NHL player, coach, GM predict the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs - ESPN

Stanley Cup playoff predictions will arrive at a furious pace this week from pundits, analysts and fans. Those perspectives are informative, but they're from the outside looking in on the NHL.

So we decided to borrow an idea from Academy Awards season. Ever read those anonymous Oscar ballots where a director, a producer and an actor give their candid thoughts on the nominees? We decided to apply that template to the Stanley Cup playoffs to glean insight from those on the inside.

Here are a veteran Eastern Conference player, a Western Conference coach and an NHL general manager with their outlooks on the postseason, as well as who they think the league MVP should be after the regular season.

Player: Pittsburgh. I think they're starting to get a little bit more credit. But after we played Pittsburgh, I'm like, 'They're just f---ing good, man.' They'll beat whoever they play in the first round.

Erik Karlsson has been on another level. I don't know if it's them rallying around Sid [Crosby] and [Evgeni] Malkin or what, but they're just really good. I think the style of game that they play, they're so structured. Their new coach [Dan Muse]… I hadn't even heard of him before, but whatever he's preaching, they're buying in.

Coach: I think people have become numb to Carolina being up there. And I think the East is funny. There's a lot of good teams, and there's a lot of points and all that, but I don't know that there's this elite elite team.

Carolina's a team that just continues to do what they do. It feels like they're going to break through to an even greater degree. I don't want to downplay the success they've had. They've had more success than people give them credit for. They just haven't gotten to the Final. And it just