The Canucks announced on Friday that they have let go of GM Patrik Allvin. After finishing with the league's worst record and 14 points below the league's second-worst team after starting the season with playoff hopes, the Canucks simply cannot run it back with the same crew next season. I would think that a new GM would have to be in place in time for the draft, where the Canucks have a top-3 pick. But if not, president Jim Rutherford is already very hands-on with this team. Wait, does that mean Rutherford should have been the one fired instead? I can't disagree that he should take a ton of the blame here.

Also, I'd be surprised if Adam Foote remains as head coach, particularly with a new GM entering the fold. Foote's team looked unstructured for much of the season, and he doesn't exactly have a strong and lengthy track record as a head coach anywhere. I think he was picked because he worked well with Quinn Hughes and the Canucks were still clinging to hope that they could re-sign Hughes at the time.

That all said, a new coach and GM won't matter unless the philosophy of this organization changes. That starts at the top… the very top, with the owner. After a decade of retools and failed win-now signings and trades, the mindset has to shift toward building sustainable long-term organizational depth – a project that will take longer than 2-3 years. For that to work, the owner needs to get out of the way and let the people he hired do that work.

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Is the first round the best round of the playoffs? I think so. Teams seem to be the most hopped up on adrenaline, and these series produce great hockey before teams get banged up and have to skate on fumes later in the playoffs. A tight first-round series can also be a great mental test for the team that eventually claims Lord Stanley's mug.

Look for our writer's playoff picks to appear later today, not long before the 3 pm ET puck drop of the first series between Ottawa and Carolina. We needed some time to round up all of our experts and let them think carefully about their picks! In the meantime, I'll take this opportunity to explain my own predictions for each series in one paragraph.

Montreal vs. Tampa Bay

This is a classic matchup of a team rising out of a rebuild against a team trying to extend its window. It's possible that Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki haven't completely reached their upsides, but Nikita Kucherov still stands above both of those players. Jakub Dobes is an unknown in net as far as big-game experience, while Andrei Vasilevskiy already has that in spades. Montreal's transition game with the likes of Lane Hutson could create issues for Tampa. However, the Lightning seem like the safer pick that knows how to navigate through the physical and mental grind of playoff hockey.

Pick: Tampa Bay in 6

For a much more detailed preview of this series, check out Analytics Advantage: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay Playoff Preview.

Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh

The Battle of Pennsylvania features two teams that haven't been in the playoffs for a few seasons, yet are in different places in a team life cycle. The Flyers are beginning a potential run with a young core, while the Penguins are receiving at least one unexpected last hurrah with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Both the Penguins' old guard and newer faces were scoring a ton down the stretch, while the Flyers have a young, high-energy core that overtook several other teams with strong playoff aspirations. The Flyers could have the advantage in net with Dan Vladar over what could be the hotter of Stuart Skinner or Arturs Silovs. If the Penguins don't suffer multiple key injuries, they have enough talent to overtake their in-state rivals.

Pick: Pittsburgh in 6

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For a much more detailed preview of this series, check out Analytics Advantage: Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh Playoff Preview.

Boston vs. Buffalo

After a long wait, the Sabres are back in the playoffs! After another middling start, the Sabres posted a league-best 36-9-4 run that started in December – the best 40-game stretch by any team since the 1996 Red Wings. Boston won't be facing the same old sad sack Sabres from years past, but Buffalo will still have to find a way to contain David Pastrnak. The series could come down to the goalies, where the now-hot Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will face the more battle-tested Jeremy Swayman. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin will also be important pieces in their first-ever playoff series. I'll bet on the Sabres keeping up the momentum, at least for this series.

Pick: Buffalo in 7

Carolina vs. Ottawa

These two teams are facing each other for the first time in a playoff series. Carolina has been a solid regular-season team for years, but do they really have what it takes to get over the hump? Brandon Bussi started his Hurricanes tenure with a bang, but since then his numbers have become rather ordinary. That means Frederik Andersen could be the Game 1 starter. Meanwhile, Linus Ullmark has been on a roll with improved numbers after his leave of absence. Carolina plays a dominant puck-possession game, but that advantage is lessened in a shorter playoff series. The x-factor here is Brady Tkachuk, who has gotten a taste of playing in big games internationally. I have to pick at least one upset. Why not make it this one?

Pick: Ottawa in 7

Dallas vs. Minnesota

As expected, and predicted for a while, this will be a tightly contested series. The Wild are a more formidable opponent than previous years with elite blueliner Quinn Hughes now in the fold. Meanwhile, the Stars are battling injuries to key players Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen. Hintz is expected to miss Games 1 and 2, while Heiskanen is questionable for Game 1. The Stars may have the edge in goal with Jake Oettinger over the Wild tandem, and they may arguably have a better power play even with Hughes on the Wild side. This series will be a physical grind-it-out battle, which might put the Wild in a better spot because of fewer key injuries. The playoffs are too short for a goalie to be given time to figure things out.

Pick: Minnesota in 7

For a much more detailed preview of this series, check out Analytics Advantage: Minnesota vs. Dallas Playoff Preview.

Also, some news on this series: Jesper Wallstedt will start in net for Game 1 today. If the decision sounds odd, Filip Gustavsson allowed at least four goals in five of his last six games. All five of those games counted as Really Bad Starts. Gustavsson posted a 4.25 GAA and .831 SV% over that span. Meanwhile, Wallstedt has a 1.98 GAA and .929 SV% over his last 10 games. The teams with the 1A/1B goalies may simply ride the hot hand, and some clear-cut #1s could even be on a short leash.

Vegas vs. Utah

The Tortorella effect is real, as the Golden Knights will head into the playoffs on a 7-0-1 run after dropping six of their previous seven games under Bruce Cassidy. The new coach bump doesn't last forever – just ask Rick Bowness and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Utah might have more stable goaltending with Karel Vejmelka, but the Golden Knights have the star power up front with Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone. I'll assume the Vegas momentum will last long enough to take down the Mammoth in this series.

Pick: Vegas in 6

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Colorado vs. Los Angeles

Here you have the Presidents' Trophy winners against the team that had the 20^th-best point total along with a minus-22 goal differential and just 22 regulation wins. Regarding that last stat, only Vancouver had fewer regulation wins this season. It would be quite the upset if the Kings could pull this off, similar to their Miracle on Manchester in 1982 against the Gretzky-led Oilers. For Los Angeles to win, they have to exploit Colorado's occasional goaltending lapses as well as hope Anton Forsberg or Darcy Kuemper can shut down Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Cale Makar, and the Avalanche over significant stretches. In other words, this might be the shortest series of this round.

Pick: Colorado in 5

Edmonton vs. Anaheim

I'm having a hard time getting a read on which Oilers team will appear during the playoffs. Their ceiling is reaching the Stanley Cup Final and with a bit of luck winning it. Their floor is defensive play that can be erratic enough for them to squander this series. Enter the Ducks, a young run-and-gun team that could turn this series into a track meet of high-scoring games. Edmonton is a hard team to outplay in that kind of series, plus Connor McDavid and company have the playoff experience and the burning desire to at least win this series. By the way, Anaheim finished with 26 regulation wins and a minus-15 goal differential – not much better than Los Angeles.

Pick: Edmonton in 6

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