Stanley Cup predictions for 2020-21 NHL season

Avalanche overwhelming favorites among NHL.com staff preseason picks

MacKinnon_COL_celebrates

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By NHL.com @NHLdotcom

Nathan MacKinnon said his expectations are for the Colorado Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup, and a panel of NHL.com editors and writers agree with him.

Twelve of the 15 NHL.com staffers who made their predictions for the 2020-21 NHL season believe the Avalanche will win the Stanley Cup, and 11 of them say MacKinnon will be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, the defending Stanley Cup champions, Philadelphia Flyers and Vegas Golden Knights each were picked by one staff member to win the Cup. Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner and Flyers goalie Carter Hart each received one vote for the Conn Smythe.
The 2020-21 NHL season will feature four realigned divisions, the Scotia North, MassMutual East, Discover Central and Honda West, and the top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds of the postseason will be intradivisional, and the four teams that advance to the Semifinal Round will be seeded by their point total in the regular season.
With the season set to begin Wednesday, here are the picks of the NHL.com writers and editors:

Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Montreal Canadiens | 3. Edmonton Oilers | 4. Vancouver Canucks
East Division
1. Philadelphia Flyers | 2. Boston Bruins | 3. Washington Capitals | 4. New York Islanders
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars | 2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 3. Carolina Hurricanes | 4. Columbus Blue Jackets
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. St. Louis Blues | 3. Vegas Golden Knights | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Flyers defeat Canadiens
Avalanche defeat Lightning
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Tim Campbell, staff writer

North Division
1. Edmonton Oilers | 2. Calgary Flames | 3. Toronto Maple Leafs | 4. Vancouver Canucks
East Division
1. Boston Bruins | 2. Washington Capitals | 3. Philadelphia Flyers | 4. New York Islanders
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Dallas Stars | 3. Carolina Hurricanes | 4. Nashville Predators
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. Vegas Golden Knights | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Bruins
Lightning defeat Flames
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Brian Compton, deputy managing editor

North Division
1. Vancouver Canucks | 2. Toronto Maple Leafs | 3. Montreal Canadiens | 4. Edmonton Oilers
East Division
1. Boston Bruins | 2. New York Islanders | 3. New York Rangers | 4. Philadelphia Flyers
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Columbus Blue Jackets | 3. Carolina Hurricanes | 4. Dallas Stars
West Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 2. Colorado Avalanche | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Arizona Coyotes
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Canucks
Islanders defeat Blue Jackets
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Vancouver Canucks | 3. Edmonton Oilers | 4. Montreal Canadiens
East Division
1. Pittsburgh Penguins | 2. Philadelphia Flyers | 3. Washington Capitals | 4. Boston Bruins
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars | 2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 3. Carolina Hurricanes | 4. Florida Panthers
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. Vegas Golden Knights | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Arizona Coyotes
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Capitals
Lightning defeat Maple Leafs
Stanley Cup champion:Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

William Douglas, staff writer

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Edmonton Oilers | 3. Vancouver Canucks | 4. Calgary Flames
East Division
1. Boston Bruins | 2. Washington Capitals | 3. New York Islanders | 4. Philadelphia Flyers
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Carolina Hurricanes | 3. Dallas Stars | 4. Florida Panthers
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. St. Louis Blues | 3. Vegas Golden Knights | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Maple Leafs
Bruins defeat Lightning
Stanley Cup champions: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Tom Gulitti, staff writer

North Division
1. Vancouver Canucks | 2. Toronto Maple Leafs | 3. Calgary Flames | 4. Montreal Canadiens
East Division
1. Boston Bruins | 2. Washington Capitals | 3. Philadelphia Flyers | 4. New York Islanders
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Carolina Hurricanes | 3. Dallas Stars | 4. Columbus Blue Jackets
West Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 2. Colorado Avalanche | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Canucks
Capitals defeat Lightning
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner:Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Pete Jensen, senior fantasy editor

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Vancouver Canucks | 3. Calgary Flames | 4. Montreal Canadiens
East Division
1. Washington Capitals | 2. Boston Bruins | 3. New York Islanders | 4. New York Rangers
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Carolina Hurricanes | 3. Columbus Blue Jackets | 4. Dallas Stars
West Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 2. Colorado Avalanche | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. San Jose Sharks
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Maple Leafs
Hurricanes defeat Bruins
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner:Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Vancouver Canucks | 3. Winnipeg Jets | 4. Montreal Canadiens
East Division
1. Washington Capitals | 2. Philadelphia Flyers | 3. New York Islanders | 4. New York Rangers
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Carolina Hurricanes | 3. Dallas Stars | 4. Columbus Blue Jackets
West Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 2. Colorado Avalanche | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Arizona Coyotes
Semifinals
Lightning defeat Flyers
Golden Knights defeat Canucks
Stanley Cup champion: Lightning
Conn Smythe Trophy winner:Victor Hedman, Lightning

Tracey Myers, staff writer

North Division
1. Vancouver Canucks | 2. Toronto Maple Leafs | 3. Montreal Canadiens | 4. Winnipeg Jets
East Division
1. Philadelphia Flyers | 2. Washington Capitals | 3. Boston Bruins | 4. New York Islanders
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Carolina Hurricanes | 3. Dallas Stars | 4. Columbus Blue Jackets
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. St. Louis Blues | 3. Vegas Golden Knights | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Lightning
Canucks defeat Flyers
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

North Division
1. Calgary Flames | 2. Edmonton Oilers | 3. Toronto Maple Leafs | 4. Winnipeg Jets
East Division
1. New York Islanders | 2. Philadelphia Flyers | 3. Boston Bruins | 4. Washington Capitals
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars | 2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 3. Columbus Blue Jackets | 4. Nashville Predators
West Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 2. St. Louis Blues | 3. Colorado Avalanche | 4. Anaheim Ducks
Semifinals
Lightning defeat Golden Knights
Flyers defeat Oilers
Stanley Cup champion: Flyers
Conn Smythe Trophy winner:Carter Hart, Flyers

Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Vancouver Canucks | 3. Calgary Flames | 4. Winnipeg Jets
East Division
1. Boston Bruins | 2. Philadelphia Flyers | 3. New York Islanders | 4. New York Rangers
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Dallas Stars | 3. Nashville Predators | 4. Carolina Hurricanes
West Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 2. Colorado Avalanche | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. San Jose Sharks
Semifinals
Canucks defeat Stars
Golden Knights defeat Islanders
Stanley Cup champion: Golden Knights
Conn Smythe Trophy winner:Robin Lehner, Golden Knights

Shawn P. Roarke, Senior Director of Editorial

North Division
1. Vancouver Canucks | 2. Toronto Maple Leafs I 3. Montreal Canadiens | 4. Winnipeg Jets
East Division
1. Philadelphia Flyers | 2. Boston Bruins | 3. Pittsburgh Penguins | 4. Washington Capitals
Central Division
1. Columbus Blue Jackets | 2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 3. Carolina Hurricanes | 4. Dallas Stars
West Division
1. St. Louis Blues | 2. Colorado Avalanche | 3. Vegas Golden Knights | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Lightning
Bruins defeat Jets
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Cale Makar, Avalanche

Dan Rosen, senior writer

North Division
1. Montreal Canadiens | 2. Vancouver Canucks | 3. Toronto Maple Leafs | 4. Calgary Flames
East Division
1. Philadelphia Flyers | 2. Boston Bruins | 3. Washington Capitals | 4. New York Islanders
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Dallas Stars | 3. Carolina Hurricanes | 4. Columbus Blue Jackets
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. Vegas Golden Knights | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Hurricanes
Flyers defeat Canucks
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Dave Stubbs, columnist

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Montreal Canadiens | 3. Vancouver Canucks | 4. Winnipeg Jets
East Division
1. Philadelphia Flyers | 2. Boston Bruins | 3. Washington Capitals | 4. New York Islanders
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Dallas Stars | 3. Carolina Hurricanes | 4. Columbus Blue Jackets
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. Vegas Golden Knights | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Minnesota Wild
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Flyers
Lightning defeat Maple Leafs
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

North Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 2. Edmonton Oilers | 3. Montreal Canadiens | 4. Vancouver Canucks
East Division
1. Washington Capitals | 2. Boston Bruins | 3. Pittsburgh Penguins | 4. New York Rangers
Central Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 2. Carolina Hurricanes | 3. Dallas Stars | 4. Nashville Predators
West Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 2. Vegas Golden Knights | 3. St. Louis Blues | 4. Arizona Coyotes
Semifinals
Avalanche defeat Lightning
Capitals defeat Oilers
Stanley Cup champion: Avalanche
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

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