The first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is complete. Eight of the teams that made the postseason bracket have moved on, and eight others have been eliminated.
Before the second-round series begin, ESPN’s experts have identified their picks for each matchup. Which four teams will move on to the conference finals?
More: Full scheduleBetting intel
Atlantic Division
John Buccigross: Panthers in sevenRyan Callahan: Panthers in sixCassie Campbell-Pascall: Panthers in sixSachin Chandan: Panthers in sixMeghan Chayka: Panthers in sixRyan S. Clark: Panthers in sevenLinda Cohn: Panthers in sixRachel Doerrie: Panthers in sixRay Ferraro: Panthers in sixEmily Kaplan: Panthers in sevenTim Kavanagh: Maple Leafs in sixPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Panthers in sixSteve Levy: Panthers in sixVince Masi: Panthers in sixVictoria Matiash: Panthers in sixSean McDonough: Panthers in sixMark Messier: Panthers in sixAJ Mleczko: Panthers in sixArda Öcal: Maple Leafs in sixKristen Shilton: Maple Leafs in sevenJohn Thoering: Panthers in sixBob Wischusen: Panthers in sixGreg Wyshynski: Panthers in six
Consensus prediction: Panthers (20 of 23 picks)
Metropolitan Division
John Buccigross: Capitals in sevenRyan Callahan: Capitals in sevenCassie Campbell-Pascall: Capitals in sixSachin Chandan: Capitals in sixMeghan Chayka: Hurricanes in sixRyan S. Clark: Capitals in sevenLinda Cohn: Capitals in sixRachel Doerrie: Capitals in sixRay Ferraro: Capitals in sevenEmily Kaplan: Capitals in sevenTim Kavanagh: Capitals in sixPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes in sevenSteve Levy: Capitals in fiveVince Masi: Hurricanes in sixVictoria Matiash: Hurricanes in sixSean McDonough: Capitals in sevenMark Messier: Hurricanes in sixAJ Mleczko: Hurricanes in fiveMike Monaco: Hurricanes in sixArda Öcal: Capitals in sixKristen Shilton: Hurricanes in sixJohn Thoering: Capitals in sevenBob Wischusen: Capitals in sevenGreg Wyshynski: Capitals in seven
Consensus prediction: Capitals (16 of 24 picks)
Central Division
John Buccigross: Stars in sevenRyan Callahan: Stars in fiveSachin Chandan: Stars in sixMeghan Chayka: Stars in sixRyan S. Clark: Stars in sevenLinda Cohn: Jets in sevenRachel Doerrie: Stars in sixRay Ferraro: Stars in sixEmily Kaplan: Stars in sixTim Kavanagh: Stars in sevenPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Stars in sixSteve Levy: Stars in sevenVince Masi: Jets in sevenVictoria Matiash: Jets in sevenSean McDonough: Stars in sixMark Messier: Stars in sixMike Monaco: Stars in sixArda Öcal: Stars in sixKristen Shilton: Stars in sixJohn Thoering: Stars in sevenBob Wischusen: Jets in sevenGreg Wyshynski: Stars in six
Consensus prediction: Stars (17 of 21 picks)
Pacific Division
John Buccigross: Oilers in sevenRyan Callahan: Golden Knights in sixCassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers in sevenSachin Chandan: Oilers in sevenMeghan Chayka: Golden Knights in sevenRyan S. Clark: Golden Knights in sevenLinda Cohn: Oilers in sevenRachel Doerrie: Golden Knights in sevenRay Ferraro: Golden Knights in sevenEmily Kaplan: Golden Knights in sevenTim Kavanagh: Golden Knights in sixPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden Knights in sixSteve Levy: Golden Knights in sevenVince Masi: Oilers in sixVictoria Matiash: Golden Knights in sixSean McDonough: Golden Knights in sevenMark Messier: Oilers in sevenAJ Mleczko: Golden Knights in sixMike Monaco: Oilers in sixArda Öcal: Oilers in sixKristen Shilton: Oilers in sevenJohn Thoering: Golden Knights in sevenBob Wischusen: Golden Knights in sevenGreg Wyshynski: Oilers in seven
Consensus prediction: Golden Knights (14 of 24 picks)
