NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Preview And Round 1 Matchups

The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin April 18, and the Presidents' Cup Trophy winner Colorado Avalanche are the favorites to capture the Stanley Cup. The Round 1 matchups are set along with the series odds and Game 1's, and plenty of anticipation and excitement for playoff hockey. 

Avalanche shoot to snap Presidents' Trophy 'curse'

The Avs topped the NHL standings with a league-high 54 wins, 300 goals and 119 points. But only eight teams have won both the President's Cup Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season since the Presidents' Trophy inception 40 years ago. The last team to win both was the 2012-13 Chicago Black Hawks. Nine of the last 10 teams to win the President's Trophy have lost in the first two rounds of the playoffs. That includes the 2022-23 Boston Bruins, who had 65 wins and the most points (135) ever by a team during the regular season before losing in the first round to Florida. The 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning had 62 wins and 128 points - 5th most all time - and also lost in stunning fashion in Round 1 with a 4-0 series sweep by Columbus. Last year's Presidents' Trophy winner Winnipeg Jets won their Round 1 series in 7 games before losing to Dallas. The Jets failed to make the playoffs this year after leading the league in wins and points last season. 

The Avalanche won the 2022 Stanley Cup, but have been eliminated in Round 1 or 2 of the NHL Playoffs each of the last three years including twice against the Dallas Stars. Colorado won't lose to the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1 this year, but they'll play a tough division opponent in Round 2 in the Dallas Stars or Minnesota Wild - the best Round 1 matchup of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars earned their 50th win at Buffalo to close the regular season to join the Avs and three Eastern Conference teams with at least 50 wins - Carolina Hurricanes (53), Buffalo Sabres (50) and Tampa Bay Lightning (50). 

The Avalanche have built an elite team at all positions behind their franchise cornerstones and Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) favorites, center Nathan MacKinnon (+600) and defenseman Cale Makar (+1000), who won the Conn Smythe in 2022 with 29 points in 20 NHL playoff games. Check out the Western Conference and Eastern Conference rosters, players and Stanley Cup checklist for each team as they make a push through the playoffs. 

Bet on the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at one of these Elite-rated sportsbooks!

Vegas Golden Knights

I'll be at select Vegas Golden Knights playoff games at The Fortress in Las Vegas. The Knights closed the regular season 7-0-1 under their new head coach John Tortorella after he took over for Bruce Cassidy. 

Goaltender Carter Hart is 6-0 with a GAA of less than 2.0 since returning from a lower body (leg) injury after missing three months. He was the No. 2 star of the game in Vegas' division-clinching win at The Fortress in the regular season finale - the Golden Knights 5th Pacific Division title in their 9th season in the NHL. Hart will be Vegas' top goalie in the playoffs and start Game 1 against the Utah Mammoth, who are in the playoffs in just the second season since relocating to Salt Lake City. 

I was at the emotional VGK debut for Carter Hart in his return to the NHL on Dec. 2 and reporting when Vegas won in overtime against the Chicago Black Hawks. Now Hart is back from injury and appears to be the key piece and player Vegas has been lacking with sub-par goaltending this season. The Golden Knights won the 2023 Stanley Cup in just their sixth season in the NHL. Last year, Vegas was eliminated in Round 2 by the Edmonton Oilers, who advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second-straight season. Edmonton is still shooting for their first Stanley Cup title since 1990, and incredibly, the Oilers have not won a division title since 1987.   

A pleasant surprise in the Eastern Conference saw the Buffalo Sabres rally to win the Atlantic Division and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Buffalo ended the NHL's longest postseason drought at 14 years. The Sabers have never won the Stanley Cup, and last made the finals in 1999.   

Stanley Cup Series Prices

NHL playoff series and daily game odds from BetOnline and leading online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. All Round 1 playoff series are 7 games. 

East 

- Ottawa (+161) vs. Carolina (-185)
- Boston (+155) vs. Buffalo (-177)
- Montreal (+200) vs. Tampa Bay (-240)
- Philadelphia (+135) vs. Pittsburgh (-155)

West 

- Minnesota (+112) vs. Dallas (-132)
- Utah (+145) vs. Vegas (-165)
- Anaheim (+192 ) vs. Edmonton (-230)
- Los Angeles (+390) vs. Colorado (-510)

Game 1 

Sat., April 18

- Ottawa (+129) at Carolina (-146), Total goals O/U 5.5
- Minnesota (+105) at Dallas (-119), O/U 5.5
- Philadelphia (+127) at Pittsburgh (-144), O.U 6

Sun., April 19

- Los Angeles (+181) at Colorado (-207), O/U 5.5
- Montreal (+162) at Tampa Bay (-185), O/U 6.5
- Boston (+136) at Buffalo (-155), O/U 6.5
- Utah (+136) at Vegas (-155), O/U 5.5

Mon, April 20

- Anaheim (+136) at Edmonton (-155), O/U 6.5

Review the 2026 Stanley Cup odds and check back for additional series prices as the regular season concludes April 16, along with Game 1 odds, select picks, stats and information you can bet on. 

You can bet on it. 

FairwayJay is a leading sports betting industry analyst, handicapper, content creator, writer, reporter and poker player based in Las Vegas. He's been covering major sports including from a betting perspective for more than two decades. FairwayJay is also on the scene for major sports and poker events plus industry conferences as a credentialed media member. Follow @FairwayJay on X and OSGA for more insight and information you can bet on.