The NHL playoffs have plenty of fresh blood, and a new Stanley Cup champion will be crowned

The Stanley Cup will have a new home this year after the back-to-back champion Florida Panthers had their season derailed by injuries.

They’re not the only perennial contender to miss the playoffs, either, with the Buffalo Sabres among the roughly half dozen newcomers in the 16-team field. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the dance, too.

The Colorado Avalanche have been dominant since October and go in as the favorite after clinching the best regular-season record in the NHL. That has rarely been an indicator of who hoists the Cup at the end of four rounds, and it’s anyone’s guess who comes out of the Eastern Conference, as well as the West.

“Every team in the playoffs can win,” Dallas Stars defenseman Tyler Myers said. “Every series is a tough series. That’s what’s so amazing about the NHL playoffs: It brings out the best in everybody, in every team, and it creates an unbelievable battle no matter who’s playing.”

Buffalo ended the longest postseason drought in league history at 14 seasons and did so after losing 18 of its first 29 games.

“It’s something that we strived for from Day One,” said Lindy Ruff, who is among the favorites to be coach of the year. “You’ve got to feel good about getting there. It’s hard. We’re in a division that’s been extremely hard to get there. You’ve got to look back and say that we did a lot of good things to get to this point.”

The Sabres also look as if they can do some damage in the wide-open East without Florida. They've been the best team since the Olympic break.

Also hot down the stretch was Pittsburgh, which qualified for the first time since 2022 in new coach Dan Muse's first season. The Penguins were 6-1 long shots on BetMGM Sportsbook in October to make it, but now the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang gets another chance.

“A lot of people doubted us and I guess counted us out, and it just put fuel on the fire for us,” said defenseman Ryan Shea, who's set to make his NHL playoff debut at 29. “I’ve been in the playoffs in the AHL, which was fun, but this is the best league in the world.”

The Utah Mammoth made it in the franchise's second season in Salt Lake City. The Anaheim Ducks are also back with a young core coached by three-time Cup-champion Joel Quenneville.

Colorado is justifiably the best bet to win it all. Nathan MacKinnon could be the MVP, Cale Makar the top defenseman, and the reacquisition of Nazem Kadri at the trade deadline gives the Avalanche the depth to envision another parade in Denver this summer, four years since the previous one.

To do so, they'll have to go through either Dallas or the Minnesota Wild in the second round just to reach the West final.

“Confident for sure: Believe in this group. I know we have what it takes,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "It’s going to be a long, tough road and mentally, physically grinding. I think we’re ready for it.”

Stars versus Wild opens the playoffs with a bang, pitting two of the top seven teams in the league in a best-of-seven series that ensures one of them will be golfing by mid-May. It's the result of a division-focused format that Commissioner Gary Bettman has said leads to the best first round in sports.

"That makes for great matchups," Bettman said. “If you’re a fan of the game and you’re looking for excitement, you’re looking to be entertained, you’re looking for intriguing stories, this format does it.”

Several players who won gold with the U.S. at the Olympics have the chance to add a Stanley Cup ring to their trophy case for the year.

Colorado's Brock Nelson scored 30 goals after being a difference-maker in Milan. Carolina's Jaccob Slavin, Buffalo's Tage Thompson, Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel, Minnesota's Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson are all in the running, as are two goaltenders: Boston's Jeremy Swayman and Dallas' Jake Oettinger.

The same goes for some Canadian stars who see their silver medals as a symbol of losing and get an opportunity to make up for it. That includes Edmonton's Connor McDavid following two consecutive losses in the final, and Crosby after an injury kept him from playing in the gold medal game and is chasing a fourth NHL title.

"That’s the best time of year," Crosby said. “That’s why you play.”

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) goes after the puck against the Utah Mammoth during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, puts a shot on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart, right, after driving past defenseman Shea Theodore in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) and Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) slam into the boards chasing after the puck in the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Buffalo Sabres players celebrate after a victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

The Chicago Sky acquired Rickea Jackson from the Los Angeles Sparks for Ariel Atkins on Sunday.

Jackson was the No. 4 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and averaged 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season.

“It’s thrilling to acquire one of the great young talents in this league in Jackson,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Rickea is only going to continue to ascend, and the organization is excited to witness that growth firsthand.”

It was a difficult offseason for Jackson when her ex-boyfriend, Atlanta Falcons player James Pearce, was arrested and charged in a domestic dispute incident in February.

The Sky had given Atkins the franchise tag earlier this week. Chicago originally acquired her last February and she averaged 13.1 points in 34 games last season.

“Ariel is a proven winner and one of the most respected two-way guards in this league,” Sparks GM Raegan Pebley said. “She’s a champion, an elite defender and someone who understands what it takes to win in big moments. Her professionalism, competitiveness and versatility make her a perfect fit for our franchise and a key piece in our pursuit of a championship.”

It's been a busy week for the Sky. The team signed Skylar Diggins on Saturday, the first day a team could officially add free agents. Chicago also brought back forward Azura Stevens, who helped the franchise win a title in 2021.

The Sky re-signed center Elizabeth Williams, who has been with the team since 2023. She averaged 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds last season, appearing in 43 games with 15 starts.

Chicago also re-signed guard Courtney Vandersloot to a multiyear deal. Vandersloot tore her ACL last year in June.

Chicago traded Angel Reese on Monday to Atlanta, moving on from the talented young star.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

FILE - This photo combination shows Los Angeles Sparks' Rickea Jackson, left, July 5, 2025, in Indianapolis and Chicago Sky guard Ariel Atkins, right, June 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, Jessie Alcheh, file)