NHL 2024 Playoff Predictions

By Eitan Mirel

Analyzing the Potential for each NHL Playoff Team to Win the Stanley Cup

The 2023-2024 NHL Regular Season is complete, but that means the real season begins: the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sixteen teams have the chance at winning hockey’s greatest prize: The Stanley Cup. Just as the end of the regular season and the start of playoffs offers a new start for teams to redefine the direction of their seasons, break “the curse”, or just make it out of the first round. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, new stories can be written and legends made.

The same goes for predictions, at the beginning of the regular season, I boldly predicted the Hurricanes to lose to the Los Angeles Kings to win the cup. Early into the playoffs, it appears things may be going in a different direction. Just like for each team, the playoffs are a second chance. In the NHL playoffs anything can happen and change at a moment's notice. One lucky bounce could change the fate of a franchise, a referees call could be the difference between advancing. That’s what makes the playoffs so exciting.

Entering the playoffs, there are many teams embarking on their quests. The Vegas Golden Knights will attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions, as the Tampa Bay Lightning recently did. For the Florida Panthers, they will try to keep their wagon rolling after just narrowly falling short of the end goal, losing in the stanley cup finals last year. Once again, the Toronto Maple Leafs will face off against the Boston Bruins in an Original Six first-round matchup. Will history repeat itself once again and have the Leafs lose in Game Seven, or will the tide change? Could Connor McDavid confidently be entered into Hall Of Fame contention with a Cup ring? Many questions that we must wait to be answered.

Jeremy Swayman, Bruins star goalie, reaches across the crease to make the save against rival William Nylander (Maple Leafs)

In the Western Conference and First round, one of the tightest matchups is taking place. The defending champs, Vegas will face off against one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, the Dallas Stars. Despite Vegas’ deadline acquisitions of Hertl, Mantha and Hanafin and the possible return of captain Mark Stone from Long Term Injured Reserve, I don't think they will be able to solve Jake Oettinger, Dallas’s netminder. They will fall to the Stars in seven games to end their back-to-back bid. Also, in the western first round the Avalanche will take on the Winnipeg Jets. Unfortunately for the Jets, I think they will continue their struggles in the first round and be overpowered by Colorado’s superstars to the likes of MacKinnon, Makar and Rantanen. In the third western conference matchup, the Canucks have finally made the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and are up against the Predators. Despite the Canucks regular season success, the Predators will end it, as Filip Forsberg will have an amazing series. In the last Western Conference first-round matchup, the Oilers, with McDavid still searching for his first Stanley Cup, take on the Los Angeles Kings for the third year in a row. I see this year being highly contested and going to seven games where the Kings will not be able to contain the McDavid-Hyman connection and fall.

In the Eastern Conference’s first round one matchup, the Florida Panthers will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the battle of Florida. Despite the Lightning's recent playoff dominance, they will lose back-to-back round series for the first time in franchise history as the Panthers keep the playoff success rolling. In a classic Original Six matchup, Bruins versus Maple Leafs, and I think unfortunately the Bruins ' series win streak against the Leafs will end as they take it in six. This is in much part due to the Bruin’s lack of scoring depth and the Leaf’s abundance, which I think will play a major factor in the series. In the third Eastern Conference matchup, the Rangers will be taking on the Capitals and Ovechkin after squeaking narrowly into the final wildcard spot in the last games of the season. For the Capitals, they barely made the playoffs and their matchup with the President Trophy’s winners will not end well. The Caps will not be able to get past Shesterkin. In the final first-round matchup the underdog Islanders play the Hurricanes. In one of my boldest predictions yet, I predict that the Islanders will ease past the Canes in just five games with help from Barzal and show an incredibly well-rounded team that we saw glimpses of in the regular season with the potential to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Mathew Barzal (New York Islanders) celebrates after scoring a goal.

In the second round, Avalanche versus Stars, which I think will be the closest second-round matchup I think the Stars will be able to solve the Avalanche and advance further into the playoffs. For the Stars, they have everything you need; all-star goaltending, solid defense, and a very underrated attack with many experienced veteran players, complemented by skilled rookies capable of stepping up in big moments. In the other Western second-round matchup, the Predators will be beaten by the Oilers, who will once again fail McDavid at another cup bid. The Predators showed how difficult they are to beat, much like the Stars. in the way their team is constructed as the postseason continues. In the Eastern Conference, I feel the Panthers will run out Toronto’s luck as Matthew Tkatchuk and Bobrovsky come up big to win the series. The New York Rangers vs. Islanders, as the neighbors take each other for a ticket to the Conference Finals, I think the Islanders will continue to excel with great goaltending from Sorokin and advance.

The Conference Finals begin as the Stars versus Predators and Panthers against Islanders will fight for an opportunity in the Cup Final. I think the Islanders will continue their storybook run with a huge defining series win against the Panthers, proving what they are capable of. The Stars will also book their trip another trip back to finals, like in 2020, with Jason Robertson scoring the series winner.

The Stanley Cup Finals. The whole season has been building towards this moment. Four wins. That's all each team needs to raise the trophy above their heads. And this year, after a heartbreaking loss in 2020 and many trips to the conference finals, after an amazing series from Wyatt Johnston. For the second time in franchise history, the Dallas Stars will win the 2024 Stanley Cup and finally reach the top of the mountain, winning their first stanley cup since 1999.

Young up-and-coming star, Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars) makes his way down the ice.