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The first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is complete. Eight of the teams that made the postseason bracket have moved on, and eight others have been eliminated.

Before the second-round series begin, ESPN’s experts have identified their picks for each matchup. Which four teams will move on to the conference finals?

More: Full schedule
Betting intel

Atlantic Division

John Buccigross: Panthers in seven
Ryan Callahan: Panthers in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Panthers in six
Sachin Chandan: Panthers in six
Meghan Chayka: Panthers in six
Ryan S. Clark: Panthers in seven
Linda Cohn: Panthers in six
Rachel Doerrie: Panthers in six
Ray Ferraro: Panthers in six
Emily Kaplan: Panthers in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Maple Leafs in six
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Panthers in six
Steve Levy: Panthers in six
Vince Masi: Panthers in six
Victoria Matiash: Panthers in six
Sean McDonough: Panthers in six
Mark Messier: Panthers in six
AJ Mleczko: Panthers in six
Arda Öcal: Maple Leafs in six
Kristen Shilton: Maple Leafs in seven
John Thoering: Panthers in six
Bob Wischusen: Panthers in six
Greg Wyshynski: Panthers in six

Consensus prediction: Panthers (20 of 23 picks)


Metropolitan Division

John Buccigross: Capitals in seven
Ryan Callahan: Capitals in seven
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Capitals in six
Sachin Chandan: Capitals in six
Meghan Chayka: Hurricanes in six
Ryan S. Clark: Capitals in seven
Linda Cohn: Capitals in six
Rachel Doerrie: Capitals in six
Ray Ferraro: Capitals in seven
Emily Kaplan: Capitals in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Capitals in six
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes in seven
Steve Levy: Capitals in five
Vince Masi: Hurricanes in six
Victoria Matiash: Hurricanes in six
Sean McDonough: Capitals in seven
Mark Messier: Hurricanes in six
AJ Mleczko: Hurricanes in five
Mike Monaco: Hurricanes in six
Arda Öcal: Capitals in six
Kristen Shilton: Hurricanes in six
John Thoering: Capitals in seven
Bob Wischusen: Capitals in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Capitals in seven

Consensus prediction: Capitals (16 of 24 picks)


Central Division

John Buccigross: Stars in seven
Ryan Callahan: Stars in five
Sachin Chandan: Stars in six
Meghan Chayka: Stars in six
Ryan S. Clark: Stars in seven
Linda Cohn: Jets in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Stars in six
Ray Ferraro: Stars in six
Emily Kaplan: Stars in six
Tim Kavanagh: Stars in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Stars in six
Steve Levy: Stars in seven
Vince Masi: Jets in seven
Victoria Matiash: Jets in seven
Sean McDonough: Stars in six
Mark Messier: Stars in six
Mike Monaco: Stars in six
Arda Öcal: Stars in six
Kristen Shilton: Stars in six
John Thoering: Stars in seven
Bob Wischusen: Jets in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Stars in six

Consensus prediction: Stars (17 of 21 picks)


Pacific Division

John Buccigross: Oilers in seven
Ryan Callahan: Golden Knights in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers in seven
Sachin Chandan: Oilers in seven
Meghan Chayka: Golden Knights in seven
Ryan S. Clark: Golden Knights in seven
Linda Cohn: Oilers in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Golden Knights in seven
Ray Ferraro: Golden Knights in seven
Emily Kaplan: Golden Knights in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Golden Knights in six
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden Knights in six
Steve Levy: Golden Knights in seven
Vince Masi: Oilers in six
Victoria Matiash: Golden Knights in six
Sean McDonough: Golden Knights in seven
Mark Messier: Oilers in seven
AJ Mleczko: Golden Knights in six
Mike Monaco: Oilers in six
Arda Öcal: Oilers in six
Kristen Shilton: Oilers in seven
John Thoering: Golden Knights in seven
Bob Wischusen: Golden Knights in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Oilers in seven

Consensus prediction: Golden Knights (14 of 24 picks)

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FCS headed for 12-game regular seasons in ’26

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FCS headed for 12-game regular seasons in '26

INDIANAPOLIS — FCS teams would be allowed to play 12 regular-season games every year under a Division I Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committee recommendation.

The NCAA announced Tuesday the one-game extension would go into effect in 2026 if the Division I Council gives its approval during its June 24-25 meeting.

Current legislation permits 12 regular-season games in years when there are 14 Saturdays from the first permissible playing date through the last playing date in November. In all other years, only 11 regular-season contests are permitted.

The recommendation also would standardize the start date of the FCS season as the Thursday 13 weeks before the FCS championship bracket is released, which is the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Football Bowl Subdivision teams have had 12-game regular seasons since 2006.

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Ex-Utah QB Rising medically retires due to injury

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Ex-Utah QB Rising medically retires due to injury

Former Utah quarterback Cameron Rising announced Wednesday that he’s retiring from football.

Rising, 25, started three games last season before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing hand. He posted Wednesday on social media that two orthopedic physicians had advised him to give up football because of the hand.

Rising wrote he will undergo surgery and focus on rehab.

Sources told ESPN’s Eli Lederman that Rising has accepted an offensive coordinator role at Newbury Park (California) High School, where he was a three-year starter from 2015-17 and left as a four-star recruit in the 2018 class. He’ll coach four-star Michigan QB pledge Brady Smigiel, ranked No. 45 in the 2026 ESPN 300, next fall.

Rising played in 30 games for the Utes, making 28 starts. He led Utah to Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022 and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2021.

He played in only three games after 2022, however, missing the entire 2023 season with a knee injury. He was removed from the Utes roster after last season.

Rising, who began his college career in 2018 at Texas, still had a year of eligibility remaining because of redshirt seasons, the COVID-19 waiver in 2020 and the injuries.

Utah already had added transfer quarterback Devon Dampier, who started during the 2024 season at New Mexico.

Rising’s 53 career passing touchdowns ranked fourth all time at Utah.

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Florida CB Johnson faces 4 charges after arrest

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Florida CB Johnson faces 4 charges after arrest

TAMPA, Fla. — Police have charged Florida cornerback Dijon Johnson with two felonies, including possession of a firearm, and two misdemeanors after his arrest over the weekend while driving a car in Tampa.

Police said they pulled over the car Friday for surpassing a stop signal. Officers detected a “strong odor of burned marijuana” and said Johnson was argumentative during the traffic stop, refusing to exit the gray Dodge Challenger, according to the criminal report filed in Hillsborough County.

Johnson was removed from the car and placed into custody. Police searched the vehicle and found marijuana and 8 grams of synthetic marijuana inside a backpack. A black Glock 19 loaded with 17 rounds in a magazine also was found in the car, according to the report.

The gun charge is a second-degree felony. Possession of the synthetic marijuana is a third-degree felony, and the marijuana possession and resisting arrest without violence charges are misdemeanors.

“We are in dialogue with the State Attorney’s Office regarding Dijon’s traffic stop last week,” Tampa-based attorney Tim Taylor said in a statement released Wednesday. “At this time, no formal charges have been filed. Any potential charging decision will, of course, need to be consistent with Florida law. We are eager for all the pertinent facts to come to light.”

Johnson entered written pleas of not guilty to all charges, according to court documents.

Coach Billy Napier said in a statement that the program is “aware of the situation.”

“We will continue to gather facts, cooperate with and monitor the legal and administrative processes,” Napier said.

Johnson, 21, was booked early Saturday and released the following night after posting an $8,500 surety bond, according to jail records.

A 6-foot-1, 196-pound junior from Tampa, Johnson recorded 27 tackles and two pass breakups last season.

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