One of the things I’ve always liked doing when it comes to sports, and when it comes to hockey especially, is making postseason brackets. Every year in the NHL, 16 teams face off to see who can be the next league champion, and only 1 one of them can ultimately be crowned at the end of it all. However, despite how simple it may seem on the surface, it’s usually anything but that. Hockey is a very random sport, and momentum is always shifting around. Just because a team finishes in a high standing during the regular season doesn’t mean they’re going to bulldoze their way to the Cup. There’s less predictability, and I love that.

So, why am I making this post? And why only the next 5 champs? Well first off, it’s more of a fun thought experiment. I’ve done hockey brackets for 10 years now, and even though I’ve only gotten 4/10 of my champ picks correct, I’ve always seemed to have had a knack for them, especially in comparison to other sports. I think a large part of this is due to the fact that I’ve been watching the sport for so long, plus my understanding of how random it can be sometimes. Secondly, in the interest of time, as well as being sensible, I think doing the next 5 makes a lot more sense than doing the next 10. We don’t know how things are gonna look a decade from now, but 5 years is both a smaller time frame and one that is easier to project.

So, without further ado, let’s get started. And to those who aren’t too interested in posts like these, that’s completely fine. There are other ones I have on here that are likely more up your alley.

2024: Stars over Hurricanes

This one feels sorta inevitable to me after this last season. What I mean by that is for the first time in the NHL’s history, we had an all-southern final four in Vegas, Carolina, Florida, and Dallas. While I don’t think we’ll have that again this next year, I do think that the odds of these two teams meeting in the final is quite likely given their upwards trajectory over the last few seasons. Dallas, from top to bottom, could be looked at as the best team in the west after Vegas and Colorado. They have the best line in hockey with Roope Hintz centering Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski, a good defense core anchored by Miro Heiskanen, and a young stud in net with Jake Oettinger. Not to mention the great amount of veteran leadership scattered around the roster, especially in the leadership of Jamie Benn and Esa Lindell. A bunch of these guys have been to the Finals before, and they know what it takes to get there.

Meanwhile, the Canes are undeniably a top team in the east, and arguably the best overall. Their smothering style of hockey has earned them tons of wins in the last few seasons, and while their road struggles in the playoffs have been pronounced the last few years, I feel like this team has a lot more to give. If they do pull off the rumored Erik Karlsson trade soon and they manage to add some extra goal scorers, I think it’s very possible that they manage to overcome their issues on the road and make it to the Finals. However, I think Dallas’s high end talent will lead them to victory in 2024. It’ll be a tough series for both teams, and a treat to watch for hockey fans. Especially me, since I cheer for the Stars.

(Update as of August 6: Karlsson ended up going to Pittsburgh instead.)

2025: Golden Knights over Devils

The defending Cup champs at the time I’m writing this are still relatively intact, and are still a very good team. While a couple of their key guys will be UFAs by the time this year rolls around, including defending playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault, the Knights have always found a way to beat the odds and get things done, much to the chagrin of many fans across North America. This team is still very deep on paper, and by the time this season rolls around, this will likely be one of their last shots at winning with this core, due to their growing age.

On the other side, meet the Devils. This last season was a revelation for them, and one which looks like will be leading to a Cup appearance for them in the very near future. A fast and relentless team with scorers everywhere in sight and a stout defense which clamps down on opposing players while also joining in on the rush, this young team has the chance to run the Eastern Conference for the next several years, and by the time this year rolls around, I think they’ll have enough experience to go for it. However, I feel that Vegas’s experience, as well as their rock solid defense, will ultimately prevail.

2026: Avalanche over Devils

The Devils have enough talent that even though I feel they’ll be disappointed with how their 2025 season ended, they would have enough resilience to try and run it back. They may have to make some big moves to ensure it, but if there’s anything Tom Fitzgerald has proved as Jersey’s general manager thus far, it’s that he’s willing to make gutsy moves. The ceiling for the Devils is sky high.

However, the Avalanche will be in their way this time. The 2022 champs are currently not as deep as their Cup-winning team, but their talent, as well as pedigree, is something to behold. As long as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are wearing those blue and maroon jerseys, Colorado will be contending for the Stanley Cup. They sorta feel due for another one down the line, and I think they’ll get back to the Finals in 2026. The reason why I’m picking the Avs in this matchup is not only due to their experience, but their record in the Finals as well. They’re 3-0, and they won their second Cup in 2001 taking on these very same Devils. Well, not the exact same core of players, but you know what I mean.

2027: Red Wings over Ducks

By the time this year rolls around, these two teams should be at their peaks. Detroit and Anaheim have both suffered for several seasons now, their rebuilds being two of the deepest in hockey. It has paid off for both teams so far, with Anaheim landing elite talent like Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson, and Detroit landing similar talent in Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Simon Edvinsson. Simply put, these two teams are on the rise, and they’re going to be super fun to watch when they’re officially back.

I’m giving Detroit the advantage in this matchup for two big reasons. Firstly, these two teams have met many times before in the playoffs, back when Detroit was in the western conference. Anaheim did prevail in their first two meetings, but Detroit flipped the table and later won their next two. Ever since then, Detroit has been able to beat Anaheim with regularity, part of that admittedly being how bad they have been in recent years, but I say it could bode well for them in the future. Secondly, the team that Steve Yzerman is trying to build is clearly in the same vein as the teams he played on when he was a Wing: tough to play against, masterful defensively, and full of energy. Nearly every single Cup winner in the last 15 years has had those traits in spades, with the early 2010s Blackhawks and Kings sticking out.

I’m not trying to say that Anaheim won’t be tough to play against, especially with their abundant pool of great defensemen, but I trust that when these two teams meet, Detroit’s stout defense and never-say-die attitude will overpower Anaheim’s flashy stars. Expect this to go at least 6 or 7 games, because that’s usually how it went for these two teams.

2028: Blackhawks over Sabres

If you watched the Blackhawks this past year, you were witnessing one of the greatest tanks we’ve ever seen. Make no mistake, the team was absolutely horrible. The reward will almost certainly be worth it, however. Connor Bedard has some big shoes to fill with the departure of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, but with how many draft picks they have and how quickly the Hawks were able to turn it around after acquiring Kane and Toews all those years ago, I think it’ll make a lot of sense to see Chicago back in the playoffs sooner than later.

As for the Sabres, they’ve been finally trending in the right direction during the last few seasons, and they were close to a playoff spot this year. Their ceiling in a few years is insanely high, especially when it comes to offense and goaltending. Devon Levi looks like a true unicorn between the pipes, and if he lives up to his hype, Buffalo will be set for a long time to come.

The reason I’m picking the Hawks here is because even though the sample size is admittedly small, what we’ve seen throughout Connor Bedard’s young career so far has told us one thing in particular: he’s a big game player. I mean, come on, 20 points in 7 playoff games and a gold medal in his last season of junior? When this kid gets going, he’s going to be a menace. You don’t want to bet against guys like that.

So, those are my predictions for the next 5 Cup Finals. Are they going to be wrong? Probably, it’s hockey. Is it still fun to speculate about? Of course. I may do one with baseball later on as well, given that it’s the other sport I care about. That may be later on however, since the season is going on right now. We’ll see.

Either way you slice it, there’s a lot of good hockey coming up soon, and whether these end up being right or wrong ultimately doesn’t matter that much. It’s all for fun, just like how sports are.