7. Vancouver Canucks vs. 10. Minnesota Wild
Villano: The New Jersey Devils are watching this series as much as any. This is the one series where if one team wins, they get a pick, but if the other wins they lose the pick. Minnesota has played much better under their new head coach, but the Canucks have a lot of motivation to get past this series. Canucks in 4.
Parise: The Canucks are the deeper team but they lack any sort of playoff experience. The Wild has a lot of veterans that were having good years to join a new budding core before the pause. Minnesota had a lot of momentum going before they were shut down and they are going to pick up where they left off. Wild in 5.
DeLuca: Minnesota is not going to be able to handle the speed and quickness that Vancouver is going to bring. It will be a quick beat down but not a sweep. Canucks in 4.
Borges: The Canucks will be led by a determined Brock Boesor and Elias Pettersson to defeat the Wild. The Wild don’t have that much going for them. Devan Dubynk will steal a game, maybe two. Jacob Markstrom, who is in a contract year, will continue to play out of his mind for a big pay day whenever free agency starts. The Wild have one of the oldest cores in the league, but Vancouver’s speed gets it done. Canucks in 4.
Studna: I’m excited to see the Canucks’ young core get a chance to compete on the big stage. On the flip side, this might be the last kick at the can for some of the Wild’s aging players. I think the younger legs of the Canucks will fare better in a short series preceded by a long break. This one’s going the full 5, but the Canucks will prevail. Canucks in 5.
Egbert: The Canucks bring a level of depth to the table that the Wild just don’t have. Not to mention, Vancouver reps a quite proven tandem in net. Canucks in 4.
Browne: Finally, the question will be answered if the Devils receive Vancouver’s 1st round pick in 2020 or 2021. In a deep draft, the Devils could only be so lucky. However. Devan Dubnyk steals this series away for Minnesota, begrudgingly forfeiting the pick until 2021. Wild in 5.
Lebovitz: I’m sorry, but there’s nothing you can say that will make me have an opinion on either of these teams. I just picked the one with the Hughes brother, but this match is a stoppable force meeting a movable object. Canucks in 5.