NHL Playoff Fantasy Pool Draft: MacKinnon And McDavid Snubbed From First Overall
It's time to get your NHL playoff fantasy pool drafts done before the quest for the Stanley Cup begins Saturday.
Five of us at TheHockeyNews.com wanted to get in on the action as well. We hopped on a video call Wednesday afternoon and drafted the team we think will win us the ultimate bragging rights. After some quick thinking and the customary chirps, we created our rosters.
Fortunately for whoever took players on the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche, the standings did not change Thursday, avoiding a powerhouse first-round matchup between the two teams.
Strategies
Ryan said he's counting on Dallas to make a deep run. Beyond that, he went with players he believes will get a lot of points in at least two rounds.
Michael has five NHL teams represented in his playoff pool roster. He said that should leave him with a ton of options regardless of when they go out.
Frank agreed, saying he diversified his portfolio of players while choosing skaters who can shine on their own.
I (Jonathan) chose three players from the Avalanche since I believe they'll go far, although whether Wedgewood or Mackenzie Blackwood gets the starts remains to be seen. Carolina and Dallas have the potential to get to at least the conference finals again, while Dahlin should produce a decent amount in however long the Sabres are in the playoffs.
Adam said he predicts the Bolts will make the final and the Senators will get to at least Round 2. In the West, he felt well with taking Kaprizov and Faber from the Wild.
Fantasy Hockey Playoff Power Rankings - Goalies
Discover which goalies command the crease and power their teams toward a Stanley Cup. Uncover elite starters, crucial tandems, and dark horses.
Analysis
Thirteen teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs had players selected in our post-season fantasy pool draft.
The Lightning, Stars and Avalanche had the most representation, with four players each. The Avs and Lightning have the top two shortest odds of winning the Stanley Cup on BetMGM, while the Stars have the fifth-shortest odds.
Carolina, which had two players selected, has the third-shortest odds of winning the Cup. There was some doubt that they could beat the Senators and go far, which gives the two people who selected Hurricanes players an advantage if they can pull it off. Of course, the opposite holds true for Adam, who picked two Sens players.
Fantasy Hockey Playoff Power Rankings - East
Tampa enters the postseason as possibly the favorite to come out of the East but a key blueline injury could derail their hopes. Carolina looks go to one step beyond last year and make it to the Stanley Cup Final while several other teams are also in the mix.
The most consequential series of the first round for this pool could be between the Stars and Wild, with a combined seven players on this list.
The three playoff teams that were not represented in this draft are the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
All three come from the Pacific Division, although the Kings will be on the Central Division side of the bracket since they're a wild-card team facing the Avalanche in Round 1. The Ducks are also the lower seed in their series versus Edmonton.
Snubbing the Golden Knights could be risky, considering they finished first in the Pacific. That said, they face the Mammoth, which had just three fewer points this season. One team that missed the playoffs actually finished one place above the Pacific winners in the standings: the Washington Capitals.
Fantasy Hockey Playoff Power Rankings - West
Colorado Avalanche leads the pack, but injuries and a tough path could derail their championship dreams. Dallas Stars aim for a deep run despite elite forward concerns.
As always, taking a player on an underdog could pay off in spades if their team eliminates a higher seed. But in general, more playoff series means more games played, which means more chances for points and goalie wins.
Of course, if there's a superstar available on a team that isn't predicted to go far, they could wind up scoring more points than someone on a squad that goes far.
For more playoff pool strategies and rankings, visit The Hockey News' fantasy hockey site at THN.com/fantasy, and let the games begin.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 2:31 PM.