Smythe decide

Sean Allen: Gabriel Landeskog
Ben Arledge: Mark Stone
Pierre Becquey: Auston Matthews
John Buccigross: Mikko Rantanen
Sach Chandan: Auston Matthews
Linda Cohn: Mark Stone
Emily Kaplan: Alex Ovechkin
Nabil Karim: Mark Stone
Tim Kavanagh: Sebastian Aho
Don La Greca: Marc-Andre Fleury
Steve Levy: Marc-Andre Fleury
Vince Masi: Mikko Rantanen
Victoria Matiash: Nathan MacKinnon
Barry Melrose: Alex Pietrangelo
Arda Ocal: Mitchell Marner
Greg Wyshynski: Auston Matthews