Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year, hockey fans! That’s right, the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are here and the party is only just beginning.
It’s been a long 82-game season for the NHL this year. But now, it takes just 16 wins to claim one of the biggest prizes in all of sports: the Stanley Cup!
That being said, it’s more than okay if you’re really just tuning into the NHL for the first time this season for the playoffs. After all, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most intense, most fun time of the year for hockey fans. For the next two months, NHL fans will be treated to the most heart-pounding and anxiety-inducing hockey of their lives. And who wouldn’t want to be part of that?
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all the information you could ever want about the playoffs, you’re in the right place! Here’s everything you — a casual fan — will need to know about the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
What's the format for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
The NHL’s playoff format isn’t without contention, that’s for sure, but thankfully after a few seasons of weirdness due to shortened seasons, the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs will carry on as normal.
In this format, 16 teams make the playoffs, with the top three teams from each division and two wild cards making up the field per conference. At the start of the playoffs, the two conference winners take on the last wild card team, the other division winner plays the first wild card team, then the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in each division play one another. All the teams are reseeded for the second round and beyond, with the highest seed playing the lowest until there are two teams remaining.
While confusing at first glance, the NHL believes this format gets the most out of divisional rivalries early on in the playoffs.
Here’s how the 16 teams are set to match up for the first round this season.
WE ARE SET! Now it's prediction time. 🔮
Enter the #NHLBracket Challenge presented by @GEICO beginning Saturday morning ➡️ https://t.co/ANERgXeSNC pic.twitter.com/7arqZWjr6B
— NHL (@NHL) April 15, 2023
Who are the top players to watch in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
By now, every casual hockey fan knows McDavid and his bag of tricks. As the undisputed best player in the NHL, McDavid has a lot riding on his shoulders with the Oilers this year. But, as we’ve seen, McDavid always rises to the occasion. Not only that, McDavid had a plus-150 point season and looks as poised as ever to lead Edmonton deep into the playoffs.
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
There are superstars everywhere you look on the Bruins. Seriously, take your pick. But here, it feels apt to highlight Ullmark, who had a stunning year in Boston. Ullmark is the consensus Vezina winner after posting a 40-6-0 season with a .938 save percentage. Yes, really. Ullmark was a brick wall all season long with the Bruins, so here’s hoping that continues in the playoffs with some stellar performances.
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
As a young team on the rise, the Devils made quite the splash this year as a top three team in the NHL. And a big reason for that? The continued emergence of Hughes, who at 21 had a 43-goal, 99-point season that propelled the Devils to greatness. New Jersey has a lot of young talent to watch out for in these playoffs, but no doubt Hughes is at the center of it.
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Much like Hughes, Robertson has been a revelation for the Stars after being injected into the lineup these last few years. With 46 goals and 109 points, Robertson is the beating heart of a Stars team that is desperately looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final after the team’s defeat in 2020. If Dallas wants to get back on the horse, Robertson will be the one to drive them there.
What are the top storylines coming into the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Can the Bruins back up their historic regular season?
In the grand scheme of things, winning the Presidents’ Trophy doesn’t mean much. Sure, the Bruins have home ice throughout the playoffs, but now comes the hard part: actually winning the whole thing. The last time we saw a team bring historical regular season success into the playoffs — the 2018-19 Lightning — Tampa Bay was swept unceremoniously in the first round. It can be a heavy burden carrying historic legacy into the postseason, so we’ll have to see how the Bruins handle it.
Which team emerges out of a chaotic West?
While the Eastern Conference looks a bit more clear in its contenders, the West is quite the chaotic affair. The Golden Knights and Oilers were in a back-and-forth for the top spot in the West these last few weeks. The Avalanche are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, so we already know their true potential. And, of course, we’ve got some wild cards in the Stars, Wild, and Kraken. My current money is on McDavid and crew powering the Oilers through, but it feels pretty open in the West this year.
Is this truly, finally the year for the Maple Leafs?
So like, this has to be the year the Maple Leafs make the second round, right? After their massive swings at the trade deadline and overall team performance this year, the Maple Leafs are seemingly in their best position yet to win a playoff round for the first time since 2004. And yet, we know the curse that is upon the Maple Leafs won’t let up that easily, so expect an entire playoff round of Toronto fans holding their breaths until the end.
What are the top series to watch in the first round?
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils
Who doesn’t love a good local rivalry in round one of the playoffs? No one, that’s who. The Rangers and Devils have been battling back and forth in the Metropolitan Division all season long, and the two even made some of the biggest splashes at the trade deadline to boot. The Devils are a young team that outperformed expectations this year while the Rangers are an experienced group led by last season’s Vezina winner, Igor Shesterkin.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
All eyes will be on the Maple Leafs these playoffs as they look to win a playoff round for the first time in nearly two decades. The Maple Leafs and Lightning also faced off against one another in last year’s first round, with Tampa Bay dealing the decisive blow to Toronto’s postseason hopes in a tough Game 7. Will this series go the distance this year? Here’s hoping!
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Another rematch from the first round last year, the Oilers and Kings will be a great matchup to follow for West Coast fans or night owls who can’t sleep. As mentioned, McDavid is a must-watch player while the Kings have really grown as a team over the last few weeks, which has been bolstered by the play of goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. This series will likely be the most evenly matched of those out West, as tensions rise between two long-standing rivals.
What Stanley Cup Final matchups should you be rooting for?
Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers
Out of all the possible Stanley Cup Final matchups, this one would probably be the most pure fun option of the bunch. The Oilers, with McDavid, having the chance to win Canada’s first Stanley Cup since 1993 up against the juggernaut that is the Bruins. If you’re hoping for a clash of two fun styles of hockey with offense for days, this is the matchup you should be hoping for.
New Jersey Devils vs. Seattle Kraken
While probably not a good matchup for NHL viewership statistics, this could be a real interesting one. The Kraken only just finished their second season in the NHL and have a real good vibe headed into the playoffs. The Devils, meanwhile, are an up-and-coming team that last saw the Stanley Cup Final over a decade ago. Fans of playoff chaos and unexpected outcomes, this is for you.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche
Oh hey, old friend! A rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Final might be boring for some, but think of the animosity these two teams still hold for one another! The Avalanche are looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions while the Lightning have a lot to prove after a tough end to their season. Their positions would be reversed from last year’s Stanley Cup Final, which would make this one all the more interesting to see.
What team is everyone rooting against?
The Bruins are no doubt Public Enemy No. 1 for the NHL this year. Yes, even eclipsing the reigning Stanley Cup champions in Colorado. Why? Because the Bruins just had the best regular season in NHL history and no one’s been able to come close to their level of dominance since October.
Plus, Boston fans have had it too good for too long, considering their vast championship history since the start of the 2000s. While the Bruins are an extremely fun and talented team, their success is very easy to hate.
What team will be the most fun to bandwagon?
If everything above didn’t convince you that the Oilers are the most fun, but volatile, team to follow this postseason, I don’t know what to tell you. Look, if you’re a casual fan, you could root for the pristine Bruins as they likely barrel towards a championship.
And yet, the allure of the Oilers is strong. For one, McDavid is an absolute freak and the best hockey player around. Plus, Edmonton’s goaltending is pretty messy still, meaning things will always be exciting at both ends of the rink. The Oilers, in spite of their flaws, do have a path to the Stanley Cup Final, and it looks to be a real fun one.
