NHL playoffs 2024

The NHL playoffs are back! And this year, they're more exciting than ever.

With 16 teams vying for the Stanley Cup, there's no shortage of storylines to follow.

• Can the Colorado Avalanche repeat as champions?
• Will the Toronto Maple Leafs finally break their playoff curse?
• Can the Edmonton Oilers, led by Connor McDavid, make a deep run?

Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the NHL playoffs are going to be a wild ride.

Here's a closer look at some of the key storylines to watch for:

The Colorado Avalanche are the defending champions, and they're looking to become the first team to repeat as champions since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17.

Led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, the Avalanche are one of the most talented teams in the league.

They're also one of the most experienced, with many of their key players having won the Stanley Cup before.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the most dominant teams in the regular season for the past few years, but they've yet to make a deep playoff run.

This year, they're hoping to change that, and they've got a lot of talent to do it with.

Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares are all capable of taking over a game, and they're all looking to finally bring the Stanley Cup to Toronto.

The Edmonton Oilers are led by Connor McDavid, who is arguably the best player in the world.

McDavid is a one-man wrecking crew, and he's capable of carrying a team to the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers have a lot of other talented players, too, including Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard.

If they can all stay healthy, they'll be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

The NHL playoffs are always unpredictable, and this year is sure to be no different.

There are a lot of great teams in the league, and any of them could win the Stanley Cup.

So get ready for some exciting hockey!