This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs showcase an influx of fresh talent, with three franchises reaching the second round after missing last year’s postseason entirely.
Four teams have successfully navigated the opening round: Colorado, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Anaheim. The Flyers are celebrating their first playoff appearance in six seasons, while the Ducks ended an eight-year drought. Both the Avalanche and Wild participated last year but fell in the initial round.
Additional newcomers are guaranteed to emerge from ongoing matchups: Teams competing in the Boston-Buffalo and Montreal-Tampa Bay series all failed to reach the second round in the previous campaign. Buffalo concluded the NHL’s longest playoff absence at 14 seasons, Boston returns following a single-year absence, and both Montreal and Tampa Bay suffered early exits in 2025.
Remarkably, seven of the eight second-round participants could be new if Utah manages to overcome Vegas. Only Carolina, which will welcome Philadelphia for Saturday’s Game 1, reached this stage last season.
“That’s the exciting part of where the league is at and where these teams are at,” Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger said recently. “New teams (are) getting into the playoffs and showcasing some of these young players that are on the rise that maybe haven’t had that experience. And now they get a chance to kind of understand what it’s all about and what it means to play in the playoffs.”
A fresh champion became inevitable when defending back-to-back titleholder Florida was eliminated during a disappointing injury-plagued campaign.
Two new finalists are now assured after Edmonton suffered a first-round defeat to the Ducks. Oilers captain Connor McDavid acknowledged they “were an average team all year” and failed to meet elevated expectations.
The Hurricanes, who have consistently advanced each of the past eight seasons under Rod Brind’Amour’s coaching tenure beginning in 2018, will face one of the tournament’s surprise stories: Philadelphia last competed in playoffs during the 2020 pandemic season.
“There was never a doubt,” said Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar, who delivered a 42-save shutout in the Game 6 overtime victory against Pittsburgh. “Good things happen to good people, and we are good people here.”
In the Western Conference, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche have been resting since completing a sweep of Los Angeles. Making their ninth consecutive playoff appearance, they’ll battle the Wild, who defeated Dallas in a six-game clash between Central Division contenders.
“It’s going to be a hard-fought series,” Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “High-quality teams, high-quality players, good goaltending and special teams. It’s going to be a battle.”
Minnesota finally captured its opening series after eight consecutive first-round defeats, advancing to the second round for the first time since 2015. Rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt spotted an emotional fan during their clinching Game 6 victory, helping him understand the broader impact of their success.
“There’s so many more people who are with us on this road and this journey,” Wallstedt said. “The excitement and joy to get past the first round is huge.”
The Ducks advanced for the first time since their 2017 Western Conference Final appearance, marking coach Joel Quenneville’s successful debut season.
“Now we’ve got a taste of playoff hockey,” Quenneville said. “I think we can feel at this moment that it’s so much fun playing games that have the meaning and the building being as loud and excited as it is. It seems to grow from this level on.”
