The field is set for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, as the top 16 teams look to compete to lift Lord Stanley's Cup. The Florida Panthers, the defending champs, are looking to make it back-to-back titles for the franchise after winning the organization's first-ever championship in 2024.

USA TODAY's Jason Anderson, Mike Brehm and Jace Evans provide their predictions for the Stanley Cup Final teams, the NHL champion and the Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP: Stanley Cup Final: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Colorado Avalanche

The same B/R hockey team did its April duty for 2025, too, crunching the numbers and assembling this year's morning-line list in descending order from the prohibitive to the probable, with a thought added in for anyone seeking wagering counsel.