We’re nearly one week away from the NHL playoffs, and The Hockey News Big Show is here to discuss some of the biggest topics.

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and guest co-host Steve Warne discussed in this episode:

1:03: We have our first Stanley Cup playoff series officially locked in. The Carolina Hurricanes will host the New Jersey Devils. What will we see in this series?

3:31: Will the Hurricanes and Devils have high-scoring battles? 

4:56: Predicting the winner of the Hurricanes-Devils series

6:30: The Minnesota Wild got Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back from injury. How do their returns change Minnesota’s playoff outlook?

10:13: The Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers are once again almost a lock to battle it out in the first round. This would be the fourth-straight year they meet in Round 1. How could this time be different?

13:00: Steve updates his top eight Stanley Cup contenders list.

14:40: Micheal explains his changes to his Cup contenders list and why. 

16:59: How does a team balance resting players and making sure they are ready to go for Game 1 of the playoffs? 

19:26: What should we know about Ivan Demidov and his game as he joins the Montreal Canadiens? What kind of boost could this give Montreal? 

23:34: Brock Boeser said it’s unlikely he’ll re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks. Where could he end up?

26:20: Should Boeser be worried about looking for a higher salary or getting more trem?  

28:10: Which team likely to miss the playoffs this year will take an even bigger step backward next season?

31:00: In their rookie seasons, Connor Bedard had 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games, while Macklin Celebrini has 24 goals and 62 points in 66 games and counting. Who would you take?

33:46: The Philadelphia Flyers have won four of five games since firing John Tortorella. Michkov has eight points in five games, and Foerster has seven points, with both getting more ice time. In hindsight, did the Flyers make the right decision to fire their coach with less than a month left?

36:49: Patrick Roy put in 21-year-old AHL goalie Tristan Lennox with the team down 6-1, then pulled him after allowing a goal on two shots in the 9-2 loss. Did this bother you? Is Roy on thin ice after this move?

40:25: The NCAA national championship game is Saturday. Who is your pick to win between Western Michigan and Boston University?

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