The 2019-20 NHL season begins Oct. 2. But let's be realistic, all anyone wants to know is who will hoist the StanleyCup in eight months time.

It's a tough 82-game stretch on just advancing to the postseason and then a grueling, heavy campaign to reach the pinnacle. Who will advance is anyone's gue s hello, St. Blues.

NHL 2019-20 PREDICTIONS:

Stanley Cup predictions for 2019-20

Despite the pitfalls and hurdles, Sporting News' hockey experts decided to take a leap andgive you their picks for who will take home hockey's most coveted prize.

Jackie SpiegelSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champToronto Josh Phegley Jersey Maple LeafsWestern Conference champDallas StarsStanley Cup champToronto Maple LeafsConn Smythe winnerJohn Tavares

Why Toronto will win:In last season's predictions, and I am not making any changes. This team is stacked with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen up front, po sibly the strongest defensive core in years led by Morgan Rielly and Tyson Barrie and Frederik Andersen in net. As long as they don't face the Bruins in the first round . . . Toronto should make a run all the way to the franchise's first Cup in53 years.

Brandon SchlagerSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champSan Jose SharksStanley Cup champTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe winnerSteven Stamkos

Why Tampa will win: Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Co. will facean intense amount of scrutiny all season after afirst-round dud against the Blue Jackets ended their historic 2018-19 season. This Chad Pinder Jersey team could go 82-0-0 and it wouldn't matter if not accompanied by a deep playoff run and that elusive Stanley Cup. Following an offseason of tweaks, we don't need to rehash why the Lightning arestill the most potent andwell-rounded roster in the NHL but that won't last much longer. It's high time Tampa gets over the hump.

Sammi SilberSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champWashington CapitalsWestern Conference champSan Jose SharksStanley Cup champWashington CapitalsConn Smythe winnerBraden Holtby

Why Washington will win: I promise D.C. bias hasnothingto do with this pick; the Capitals' lineup is stacked. The top-6 has Alexander Ovechkin still going strong, Evgeny Bruce Maxwell Jersey Kuznetsov ready to bounce back and T.J. Oshie returning from a collarbone injury. On the bottom-6, there's Carl Hagelin, Lars Eller, Richard Panik, Garnet Hathaway and Brendan Leipsic providing reliable secondary scoring. Defenseman Michal Kempny will help bolster the blue line as he makes his return from injury with Jonas Siegenthaler playing excellent hockey and Radko Gudas providing much-needed physicality. And of course, Braden Holtby is Braden Holtby in the playoffs. The series will go to seven games for sure, but San Jose will witne sa Boston Bruins-like ending in June.

Sean FarrellSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champColorado AvalancheStanley Cup champTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe winnerNikita Kucherov

Why Tampa Bay will win:The younger members of the Lightning were schooled about competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs after one of the best regular-season performances in NHL history. Le son learned; there are enough key elements remaining from Tampa Bays run to the 2015 Final that this supremely talented team will be ready to answer the bell come April.

Steve KournianosSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champToronto Maple LeafsWestern Conference champWinnipeg JetsStanley Cup champWinnipeg JetsConn Smythe winnerMark Scheifele

Why Winnipeg will win: The Jets will get a bounceback season from Connor Hellebuyck in net,fix whatever minor internal i sues they seem to have and use their heavy game and firepower to overwhelm the field.

Dave McCarthySeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champColorado AvalancheStanley Cup champTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe winnerSteven Stamkos

Why Tampa Bay will win:Theyve learned. Their team is Khris Davis Jersey basically the same. Theyre not going to let what happened in the first round last season happen again.

Mike MurphySeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champDallas StarsStanley Cup champTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe winnerAndrei Vasilevskiy

Why Tampa Bay will win: Despite losing Anton Stralman to the Panthers in free agency, the Bolts' blue line has more depth than it did last year with Kevin Shattenkirk and Luke Schenn now in the fold. Furthermore, Tampa Bay's top-nine forwards are arguably the best group in the NHL. The Lightning have it all: offense, defense, goaltending and an enviable amount of center depth. The Blues may have won the Cup last year, but Tampa will be the team that all other teams are measured against.

Murray PamSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champVegas Golden KnightsStanley Cup champTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe winnerBrayden Point

Why Tampa Bay will win:Lightning players will take nothing for granted after being humbly swept in the first round of last seasons playoffs. The 2019 Presidents Trophy winner, by a long shot, returns with a roster largely intact. Late off-season free-agent signings of 2019 Stanley Cup champ Patrick Maroon and d-man Kevin Shattenkirk only add to Tampa's deep core from top to bottom.

Ryan PikeSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champColorado AvalancheStanley Cup champColorado AvalancheConn Smythe winnerNathan Dennis Eckersley Jersey MacKinnon

Why Colorado will win:After a rough start to the 2018-19 season, the Avalanche turned a corner midway through the calendar year and found another level to their game. They wildly outplayed a strong Calgary Flames club in the first round of the playoffs, then spent theoff-season improving their team. What was already a talented, deep team added Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. As long as Philipp Grubauer doesn't take a step backward, the Avalanche are going to be a tough out for the other 30 NHL clubs.

Lyle RichardsonSeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champNashville PredatorsStanley Cup champTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe winnerVictor Hedman

Why Tampa Bay will win: After dominating last season, the Lightning will be keen to atone for getting swept out of the opening round of the 2019 playoffs. Few teams Matt Olson Jersey can match their depth. They won't be caught flat-footed again.

Jace MallorySeriesWinnerEastern Conference champTampa Bay LightningWestern Conference champDallas StarsStanley Cup champTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe winnerNikita Kucherov

Why Tampa Bay will win: The Lightning learned a tough le son last year