The Playoff Oracle: Five predictions for the 2025 NHL playoffs

DJ CABANLONG- THE SPORTING TRIBUNE

Las Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) shoots a slapshot during a NHL game between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday April 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nev.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the NHL playoffs are back! The quest for the cup starts on Saturday, April 19, with the St. Louis Blues taking on the Winnipeg Jets, and the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Dallas Stars. With great storylines, such as Gabriel Landeskog making his anticipated return to Dallas losing Jason Robertson in the last regular season game, the storybook of the playoffs is just being written. No one knows what to expect in the playoffs, but here are five predictions for the journey for the Cup. 

1. A top seed gets eliminated in the first round: The top seeds in this year’s playoffs are the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals. Like March Madness, anything could happen. Top seeds getting eliminated by a bottom seed happen frequently in different playoffs, and it would not be the first time. Upsets make the playoffs exciting to watch, and a wild card upset may be in the near future. 

KALIN SIPES - THE SPORTING TRIBUNE

Florida Panther center Aleksander Barkov (16) skates the puck down the ice during NHL game against Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday Jan. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.

2. A first-round game goes into two or more overtime rounds: It appears that multiple-overtime games have become tradition in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 2023, game one of the Eastern Conference finals was sent into four overtimes. Yes, four overtime periods. In 2020, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets went into five rounds of overtime. With heated rivalries and intense matchups, each round isn’t going to be easy. These goaltenders will be put through the ringer, making as many saves as they can. Due to these goaltending battles, scoring it's going to be difficult, guaranteeing games with two or more overtime periods.

KALIN SIPES - THE SPORTING TRIBUNE

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Colin Miller (6) skates the puck down the ice during third period of NHL game against Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday April 3, 2025 in Las Vegas.

3. The President’s Trophy curse strikes again: The President’s Trophy is known to be cursed, considering most teams who win the President’s trophy usually don’t win the Stanley Cup. The President’s Trophy goes to the team with the most points in the regular season. This year, the Winnipeg Jets took home the trophy, raking in 116 points, just five more than the Washington Capitals. However, the looming threat of the curse hangs heavy around the Jets. Can they beat the odds and win the cup, or will they succumb to the curse? 

RJ FORBUS - THE SPORTING TRIBUNE

Montreal Canadiens G Sam Montembeault (35) and LW David Savard (58) celebrate after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday December 31, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena.

4. A wild card team goes to the conference final: The four wild card teams in this year’s playoffs include the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens. With enough fight and determination, they clinched the final seeds in their division. At least one of these teams will pull an upset and make it far in their journey, potentially to the conference championship. In 2023, the Florida Panthers went on an 11-1 run in the playoffs, falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. While it seems impossible, a wild card team has the potential to go far this year. 

Los Angeles Kings C Anze Kopitar (11) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of an NHL game on Sunday March 09, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Via RJ Forbus, The Sporting Tribune

5. The Kings flip the script in the first round: It’s the fourth year in a row that the LA Kings are taking on the Edmonton Oilers. The last three seasons saw the Kings fall short, with the Oilers making it to the Stanley Cup Final last season. This year, we could see the Kings flip the script and beat the Oilers. With similar records (The Oilers at 48-29-5, and the Kings at 48-25-9), the Kings took the No. 2 seed in the Pacific Division. On ESPN’s broadcasts of “The Point,” John Buccigross and Mark Messier discussed the upcoming series, with Messier saying that the Kings could be a problem for the Oilers this year. With vengeance in mind, the Kings could turn the tables and advance to the second round. 

 Playoffs are a time of chaos. Fans hope and pray their team lasts and wins the cup, especially if they are underdogs. Other fans cheer against the teams they hate, praying for their downfalls. When it comes to these predictions, only time will tell how each team’s fate will play out.

Edited by Breanna Ebisch