After months of a pandemic-induced pause, the NHL returns in earnest Saturday. Players will hit the ice again as the NHL's return-to-play plan hits Phase 4 and the postseason begins.
Unlike the traditional playoff format, the league is running a 24-team tournament, with 12 teams from each conference playing in fan-less arenas in Toronto (for the East) and Edmonton (for the West). The top four teams in each conference are in the round of 16, and seeds 5 through 12 will square off to see who will take the next step toward immortality.
We gathered our panel of NHL experts to make their picks on each qualification-round series, along with how they foresee the round-robin teams finishing.
More: Check out the full NHL postseason schedule here.
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East round-robin | PIT-MTL
CAR-NYR | NYI-FLA | TOR-CBJ
West round-robin | EDM-CHI
NSH-ARI | VAN-MIN | CGY-WPG
Sean Allen: Lightning, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers
Ben Arledge: Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Pierre Becquey:Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, Flyers
John Buccigross:Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Sach Chandan:Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Linda Cohn:Lightning, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers
Aimee Crawford:Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Dimitri Filipovic:Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, Flyers
Emily Kaplan:Bruins, Capitals, Lightning, Flyers
Tim Kavanagh:Lightning, Flyers, Bruins, Capitals
Don La Greca:Bruins, Capitals, Lightning, Flyers
Vince Masi:Capitals, Flyers, Bruins, Lightning
Victoria Matiash:Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Arda Ocal:Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, Flyers
Greg Wyshynski:Bruins, Lightning, Flyers, Capitals
Sean Allen:Penguins in 4
Ben Arledge:Penguins in 4
Pierre Becquey:Penguins in 4
John Buccigross:Penguins in 5
Sach Chandan: Canadiens in 5
Linda Cohn:Penguins in 4
Aimee Crawford:Penguins in 3
Dimitri Filipovic:Penguins in 4
Emily Kaplan:Penguins in 4
Tim Kavanagh:Penguins in 3
Don La Greca:Penguins in 4
Vince Masi:Penguins in 4
Victoria Matiash:Penguins in 5
Arda Ocal:Penguins in 3
Greg Wyshynski:Penguins in 3
Top pick: Penguins (14).
Sean Allen:Rangers in 4
Ben Arledge: Rangers in 5
Pierre Becquey: Hurricanes in 5
John Buccigross: Rangers in 5
Sach Chandan:Hurricanes in 4
Linda Cohn:Rangers in 4
Aimee Crawford:Rangers in 5
Dimitri Filipovic:Hurricanes in 5
Emily Kaplan:Rangers in 5
Tim Kavanagh:Hurricanes in 4
Don La Greca:Rangers in 5
Vince Masi:Hurricanes in 5
Victoria Matiash:Rangers in 4
Arda Ocal:Rangers in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Hurricanes in 4
Top pick: Rangers (9).
Sean Allen: Panthers in 4
Ben Arledge: Islanders in 4
Pierre Becquey: Panthers in 5
John Buccigross: Islanders in 5
Sach Chandan:Panthers in 4
Linda Cohn:Islanders in 5
Aimee Crawford:Islanders in 5
Dimitri Filipovic:Islanders in 4
Emily Kaplan:Islanders in 5
Tim Kavanagh:Islanders in 3
Don La Greca:Islanders in 4
Vince Masi:Islanders in 5
Victoria Matiash:Panthers in 4
Arda Ocal:Islanders in 4
Greg Wyshynski: Islanders in 4
Top pick: Islanders (11).
Sean Allen:Maple Leafs in 3
Ben Arledge: Maple Leafs in 5
Pierre Becquey: Maple Leafs in 4
John Buccigross: Blue Jackets in 5
Sach Chandan:Maple Leafs in 3
Linda Cohn:Blue Jackets in 5
Aimee Crawford:Maple Leafs in 4
Dimitri Filipovic:Maple Leafs in 5
Emily Kaplan:Maple Leafs in 5
Tim Kavanagh:Maple Leafs in 4
Don La Greca:Maple Leafs in 4
Vince Masi:Blue Jackets in 5
Victoria Matiash:Maple Leafs in 5
Arda Ocal:Maple Leafs in 4
Greg Wyshynski: Maple Leafs in 4
Top pick: Maple Leafs (12).
Sean Allen:Blues, Golden Knights, Avs, Stars
Ben Arledge:Golden Knights, Blues, Avs, Stars
Pierre Becquey:Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
John Buccigross:Blues, Avs, Stars, Golden Knights
Sach Chandan:Golden Knights, Blues, Avs, Stars
Linda Cohn:Golden Knights, Avs, Blues, Stars
Aimee Crawford:Blues, Avs, Golden Knights, Stars
Dimitri Filipovic:Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
Emily Kaplan:Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
Tim Kavanagh:Avs, Blues, Stars, Golden Knights
Don La Greca:Blues, Avs, Stars, Golden Knights
Vince Masi:Golden Knights, Avs, Blues, Stars
Victoria Matiash:Avs, Golden Knights, Blues, Stars
Arda Ocal:Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
Greg Wyshynski:Avs, Blues, Stars, Golden Knights
Sean Allen:Blackhawks in 5
Ben Arledge:Blackhawks in 5
Pierre Becquey:Oilers in 5
John Buccigross:Oilers in 4
Sach Chandan:Oilers in 3
Linda Cohn:Oilers in 4
Aimee Crawford:Oilers in 4
Dimitri Filipovic:Oilers in 4
Emily Kaplan:Oilers in 5
Tim Kavanagh:Blackhawks in 4
Don La Greca:Oilers in 5
Vince Masi:Oilers in 4
Victoria Matiash:Oilers in 4
Arda Ocal:Oilers in 5
Greg Wyshynski:Oilers in 4
Top pick: Oilers (12).
Sean Allen:Coyotes in 4
Ben Arledge: Predators in 4
Pierre Becquey: Predators in 4
John Buccigross: Predators in 4
Sach Chandan:Predators in 5
Linda Cohn:Predators in 5
Aimee Crawford:Predators in 3
Dimitri Filipovic:Coyotes in 5
Emily Kaplan:Predators in 5
Tim Kavanagh:Predators in 4
Don La Greca:Predators in 3
Vince Masi:Predators in 4
Victoria Matiash:Predators in 3
Arda Ocal:Coyotes in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Coyotes in 5
Top pick: Predators (11).
Sean Allen: Wild in 3
Ben Arledge:Canucks in 3
Pierre Becquey: Canucks in 4
John Buccigross: Canucks in 5
Sach Chandan:Canucks in 3
Linda Cohn:Canucks in 4
Aimee Crawford:Canucks in 5
Dimitri Filipovic:Canucks in 5
Emily Kaplan:Canucks in 4
Tim Kavanagh:Wild in 5
Don La Greca:Canucks in 4
Vince Masi:Canucks in 5
Victoria Matiash:Wild in 4
Arda Ocal:Canucks in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Canucks in 5
Top pick: Canucks (12).
Sean Allen: Jefs in 4
Ben Arledge: Jefs in 4
Pierre Becquey: Jets in 5
John Buccigross: Flames in 5
Sach Chandan:Jets in 5
Linda Cohn:Flames in 5
Aimee Crawford:Jets in 5
Dimitri Filipovic:Jets in 4
Emily Kaplan:Jets in 4
Tim Kavanagh:Flames in 4
Don La Greca:Jets in 5
Vince Masi:Jets in 5
Victoria Matiash:Jets in 4
Arda Ocal:Flames in 4
Greg Wyshynski: Flames in 4
Top pick: Jets (10).
Sean Allen:Lightning over Golden Knights
Ben Arledge:Lightning over Avs
Pierre Becquey:Penguins over Avs
John Buccigross:Lightning over Blues
Sach Chandan:Lightning over Stars
Linda Cohn:Lightning over Golden Knights
Aimee Crawford:Lightning over Avs
Dimitri Filipovic:Lightning over Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan:Penguins over Avalanche
Tim Kavanagh:Blues over Capitals
Don La Greca:Lightning over Blues
Vince Masi:Golden Knights over Flyers
Victoria Matiash:Lightning over Golden Knights
Arda Ocal:Avalanche over Bruins
Greg Wyshynski:Lightning over Golden Knights
Top pick: Lightning (10).