Frozn Wagon Playoff Predictions 2025

Eastern Conference

Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) vs Ottawa Senators (WC1)

For the first time since 2004, we will get a Battle of Ontario in the postseason. The Leafs have looked very strong this season, ranking seventh in offense (3.27 goals per game), and eighth in defense (2.82 goals against per game). For the first time in many years, the Leafs have a goaltender who looks to be able to take them on a deep run. Anthony Stolarz led the league in save percentage (.926) and was third in goal against average (2.14). However, the Senators dominated the Leafs in the regular season, winning all three games. Brady Tkachuk is back for the playoffs, and will be a pain for the Leafs to handle. Most experts didn’t have the Sens making the playoffs this season, so there’s not a whole lot of pressure on them. On the flip side, there is tons of pressure on the Leafs, as they have only one first round win in their last eight playoff appearances. Despite this, the Leafs are superior in offence, defence and goaltending, and this Ottawa team is largely inexperienced in the playoffs. 

Prediction: Leafs in 6

Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) vs Florida Panthers (A3)

The Battle of Florida is set to take place in the first round again this year. Last year, the Panthers won it in five games, en route to winning their first ever Stanley Cup. The defending champs have struggled with injuries in recent months, with star players Matthew Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Bennet all missing time. Luckily, head coach Paul Maurice has confirmed in a recent press conference that Florida will have all their players available for game one. After a slow start to the season, Tampa have rebounded since the new year, and look like one of the scariest teams in the league currently. Art Ross winner Nikita Kucherov will look to lead this team back to the cup finals after a two year absence. This series will most certainly come down to the wire. After two consecutive trips to the finals, the Panthers will be tired. Tampa will also have home ice advantage. Because of these two factors, Tampa will have the upper hand in this series. 

Prediction: Lightning in 7

Washington Capitals (M1) vs Montreal Canadiens (WC2)

All the talk in Washington has been about Alex Ovechkin becoming the all-time goals leader, surpassing Wayne Gretzky. With the spotlight on Ovi, the rest of the Capitals team has gone under the radar. The team looked to retool their roster after two disappointing seasons. They traded for Pierre-Luc Dubois and Jakob Chychrun and signed defenseman Matt Roy. Those moves have paid off. Dubois finished the year with 66 points. Chychrun and Roy have looked excellent defensively all year. The Caps have a very deep, experienced roster and will be expected to make a deep run this year. The Habs were expected to continue their rebuild this year, and were bottom of the division at Christmas. They performed brilliantly in the second half of the season and made the playoffs. Led by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, this Habs team is in for an exciting future. However, similar to the Sens, they lack the playoff experience needed to give the Capitals any trouble.

Prediction: Capitals in 5

Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs New Jersey Devils (M3)

Carolina are heavily favoured to win this series. The Devils lost their best player, Jack Hughes, to injury. In his absence, they finished the regular season with a 9-10-1 record, which goes to show how important he was to the team. However, the Devils are getting defenseman Dougie Hamilton back from the IR, further improving their defense which was top five in the league in goals allowed per game (2.71), and tied for second in penalty kill percentage (82.67%). The Hurricanes have a very well rounded roster, led by captain Sebastian Aho. They had the league's 11th best offense and 10th best defense, and boasted the league's best penalty kill. With the Devils injured roster, they should have no problem winning this series

Prediction: Hurricanes in 5

Western Conference

Winnipeg Jets (C1) vs St Louis Blues (C5)

The Winnipeg Jets, who won the Presidents Trophy this season, are looking to bounce back from their first round losses in the past two seasons. The Jets were tied for third in goals per game (3.38), allowed the fewest goals per game (2.33), and had the league's best power play (28.9%). The St Louis Blues are in top form currently, going 19-4-2 in the last two months of the season, including a 12 game win streak. The Jets overall are a much deeper team. They are better in almost every aspect, including goaltending, where Connor Hellebuyck is the clear favourite for the Vezina. Although a 12 game win streak is impressive, most of the Blues wins during that period came against teams with a sub .500 record. The Jets take this series in five. 

Prediction: Jets in 5

Dallas Stars (C2) vs Colorado Avalanche (C3)

With how good both of these teams are, it’s almost disappointing to see one of them get eliminated so early on in the playoffs. Both teams were tied for third in goals per game (3.38), had above average defences and special teams. Perhaps the most intriguing part of this series however, is that Mikko Rantanen will be playing against his former team. Both these teams have the potential to go on deep playoff runs this year, so it’s really difficult to predict a winner. The Stars had a poor finish to the regular season, losing seven straight games. The Avalanche have the best forward in the series in Nathan MacKinnon, and the best defenseman in Cale Makar. These two players will likely make the difference as Colorado takes this in a tight seven game series.

Prediction: Avalanche in 7 

Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs Minnesota Wild (WC1)

The Vegas Golden Knights once again dominated the Pacific division, finishing with 110 points. They finished with the league's 6th best offense (3.35 goals per game) and fourth best defence (2.62 goals against per game). The Minnesota Wild have been the victim of injuries to key players this year. Because of this, the Wilds offense struggled, finishing 25th in goals per game (2.78). However, with Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back in the lineup for the playoffs, the Wilds offense looks far more dangerous. They have the best player in the series in Kaprizov, who was on pace for 112 points before his injury, as well as the better goaltender in Filip Gustavsson. However, Vegas has a stronger defense and a lot more depth than the Wild do, which gives them an edge in this series. It will be a tougher series than people think, but Vegas should pull through and advance. 

Prediction: Golden Knights in 6 

Los Angeles Kings (P2) vs Edmonton Oilers (P3)

For the fourth consecutive year, the Kings and Oilers will play each other in the first round. The Kings have looked very impressive down the stretch, going 8-2 in their last ten games. They have been very solid defensively all year, finishing second in goals against per game (2.44), and having the league's eighth best penalty kill (81.43%). The Oilers of course have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatil, arguably the two best forwards in the league. In an “off year”, McDavid put up 100 points in 67 games. The Oilers will also have Evander Kane back for this series. Kane has put up 16 points in 18 playoffs games against the Kings in their last three meetings. Ultimately, this series will come down to two factors: The Kings being able to stop McDavid and Draisaitl and the Oilers goaltending. Stuart Skinner has had a bad year, posting a subpar .894 save percentage and a 2.87 goals against average. The defense in front of him also hasn’t been good, and having a bad defense is never a good thing in the playoffs. The Kings are an experienced, physical team that look built for the playoffs, with a good defense, and one of the best goaltenders in the league in Darcy Kuemper. The Oilers may have won the last three matchups, but this year the tides look to be in Los Angeles’s favour.

Prediction: Kings in 6