The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially here, and the Round 1 action begins on Saturday, April 18.

Here's the latest on what to expect now that playoff hockey is here:

NHL Playoffs Preview

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs feel unusually open because there will be a new champion after Florida missed the postseason, and that has created a bracket full of credible contenders instead of one obvious team to chase.

Buffalo is one of the best stories in the field after ending a 14-season playoff drought and winning the Atlantic, Utah is making noise in its first playoff run as the Mammoth, and Pittsburgh is back with Sidney Crosby trying to push one more dangerous spring run.

In the East, Tampa Bay looks like one of the biggest threats thanks to its experience and star power, while Carolina again enters with real expectations in a conference that suddenly feels wide open. In the West, Colorado, Dallas, Vegas, and Edmonton all have reasons to believe, with the Oilers chasing a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final and the Avalanche carrying the look of a team many see as a favorite.

The opening weekend gives you a strong mix of old powers, hungry challengers, and brand-new playoff storylines, which is why this year’s postseason feels deeper and less predictable than usual.

Here's a quick look at the NHL Playoffs Round 1 schedule, moneyline odds, and estimated start times:

Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes (-160) — Saturday, 3:00 p.m. ET
Minnesota Wild @ Dallas Stars (-121) — Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins (-145) — Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Kings @ Colorado Avalanche (-240) — Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET
Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning (-180) — Sunday, 5:45 p.m. ET
Boston Bruins @ Buffalo Sabres (-167) — Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Utah Mammoth @ Vegas Golden Knights (-160) — Sunday, 10:00 p.m. ET
Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers (-180) — Monday, 9:00 p.m. ET

NHL Playoffs Picks & Best Bets

While the betting opportunities are a bit limited for the NHL Playoffs, there are still some solid chances to profit.

Whether you're looking for Expert Picks or other tips, advice and betting data, Pickwatch has several tools available. To unlock everything, you can claim a FREE 14-Day trial of our BetSmart subscription package today.

Expert Picks

If you're looking to see where some of our tracked Experts are leaning, our NHL Picks page features picks and consensus data from NHL Experts on the Moneylines, Puck Lines and Totals. Additionally, you can see where hundreds of Pickwatch users are leaning.

NHL Playoffs Series Prices

Here's the current series prices for Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Playoffs:

Hurricanes -170 / Senators +145
Stars -125 / Wild +105
Penguins -170 / Flyers +140
Lightning -245 / Canadiens +200
Sabres -180 / Bruins +150
Avalanche -450 / Kings +340
Golden Knights -190 / Mammoth +155
Ducks +180 / Oilers -220

NHL Playoffs Arbitrage Bets

Without full schedules daily, the NHL Arbitrage opportunities are limited, but there are still some chances available for risk-free, guaranteed profit.

The BetSmart Arbitrage Betting Tracker is currently identifying 2 NHL Arbitrage opportunities, but as always, this number will continue to fluctuate throughout the day. Below is a preview of what was available this morning.

While NHL Arbs are light, keep in mind you still have dozens of Arbitrage betting opportunities in the NBA and MLB every day.

NHL Playoffs Middle Bets

The BetSmart Middle Betting Tracker is currently identifying 5 NHL Middle bet opportunities, some of which have been identified in our Most Profitable Markets Tool as trending markets.

NHL Playoffs Positive EV Bets

The BetSmart Positive EV Bet Finder is currently identifying 27 NHL Positive EV wager opportunities, some of which have also been identified as recently profitable markets.

NHL Playoffs Prop Bets

If you're looking to bet on NHL Playoffs player props, the BetSmart Prop Finder Tool is currently providing data for over 1,200 of NHL player prop bets.

This data includes our official Prop Rating, along with the best available odds, Recent Performance with success rate over the Last 5 Games, 10 Games, and the Full Season, and Opponent Rank against each prop.

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