NHL Staff Picks Avs for Stanley Cup

0:00It's April 17th, NHL News Today starts now, AI powered and ready for kickoff. Colorado Avalanche got the most love from NHL.com staffers predicting the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. Out of 16 writers and editors, seven picked the OVs to hoist the cup, making them clear favorites in a super competitive field. Meanwhile, five of the squad snag votes two. Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, and Carolina Hurricanes each got two, while Vegas Golden Knights and Buffalo Sabers pulled one piece, showing nobody sleeping on the Easter West. Diving into first round vibes, almost everyone sees abs handling the kings, lightning dumping the Canadians and sabers upsetting the Bruins. Hurricanes mostly edge Ottawa, but Pittsburgh, Philly, and Minnesota split some hairs in tight matchups. Finals predictions stay wild and spread out, with abspacing lightning, stars, or hurricanes in several spots. Stars and canes pop up as champs too, and Nathan McKinnon grabs Khan's smiles nods four times for his playoff dominance.

1:06Staffers agree it's wide open this year, so expect fireworks when puck's drop. Whoever rises, it'll be a battle for the ages.