Tampa Bay Lightning hold a slim edge in trader consensus at 27.5% implied probability to win the Eastern Conference, buoyed by playoff pedigree—two Stanley Cups in the past decade—and a favorable first-round matchup against the third-seeded Montreal Canadiens, following their late-season surge to secure the A2 position. Carolina Hurricanes trail closely at 25%, leveraging the Metropolitan Division title, league-best regular-season record (53-22-7), and stout defense, though they face gritty wild-card Ottawa Senators in Round 1. The tight race reflects an open bracket with upstart Atlantic champion Buffalo Sabres (11.3%) ending a long playoff drought amid momentum, yet tested by veteran Boston Bruins, while youth across contenders like Ottawa (11.4%) tempers dominance amid healthy rosters and no major injury disruptions post-regular season finale.