My realistic and unrealistic Stanley Cup Championship predictions

Photo courtesy of TheAHL / Wikimedia Commons

As the 2025 National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs ramp up with the first round underway, some bold predictions have been made. While I would love to sit here and root for that perfect underdog Cinderella story, I’ve got to keep it real. So, let’s break down a mix of my realistic and unrealistic predictions for this postseason.

Starting with some of my unrealistic predictions for this postseason. My first bold prediction is that the Minnesota Wild will make it to the final round. Listen, I love Minnesota’s grit as much as the next fan, but let’s not get carried away. The Wild have their best guy, left-winger Kirill Kaprizov, back on the roster, so their offensive production is again off the charts. Kaprizov is single-handedly their offensive savior in the playoffs. 

While the Wild have made a name for themselves in the regular season, with and without Kaprizov, the likelihood of them pulling off a final-round showing is pretty slim. They lack the playoff experience that every team they will meet to get to the finals has, which will almost certainly catch up to them in a deep playoff run.

My next unrealistic prediction is that the Washington Capitals will topple the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. The storylines coming out of the Washington Capitals this season have been legendary, by far the biggest one being left-winger Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. While it would be awesome to see Ovechkin lift the Stanley Cup after his history-making season, I do not think it could happen.

Washington still heavily relies on veterans; while the experience is there, the legs may not be. They have not made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2019, after winning the Cup in 2018. For them to outlast a powerhouse like Florida, especially since they are the defending champions, would take some serious playoff magic.

Now, for my realistic predictions in this NHL postseason. My first prediction is that the Carolina Hurricanes (Canes) might finally break through. Carolina’s been knocking on the door for years— and this might be the season they kick it down. The Hurricanes have made the playoffs every season since 2019, and almost every season, they have been knocked out by the semi-finals or the conference final. 

With a stacked blue line, depth across all four lines, and a system that works, they look like a team ready to take the next step. Their biggest asset right now is 22-year-old forward Logan Stankoven, who has fit in perfectly with the Canes’ style of play. He embodies the physicality and play-making of the Hurricanes and has given them the depth scoring that has been killing them for every playoff run.

Last but not least, the Winnipeg Jets win it all. Yes, you read that right— and no, it’s not a stretch. The Jets are legit this year. With goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in the net and a solid two-way game throughout the lineup, they have been quietly building momentum all season. Their blend of physicality, goaltending, and underrated scoring makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. 

With the President’s Trophy already under their belt and a stellar regular season showing, there is no doubt in my mind that they can pull this prediction off. Center Mark Scheifele and left-wing Kyle Connor have been instrumental in this team's offensive success. Scheifele has had the best season of his career, finishing with 87 points and 39 goals, his second-highest-scoring season ever. 

Through two games against the St. Louis Blues in the first round, Scheifele scored or created all but two of the Jets' seven goals. On the other hand, Connor is the only Jets forward who has logged more five-on-five ice time than Scheifele, and that difference is only 31 seconds. With only two games in the first round, Connor has already logged four points in two games— and is still climbing. 

This is not a fluke year we have seen from the Jets— it is the culmination of a roster that’s come into its own at the perfect time, and a storyline like winning the Stanley Cup would be a well-earned outcome for this team.

At the end of the day, that is the beauty of the Stanley Cup Playoffs— anything can happen. Whether it’s a powerhouse like the Jets delivering on expectations or a team like the Wild daring to dream, the postseason has a way of turning logic on its head.