Looking Ahead At The NHL Playoffs

The NHL has decided to wrap up the 2019-20 season by jumping straight into a unique 24-team playoff format. The top four teams in each conference will play in a round-robin to decide their seeds. The bottom teams will play in five-game series to advance to the second round.
The top teams hailing from the Eastern Conference are the Boston Bruins, the Washington Capitals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Philadelphia Flyers. The teams without a first-round bye are the Penguins, Canadiens, Hurricanes, Rangers, Islanders, Panthers, Maple Leafs, and Blue Jackets.
The top four teams from the Western Conference are the reigning champion St. Louis Blues, the Colorado Avalanche, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Dallas Stars. The teams that will be playing in the first round are the Oilers, Blackhawks, Predators, Coyotes, Canucks, Wild, Flames, and Jets.
Teams To Watch
My picks for the lower seeds out of each conference are the Florida Panthers out of the East and the Chicago Blackhawks out of the West. Although the Blackhawks have a tough opponent in the first round, I think their playoff experience could pay huge dividends for them after the unusual long rest.
The Panthers are a threat out of the East to any team they play. While they may lack depth defensively, they have a much better goaltender this year and a lot of firepower up front led by Aleksander Barkov.
My picks for the top teams out of each conference are the Avalanche out of the West and the Lightning out of the East. We saw Tampa Bay have a fantastic season last year just to get swept in the first round of the playoffs. They have the roster to be a threat to anyone.
The Avalanche always seem to have the roster to get to the Cup but haven’t been able to put it all together. With the unique rest this season, it could give them an opportunity to really dial in and make a push for the Stanley Cup.
No Home Ice
With the teams using hub cities this year without fans, there will be no real home-ice advantage and could lead to some major upsets early on. I would not be opposed to putting money on a team like Chicago or Florida to make a push and get all the way to the Cup. Be prepared for upsets and try to cash in on them in such a unique situation.
No matter how things end up shaking out everyone but Max Kellerman will be happy to have hockey back and a Stanley Cup Champion at the end of the 2019-20 season.