NHL Playoffs

Rating the 2026 NHL Playoff Series

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It took until the final night of the season, but the entire NHL playoff bracket is set. The NHL’s backwards format is showing cracks again this year as the second and third best teams (by points) in the West and the seventh and eighth best teams in the East will face off in their respective first round series. 

The NHL also narrowly avoided having a higher seeded team enter their first round series with fewer points than the team they were hosting. A Vegas loss on Wednesday and a Utah win on Thursday would have meant the Mammoth finished with 94 points while the Oilers and Vegas would have finished with 93 points (with Edmonton winning the division thanks to their regulation wins). Seems like a great format! 

Setting aside issues with how the NHL opts to seed playoff teams, the first round of the NHL playoffs is always appointment viewing and this year features several matchups that will make the best weeks of the NHL season that much juicer. Thus, there is no better way to celebrate the opening of the postseason than to rate the raft of first round series from worst to best. Each series is rated on a scale of one to five pucks. 

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The Instigator Podcast 12.37 – Trade Targets from First Round Eliminations

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The first round of the playoffs is behind us and that means it’s time to identify which teams may be feeling desperate after an early playoff exit. We touch on some of our favorite targets from the eight eliminated clubs, highlighting players who could help put the Sabres over the top. We also dissect the Maple Leafs latest first round exit and the drama surrounding them after the loss. We kick off the show with a brief conversation about the NHL Draft Lottery and why we think the Sabres ought to move their pick. 

The Instigator Podcast 12.36 – Catching Up With the NHL Playoffs and Utah

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The first round of the playoffs are chugging along and we are here to catch up with what we’ve missed. We touch on the few series that have impressed us and the ones that haven’t. We look ahead to what could be a very impressive slate of second round series while we wait to see if any of the trailing teams catch up in their respective series. 

We also spend some time breaking down the league’s move from Arizona to Utah. We discuss some of the biggest pitfalls of the Coyotes’ time in Phoenix while sharing our optimism of what’s to come for the NHL in Salt Lake City. 

The Instigator Podcast 11.33 – First Round Reflection

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The first round of the NHL Playoffs are behind us and we reflect on some of the teams who were dispatched early. We dig in to the potential fortunes of the Winnipeg Jets and the New York Rangers while sprinkling in some thoughts on the Calgary Flames (though they didn’t make the playoffs). The show kicks off with a conversation about newly signed prospect, Viktor Neuchev and when we might see Nikita Novikov follow with his entry level contract.

The Instigator Podcast 10.31 – Job Openings and Playoff Previews

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There are a host of job openings around the NHL with the regular season concluded and we run through some of the most notable firings and departures that have come down. We also run through the NHL Playoffs lineup and provide some thoughts on what will tip the scales in each series this spring.

The Instigator Podcast 11.28 – Mock GM Meeting featuring Joe Yerdon and Lance Lysowski

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Joe Yerdon and Lance Lysowski of Maintenance Day join the show for a roundtable conversation on a number of hot topics from around the NHL. We tried something a little different this week and got together for a mock GM meeting that allowed us to tackle a number of topics which we see as ways to improve the league. We touch on off-ice topics like playoffs and the World Cup and on-ice issues like overtime and the shootout.

Thanks again to Joe and Lance joining the show.

The Instigator Podcast 10.37 – Which Eliminated Teams Are Ripe for Moves

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With the first round of the NHL Playoffs complete, we look at which teams could be looking to make adjustments this offseason and whether or not the Sabres can capitalize on any such moves. We also touch on the signing of Alexander Kisakov and the latest on the Arizona Coyotes arena saga.

The Instigator Podcast 10.36 – Sabres Hold 9th and 16th Picks after NHL Draft Lottery

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The Sabres didn’t see their picks move in the NHL Draft Lottery and they will draft ninth and 16th in this year’s draft. The only first round pick to be determined is that of the Florida Panthers, which will fall between 28th and 32nd depending on their finish. On this week’s show we talk about the lottery results and who the Sabres could be looking at with their top two picks. We also talk about Barry Trotz’ departure from the New York Islanders and run through some of the key talking points from the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Instigator Podcast 9.25 – Draft Lottery Rewind

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We’re back from a brief break to offer up analysis of the Sabres nabbing the top pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and the prospect who Kevyn Adams may be looking at with the first selection. We also discuss the second round of the NHL Playoffs and enjoy a bit of comic relief thanks to our friends up the QEW. All that and more on this week’s episode.

The Instigator Podcast 9.23 – Assessing the Sabres Coaching Search

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It’s about time that we give Don Granato his own episode and even our best efforts to discuss his merits as the next Sabres head coach were partially interrupted by our NHL playoff preview. But we do spend a lot of time on the Sabres coaching search and on whether or not Granato is the best candidate for the job in Buffalo. We do offer up a few alternatives along the way as we do differ on whether Granato is the best hire the Sabres can make.