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Super 16: Top defensemen playing in Stanley Cup Qualifiers – NHL.com
Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning was ranked first by seven of 13 voters as the best defensemen among the 24 teams that are part of the Return to Play Plan.
Hedman was ranked No. 2 by the other six voters, which gave him enough points to finish at the top of the Super 16, eight points ahead of Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, who was ranked No. 1 by five voters. John Carlson of the Washington Capitals received the other No. 1 vote.
Video: Super 16: Top Defenseman on Remaining Teams
To create the Super 16, each of the 13 participating staff members put together his or her version of what they think it should look like. Those were submitted and a point total assigned to each.
The defenseman that was selected first was given 16 points, the second got 15, third 14 and so on down to No. 16, who got one point.
Here is the Super 16:
[RELATED: Super 16: Top goalies in Qualifiers | Super 16: Top centers in Qualifiers]
1. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Total points: 202
Season stats: 55 points (11 goals, 44 assists) in 66 games
Career playoff stats: 48 points (seven goals, 41 assists) in 84 games
Hedman won the Norris Trophy in 2017-18 and finished third in the voting last season, when Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames won it and Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks was second. Hedman also was third in the Norris Trophy voting in 2016-17, behind Burns and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. Hedman has helped the Lightning reach the Eastern Conference Final four times (2011, 2015, 2016, 2018). They reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks. He is third among defensemen since the 2016-17 season with 244 points (56 goals, 188 assists) in 292 games, behind Burns (271) and Carlson (250). Hedman also is third among all skaters in plus/minus (plus-86) since 2016-17, behind New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin (plus-91) and Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (plus-88).
2. Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
Total points: 194
Season stats: 65 points (16 goals, 49 assists) in 69 games
Career playoff stats: 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 71 games
Josi was first on the Predators and second among NHL defensemen (Carlson, 75 points) in scoring this season. He set NHL career-highs in goals, assists and points despite the Predators’ season being cut short by 13 games when it was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He’s third among defensemen in scoring in the past three seasons with 174 points (45 goals, 129 assists) in 226 games, behind Carlson (213) and Burns (195). Josi had a 53.3 percent even-strength shot-attempts percentage (SAT), even though he started 49.5 percent of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone. He also averaged 25:47 of ice time per game, the most among returning defensemen.
Video: EDM@NSH: Josi tees up and hammers puck home
3. John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Total points: 185
Season stats: 75 points (15 goals, 60 assists) in 69 games
Career playoff stats: 60 points (18 goals, 42 assists) in 107 games
Carlson led NHL defensemen in scoring for the second time in three seasons, after leading them with 68 points (15 goals, 53 assists) in 2017-18. He’s scored 213 points (43 goals, 170 assists) in 231 games the past three seasons, 18 more than any defenseman. Carlson helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, when he scored 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 24 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
4. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
Total points: 142
Season stats: 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 70 games
Career playoff stats: 45 points (seven goals, 38 assists) in 83 games
Pietrangelo was sixth among defensemen in scoring this season and averaged 24:11 of ice time per game. He’s seventh among NHL defensemen with 447 points (108 goals, 339 assists) in 741 games the past 10 seasons. He helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup last season, when he led defensemen with 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 26 games, including six points (one goal, five assists) in Games 4-7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Bruins. He scored the game-winning goal and had an assist in St. Louis’ 4-1 win in Game 7 at Boston. He could be among the most sought after unrestricted free agents this offseason if the Blues don’t re-sign him.
5. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
Total points: 140
Season stats: 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 61 games
Career playoff stats: 80 points (21 goals, 59 assists) in 132 games
Letang is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins (2009, 2016, 2017), even though he missed the 2017 playoffs because of an injury. He is fifth in scoring among NHL defensemen in the past 10 seasons with 458 points (106 goals, 352 assists) in 591 games. Among defensemen to play at least 100 games during that span, Letang’s 0.77 points per game is second behind Karlsson (0.85). Letang averaged 25:44 of ice time per game this season, second behind Josi among returning defensemen.
6. Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
Total points: 124
Season stats: 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) in 56 games
Career playoff stats: 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 27 games
Jones was on pace for a fourth straight season of at least 40 points before fracturing his ankle Feb. 8. He is expected to be healthy when the Blue Jackets reconvene for training camp, which will put his 25:17 of ice time per game back in their lineup. Jones scored nine points (three goals, six assists) in 10 playoff games last season.
7. Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Total points: 88
Season stats: 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) in 60 games
Career playoff stats: Four points (one goal, three assists) in 13 games
Giordano didn’t have the same type of season he did in 2018-19, when he won the Norris Trophy, scored 74 points (17 goals, 57 assists), and was plus-39 in 78 games. He’s still one of the most utilized defensemen in the NHL, averaging 23:53 of ice time per game this season. He also led Flames defensemen with a 52.9 percent SAT (minimum 10 games), showing he was able to turn good defense into offensive chances. He missed more than three weeks with a hamstring injury sustained Feb. 4 but returned Feb. 27 and played six games before the season was paused.
Video: CGY@MIN: Giordano banks home PPG off defender’s stick
8. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Total points: 86
Season stats: 50 points (12 goals, 38 assists) in 57 games
Career playoff stats: Six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 games
Makar was seventh among defensemen and second among NHL rookies in scoring this season (Quinn Hughes, 53 points). His 0.88 points per game was third among defensemen (minimum 20 games), behind Carlson (1.09) and Josi (0.94). Makar is a favorite to win the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. Makar won the Hobey Baker Award last season as the top NCAA men’s hockey player and three days later made his NHL debut in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round against the Flames, scoring on his first shot on goal.
9. Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Total points: 85
Season stats: 36 points (six goals, 30 assists) in 68 games
Career playoff stats: 11 points (zero goals, 11 assists) in 15 games
Slavin had a 55.4 percent SAT this season and 107 blocked shots (4.03 per 60 minutes), meaning he was creating opportunities on the offensive end and shutting them down on the defensive end. He averaged 3:06 of shorthanded ice time per game for the Hurricanes’ fourth-ranked penalty kill (84.0 percent). His reputation grew during the playoffs last season, when he averaged 26:10 of ice time per game to help Carolina reach the Eastern Conference Final, which it lost to Boston.
10. Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
Total points: 81
Season stats: 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 65 games
Career playoff stats: 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) in 65 games
Weber is one of the most accomplished defensemen never to win the Norris Trophy or the Stanley Cup. He is seventh among active defensemen with 570 points (218 goals, 352 assists) in 990 games. He missed six games because of injury, and had he stayed healthy and the season not been paused, he would have become the 11th active defenseman to reach the 1,000-game milestone.
11. Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild
Total points: 68
Season stats: 48 points (eight goals, 40 assists) in 69 games
Career playoff stats: 29 points (six goals, 23 assists) in 78 games
Suter has been among the most reliable and durable defensemen since he entered the NHL with the Predators in 2005-06. He is fourth in games (1,142), third in total ice time (28,751:12) and ice time per game (25:11), and fifth in points (588) among active defensemen. Suter also never has won the Norris Trophy or the Stanley Cup.
12. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Total points: 56
Season stats: 53 points (eight goals, 45 assists) in 68 games
Career playoff stats: N/A
The 20-year-old led NHL rookies and was tied for fourth among defensemen with Tony DeAngelo of the New York Rangers in scoring this season. His style appears to mirror that of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP and three-time Stanley Cup champion. Hughes scored 25 points (three goals, 22 assists) on the power play, tied with Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets for third at the position behind Torey Krug of the Bruins (28) and Carlson (26).
Video: VAN@NYI: Hughes wins it in overtime for Canucks
13. Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
Total points: 52
Season stats: 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 64 games
Career playoff stats: 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 57 games
Parayko has become one of the fiercest defensemen in the NHL, particularly because of his size (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and how well he moves around the ice. He scored the same number of goals, assists and points this season that he did last season, but in 16 fewer games. He led the Blues with 106 blocked shots and St. Louis defensemen with 87 hits averaging 23:00 of ice time per game. Parayko helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup last season by scoring 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) and averaging 25:07 of ice time in 26 games during the playoffs.
14. Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
Total points: 41
Season stats: 32 points (five goals, 27 assists) in 67 games
Career playoff stats: 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 41 games
McAvoy, in his third NHL season, led the Bruins in total time on ice (1,551:56) and time on ice per game (23:10). He was Boston’s first option among defensemen in overtime, playing 23:46, or almost six minutes more than their next defenseman, Krug (17:38), and scored an overtime goal. He’s scored 92 points (19 goals, 73 assists) in 184 NHL games.
15. Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
Total points: 35
Season stats: 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 47 games
Career playoff stats: 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 38 games
Hamilton was on the way to his best NHL season when he fractured his left leg in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 16. He hasn’t played since but should be healthy when the Hurricanes reconvene for training camp. Hamilton was first in shots on goal (170), tied for second in goals, second in plus/minus (plus-30), fourth in points and fifth in points per game (0.85) among NHL defensemen when he was injured.
16. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Total points: 33
Season stats: 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in 58 games
Career playoff stats: 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 26 games
Klingberg scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in his first 28 games and 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in his final 30. Since debuting in the NHL in 2014-15, he is 10th among defensemen with 291 points (58 goals, 233 assists) in 425 games.
Video: EDM@DAL: Klingberg buries Benn one-timer for PPG
Others receiving points: Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets, 32; Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars, 31; Torey Krug, Boston Bruins, 24; Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers, 16; Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs, 11; Oscar Klefbom, Edmonton Oilers, 10; Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks, 9; Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights, 8; Nate Schmidt, Vegas Golden Knights, 5; Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins, 5; Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes, 2; Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets, 2; Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers, 1
HERE’S HOW WE RANKED ‘EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Roman Josi; 2. Victor Hedman; 3. Seth Jones; 4. Kris Letang; 5. John Carlson; 6. Alex Pietrangelo; 7. Jaccob Slavin; 8. Colton Parayko; 9. Mark Giordano; 10. Ryan Suter; 11. Shea Weber; 12. Charlie McAvoy; 13. Zach Werenski; 14. John Klingberg; 15. Dougie Hamilton; 16. Cale Makar
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Roman Josi; 2. Victor Hedman; 3. John Carlson; 4. Cale Makar; 5. Colton Parayko; 6. Mark Giordano; 7. Kris Letang; 8. Seth Jones; 9. Shea Weber; 10. John Klingberg; 11. Oscar Klefbom; 12. Torey Krug; 13. Jaccob Slavin; 14. Ryan Suter; 15. Josh Morrissey; 16. Morgan Rielly
BRIAN COMPTON
1. John Carlson; 2. Victor Hedman; 3. Roman Josi; 4. Kris Letang; 5. Alex Pietrangelo; 6. Seth Jones; 7. Quinn Hughes; 8. Ryan Suter; 9. Jaccob Slavin; 10. Torey Krug; 11. Cale Makar; 12. Ivan Provorov; 13. Oscar Klefbom; 14. Duncan Keith; 15. Shea Weber; 16. Morgan Rielly
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Victor Hedman; 2. John Carlson; 3. Roman Josi; 4. Alex Pietrangelo; 5. Colton Parayko; 6. Mark Giordano; 7. Kris Letang; 8. Cale Makar; 9. Quinn Hughes; 10. Miro Heiskanen; 11. Seth Jones; 12. Zach Werenski; 13. Charlie McAvoy; 14. Jaccob Slavin; 15. Oliver Ekman-Larsson; 16. Morgan Rielly
TOM GULITTI
1. Victor Hedman; 2. Roman Josi; 3. John Carlson; 4. Alex Pietrangelo; 5. Seth Jones; 6. Jaccob Slavin; 7. Kris Letang; 8. Mark Giordano; 9, Ryan Suter; 10. Shea Weber; 11. Miro Heiskanen; 12; Charlie McAvoy; 13. Colton Parayko; 14. Zdeno Chara; 15. Cale Makar; 16. Quinn Hughes
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Roman Josi; 2. Victor Hedman; 3. John Carlson; 4. Jaccob Slavin; 5. Alex Pietrangelo; 6. Dougie Hamilton; 7. Ivan Provorov; 8. Seth Jones; 9. Shea Theodore; 10. Cale Makar; 11. Shea Weber; 12. Quinn Hughes; 13. Kris Letang; 14. Charlie McAvoy; 15. Miro Heiskanen; 16. Zach Werenski
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Victor Hedman; 2. John Carlson; 3. Roman Josi; 4. Alex Pietrangelo; 5. Seth Jones; 6. Kris Letang; 7. Charlie McAvoy; 8. Cale Makar; 9. Shea Weber; 10. Dougie Hamilton; 11. Zach Werenski; 12. Mark Giordano; 13. Ryan Suter; 14. Miro Heiskanen; 15. Jaccob Slavin; 16. Ivan Provorov
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Victor Hedman; 2. John Carlson; 3. Roman Josi; 4. Seth Jones; 5. Shea Weber; 6. Mark Giordano; 7. Cale Makar; 8. Quinn Hughes; 9. John Klingberg; 10. Kris Letang; 11. Duncan Keith; 12. Alex Pietrangelo; 13. Ryan Suter; 14. Zach Werenski; 15. Charlie McAvoy; 16. Miro Heiskanen
TRACEY MYERS
1. Victor Hedman; 2. Roman Josi; 3. Alex Pietrangelo; 4. John Carlson; 5. Kris Letang; 6. Jaccob Slavin; 7. Mark Giordano; 8. Ryan Suter; 9. John Klingberg; 10. Seth Jones; 11. Colton Parayko; 12. Nate Schmidt; 13. Shea Weber; 14. Cale Makar; 15. Charlie McAvoy; 16. Quinn Hughes
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Roman Josi; 2. Victor Hedman; 3. John Carlson; 4. Kris Letang; 5. Jaccob Slavin; 6. Alex Pietrangelo; 7. Mark Giordano; 8. Ryan Suter; 9. Shea Weber; 10. Charlie McAvoy; 11. Zach Werenski; 12. Colton Parayko; 13. Seth Jones; 14. Cale Makar; 15. Quinn Hughes; 16. John Klingberg
DAN ROSEN
1. Roman Josi; 2. Victor Hedman; 3. John Carlson; 4. Alex Pietrangelo; 5. Kris Letang; 6. Jaccob Slavin; 7. Miro Heiskanen; 8. Ryan Suter; 9. Seth Jones; 10. Cale Makar; 11. Quinn Hughes; 12. Shea Weber; 13. Dougie Hamilton; 14. Charlie McAvoy; 15. Mark Giordano; 16. John Klingberg
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Victor Hedman; 2. Roman Josi; 3. John Carlson; 4. Kris Letang; 5. Shea Weber; 6. Alex Pietrangelo; 7. Cale Makar; 8. Quinn Hughes; 9. Seth Jones; 10. Zach Werenski; 11. Ryan Suter; 12. John Klingberg; 13. Dougie Hamilton; 14. Torey Krug; 15. Miro Heiskanen; 16. Mark Giordano
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Victor Hedman; 2. John Carlson; 3. Alex Pietrangelo; 4. Roman Josi; 5. Kris Letang; 6. Seth Jones; 7. Mark Giordano; 8. Torey Krug; 9. Morgan Rielly; 10. Dougie Hamilton; 11. Cale Makar; 12. Quinn Hughes; 13. Colton Parayko; 14. Shea Weber; 15. Zdeno Chara; 16. Aaron Ekblad
Owner Ryan Smith told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun Friday that Utah’s NHL team has received just over 20,000 season-ticket deposits.
The news comes less than 24 hours after the NHL’s Board of Governors unanimously approved sale of the Arizona Coyotes from Alex Meruelo to Smith and subsequent relocation to Salt Lake City for the 2024-25 season.
<twitter-embed blockquotehtml="
Just got off the phone after doing an interview with Utah NHL owner Ryan Smith and he said the updated total is now at just over 20,000 season-ticket deposits.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun)
April 19, 2024“>
The team is expected play out of the Delta Center in the city’s downtown core, the home of the Utah Jazz, which currently has about 12,000 unobstructed seats for hockey. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday Smith and his ownership group will raise the seating capacity to about 17,000 after renovations.
“As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” Bettman said in a statement. “We are also delighted to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family and know they will be great stewards of the game in Utah. We thank them for working so collaboratively with the League to resolve a complex situation in this unprecedented and beneficial way.
“The NHL’s belief in Arizona has never wavered. We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game.”
The move ends years of uncertainty surrounding the Coyotes franchise and wraps up a nearly three-decade existence of mostly poor on-ice results and chronic mismanagement over the course of multiple owners.
Utah’s team will not carry over the Coyotes moniker and will instead develop a new brand identity. LeBrun reported on Thursday’s edition of Insider Trading the franchise may take until beyond the start of next season to pick a team name and Smith has hired a firm to look into branding for the NHL’s newest franchise.
The Coyotes finished the 2023-24 campaign 36-41-5, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth time in a row and 11th time in the past 12 seasons.
BOSTON – Forget Boston Bruins-Montreal Canadiens.
For Brad Marchand, right now, it’s all about Bruins-Toronto Maple Leafs.
“You see the excitement they have all throughout Canada when they’re in playoffs,” Marchand said Thursday. “Makes it a lot of fun to play them. And I think, just with the history we’ve had with them recently, they’re probably our biggest rival right now over the last decade.
“They’ve probably surpassed Montreal and any other team with kind of where our rivalry’s gone, just because we’ve both been so competitive with each other, and we’ve had a few playoff series. It definitely brings the emotion, the intensity, up in the games and the excitement for the fans.
“It’s a lot of fun to play them.”
The Bruins and Maple Leafs will renew their rivalry in their first round series, which starts Saturday at TD Garden (8 p.m. ET; TBS, truTV, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS). They’ll be familiar opponents.
Over the past 11 seasons, the Bruins have faced the Maple Leafs four times in the postseason, starting with the epic 2013 matchup in the first round. That resulted in an all-time instant classic, the Game 7 in which the Bruins were down 4-1 in the third period and came roaring back for an overtime win that helped propel them to the Stanely Cup Final.
That would prove to be the model and, in the intervening years, the Bruins have beaten them in each of the three subsequent series, including going to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference First Round in 2018 and 2019.
Which could easily be where this series is going.
“Offensively they’re a gifted hockey club,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Thursday. “They present a lot of challenges down around the netfront area. We’re going to have to be really sharp there. We’re a pretty good team defensively when we stick to what our principles are. So I expect it to be a tight series overall.”
But if anyone knows the Maple Leafs — and what to expect — it’s Marchand. In his career, he’s played 146 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 11th most of any active player. Twenty-one of those games have come against the Maple Leafs, games in which Marchand has 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists).
“They’re always extremely competitive,” Marchand said. “You never know which way the series is going to go. But that’s what you want. That’s what you love about hockey is the competition aspect. They’re real competitors over there, especially the way they’re built right now. So it’s going to be a lot of fun, and that’s what playoffs is about. It’s about the best teams going head-to-head.”
But even though the history favors the Bruins — including having won each of the past six playoff matchups, dating back to the NHL’s expansion era in 1967-68 and each of the four regular-season games in 2023-24 — Marchand is throwing that out the window.
“That means nothing,” he said.
The Maple Leafs bring the No. 2 offense in the NHL into their series, having scored 3.63 goals per game. They were led by Auston Matthews and his 69 goals this season, a new record for him and for the franchise.
“You have to be hard on a guy like that and limit his time and space with the puck,” forward Charlie Coyle said. “He’s really good at getting in position to receive the puck and he’s got linemates who can put it right on his tape for him. You’ve just got to know where he is, especially in our D zone. He likes to loop away after cycling it and kind of find that sweet spot coming down Broadway there in the middle. It’s not just a one-person job.”
Nor is Matthews their only threat.
“They have a lot of great players, skill players, who play hard and can be very dangerous around the net and create scoring opportunities,” forward Charlie Coyle said. “You’ve just got to be aware of who’s out there and who you’re against, who you’re matched up against, and play hard. Also, too, we’ve got to focus on our game and what we do well and when we do that, we trust each other and have that belief in each other, we’re a pretty good hockey team.”
Especially against the Maple Leafs.
Marchand, who grew up in Halifax loving the Maple Leafs, still gets a thrill to see their alumni walking around Scotiabank Arena in the playoffs. And it’s even more special to be on the ice with them, to be competing against them — even more so when the Bruins keep winning.
But that certainly doesn’t mean this series will be easy.
“They’ll be a [heck] of a challenge,” Marchand said.
The chase for Lord Stanley’s silver chalice will begin on Saturday.
After what could be described as the most exciting season in NHL history that saw heartbreaks and last-ditch efforts to clinch playoff spots, players and staff now get ready as 16 teams go to battle.
We saw the Vancouver Canucks have a massive year and finish first in the Pacific Division with captain Quinn Hughes leading all defensemen in points. The Winnipeg Jets set a franchise record for most points. The Nashville Predators went on a franchise-record winning streak in order to lock themselves into a Wild Card spot, and the Washington Capitals clinched the last Wild Card spot in the East after a wild finish that saw the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers see their playoff hopes crumble in front of them.
While Auston Matthews missed out on scoring 70 goals, Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay Lightning standout Nikita Kucherov became the first players since 1990-91 to record 100 assists in a single season. They joined Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr as the only players to do so.
With the bracket set, it’s time to expect the unexpected.
Here is the schedule for Round 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
Eastern Conference
#A1 Florida Panthers vs. #WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
| Date | Game | Time |
| Sunday, April 21 | 1. Tampa at Florida | 12:30 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Tampa at Florida | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, April 25 | 3. Florida at Tampa | 7 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 27 | 4. Florida at Tampa | 5 p.m. ET |
| Monday, April 29 | 5. Tampa at Florida | TBD |
| Wednesday, May 1 | 6. Florida at Tampa | TBD |
| Saturday, May 4 | 7. Tampa at Florida | TBD |
#A2 Boston Bruins vs. #A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
| Date | Game | Time |
| Saturday, April 20 | 1. Toronto at Boston | 8 p.m. ET |
| Monday, April 22 | 2. Toronto at Boston | 7 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, April 24 | 3. Boston at Toronto | 7 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 27 | 4. Boston at Toronto | 8 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 30 | 5. Toronto at Boston | TBD |
| Thursday, May 2 | 6. Boston at Toronto | TBD |
| Saturday, May 4 | 7. Toronto at Boston | TBD |
#M1 New York Rangers vs. #WC2 Washington Capitals
| Date | Game | Time |
| Sunday, April 21 | 1. Washington at New York | 3 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Washington at New York | 7 p.m. ET |
| Friday, April 26 | 2. New York at Washington | 7 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, April 28 | 2. New York at Washington | 8 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, May 1 | 2. Washington at New York | TBD |
| Friday, May 3 | 2. New York at Washington | TBD |
| Sunday, May 5 | 2. Washington at New York | TBD |
#M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. #M3 New York Islanders
| Date | Game | Time |
| Saturday, April 20 | 1. New York at Carolina | 5 p.m. ET |
| Monday, April 22 | 2. New York at Carolina | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, April 25 | 3. Carolina at New York | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 27 | 4. Carolina at New York | 2 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 30 | 5. New York at Carolina | TBD |
| Thursday, May 2 | 6. Carolina at New York | TBD |
| Saturday, May 4 | 7. New York at Carolina | TBD |
Western Conference
#C1 Dallas Stars vs. #WC2 Vegas Golden Knights
| Date | Game | Time |
| Monday, April 22 | 1. Vegas at Dallas | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, April 24 | 2. Vegas at Dallas | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 27 | 3. Dallas at Vegas | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| Monday, April 29 | 4. Dallas at Vegas | TBD |
| Wednesday, May 1 | 5. Vegas at Dallas | TBD |
| Friday, May 3 | 6. Dallas at Vegas | TBD |
| Sunday, May 5 | 7. Vegas at Dallas | TBD |
#C2 Winnipeg Jets vs. #C3 Colorado Avalanche
| Date | Game | Time |
| Sunday, April 21 | 1. Colorado at Winnipeg | 7 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Colorado at Winnipeg | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Friday, April 26 | 3. Winnipeg at Colorado | 10 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, April 28 | 4. Winnipeg at Colorado | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 30 | 5. Colorado at Winnipeg | TBD |
| Thursday, May 2 | 6. Winnipeg at Colorado | TBD |
| Saturday, May 4 | 7. Colorado at Winnipeg | TBD |
#P1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #WC1 Nashville Predators
| Date | Game | Time |
| Sunday, April 21 | 1. Nashville at Vancouver | 10 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Nashville at Vancouver | 10 p.m. ET |
| Friday, April 26 | 3. Vancouver at Nashville | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, April 28 | 4. Vancouver at Nashville | 5 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 30 | 5. Nashville at Vancouver | TBD |
| Friday, May 3 | 6. Vancouver at Nashville | TBD |
| Sunday, May 5 | 7. Nashville at Vancouver | TBD |
#P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. #P3 Los Angeles Kings
| Date | Game | Time |
| Monday, April 22 | 1. Los Angeles at Edmonton | 10 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, April 24 | 2. Los Angeles at Edmonton | 10 p.m. ET |
| Friday, April 26 | 3. Edmonton at Los Angeles | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, April 28 | 4. Edmonton at Los Angeles | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, May 1 | 5. Los Angeles at Edmonton | TBD |
| Friday, May 3 | 6. Edmonton at Los Angeles | TBD |
| Sunday, May 5 | 7. Los Angeles at Edmonton | TBD |
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