Final month, the Florida Panthers hoisted the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in six video games. It marked the second straight marketing campaign during which the Panthers had been capable of come out on high in opposition to the Oilers.
Shortly after the Panthers received all of it, the NHL offseason was in full swing with the 2025 draft and free company happening. Nearly all of the league’s unrestricted free brokers have already signed with new groups, which signifies that the 2025-26 season is coming right into a clearer view.
With a big chunk of free company wrapped up, let’s dive into which groups stand a superb likelihood of creating a run on the 2026 Stanley Cup from a betting perspective.
Odds by way of FanDuel
Florida Panthers (+700)
It isn’t a shock that the Panthers are projected because the odds-on favourite to win the Stanley Cup subsequent season. In any case, normal supervisor Invoice Zito was capable of re-sign Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad, who had been all slated to be unrestricted free brokers this summer time. It is nearly about the identical group apart from Jeff Petry changing Nate Schmidt on protection after Schmidt signed with the Utah Mammoth in free company. Florida’s model of hockey repeatedly gave groups suits all through the Stanley Cup Playoffs; they merely outworked the vast majority of groups that they confronted. Barring any kind of main harm, it is laborious to think about a world during which the Panthers do not make one other deep run on the Stanley Cup in 2025-26.
Hear, I do know what you are pondering. We have heard this track and dance on the subject of the Hurricanes in earlier years. It is a group that has been considered as a Stanley Cup favourite on a number of events, however has by no means been capable of get previous the Japanese Convention Remaining. After the Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen experiments failed, the Hurricanes swung for the fences once more this offseason by signing former Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year contract. Ehlers brings velocity to Carolina’s lineup, whereas additionally including a ton of goal-scoring prowess to the staff’s high six. That velocity may loom giant when the Hurricanes inevitably should take down the Panthers in the event that they need to make a run at Lord Stanley’s Cup.
It is a story as outdated as time: the Golden Knights have acquired an elite participant as they pursue one other Stanley Cup. The Vegas entrance workplace has thrown warning to the wind previously by touchdown gamers like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Noah Hanifin lately. Previous to free company getting underway, the Golden Knights pulled off a sign-and-trade to amass ahead Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs and signed him to a eight-year deal. Marner’s postseason observe file has been known as into query just lately, however he immediately provides the Golden Knights one other 100-point playmaker. Along with Marner, the staff additionally picked up some depth up the center within the type of Colton Sissons and a depth defenseman in Jeremy Lauzon. As groups are at present constructed, the Golden Knights provide a considerable amount of worth as a possible Stanley Cup winner with Marner now within the fold. In reality, they will be the second-best staff behind the Panthers heading into subsequent season.
Edmonton Oilers (+850)
For the second consecutive marketing campaign, the Oilers had been bested by the Panthers within the Stanley Cup Remaining. At this level, the Oilers need to be questioning what they need to do with a view to take down the Panthers. That is going to be fairly a unique group than the one Edmonton has trotted out previously two seasons. Veteran ahead Corey Perry left city to signal with the Los Angeles Kings, whereas Victor Arvidsson was traded to the Boston Bruins. Edmonton did decide up veteran winger Andrew Mangiapane in free company, who ought to provide some depth scoring on the second line. The largest subject for the Oilers stays their goaltending, and it seems that they could possibly be operating it again with the tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. If the Oilers do not make any headway this coming season, it could possibly be Connor McDavid’s ultimate yr with the franchise since he is set to be a free agent subsequent summer time.
When the Stars landed Mikko Rantanen on the commerce deadline, it was anticipated that the Stars may contend for a Stanley Cup this previous season. Nevertheless, the Stars fell quick, ousted within the Western Convention Remaining for the third straight season. It is the identical solid coming again to Dallas apart from deadline acquisition Mikael Granlund, who could possibly be a fairly-sized loss. Nonetheless, it is a staff that has a ton of scoring depth inside its high three traces. A full season of Rantanen along with his new teammates may do wonders, whereas new management additionally could possibly be a blessing in disguise with coach Gulutzan behind the bench. The West could possibly be a four-team race between the Golden Knights, Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and Stars subsequent season. Nonetheless, the Stars could must make some tweaks later within the marketing campaign with a view to be considered as a favourite within the West.
Colorado Avalanche (+900)
The Avalanche definitely cannot ever be counted out on the subject of making a Stanley Cup run. Colorado added the likes of defenseman Brent Burns and was capable of re-sign ahead Brock Nelson this summer time, however it’s largely the identical group coming again. It is value noting that captain Gabriel Landeskog will not be fairly as rusty subsequent season and may have a full offseason underneath his belt. The identical holds true with Martin Necas, who was acquired from the Hurricanes within the Mikko Rantanen deal final season. Personally, it is laborious to think about the Avalanche leapfrogging the Golden Knights, Oilers, and Stars within the West’s pecking order from a futures perspective as they’re at present constructed.
The Lightning had been a staff that many (together with myself) believed had an opportunity to make one other Stanley Cup run on account of the Panthers probably being with out Matthew Tkachuk within the postseason. Nevertheless, that did not find yourself being the case because the Panthers steamrolled the Lightning in 5 video games within the opening spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Nonetheless, the Lightning do possess an abundance of expertise and clearly aren’t dropping out on the subject of this veteran group. The standard suspects stay, and it is laborious to ever rely out a staff that has Andrei Vasilevskiy in web. Whereas they don’t seem to be a staff that is value categorizing as a possible Stanley Cup winner, a daring commerce deadline transfer may put them excessive for a possible Stanley Cup run.
Toronto Maple Leafs (+2000)
I am definitely not saying that the Maple Leafs are a staff to which bettors ought to hitch their wagons, however they’re an intriguing staff regardless of shedding Mitch Marner this summer time. Whereas Marner is unquestionably an enormous deal, it is a scenario the place either side wanted a divorce. Toronto nonetheless has all of the makings of placing collectively a brand new model of the “Core 4” in Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies. Knies is anticipated to have a big uptick in manufacturing after recording a 29-goal season in 2024-25. Including winger Matias Maccelli in a commerce with the Utah Mammoth was a really underrated pickup. In any case, Maccelli had a 57-point marketing campaign simply two seasons in the past, so he could possibly be a pleasant addition for the Maple Leafs. Nicolas Roy was additionally acquired within the Marner commerce, which supplies Toronto extra depth up the center of the ice. Are the Maple Leafs a viable Stanley Cup contender proper now? Maybe not, however that is going to be a gifted staff that would contend for the Atlantic Division title as soon as once more subsequent season.
