Nine of the 16 picked the Colorado Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup and five picked the Vegas Golden Knights. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes each were predicted to win the Cup by one staff member.
The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning were picked by three to get back to the Cup Final but lose.
The Avalanche are the No. 1 seed in the West and will play the No. 4. St. Louis Blues in the first round. The No. 2 Golden Knights will play the No. 3 Minnesota Wild.
The Stanley Cup First Round will have eight best-of-7 series, all played within the four divisions -- the West, MassMutual East, Discover Central and Scotia North. The four teams that advance from their divisions will play in the Stanley Cup Semifinals, and will be seeded 1-4, based on regular-season points and regular-season tiebreakers. The two winners from the semifinals will play in the Stanley Cup Final.
Eight of the nine staff members who predicted the Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup believe Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon will win the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as the most valuable player of the playoffs. Colorado defenseman Cale Makar got the other MVP pick.
Golden Knights forward Mark Stone received four picks for the Conn Smythe, and Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury got one.
Here are NHL.com's picks for the Stanley Cup First Round:
