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2026 NHL Stanley Cup Predictions and Futures Odds

by Ryan Cobbett - 6/24/2025

NHL Stanley Cup predictions Frederik Andersen Carolina Hurricanes

The 2024-25 season has concluded in the same way the 2023-24 season did, with the Stanley Cup staying in Florida once again as the Panthers dominated the Edmonton Oilers. Now all eyes are on the upcoming draft and what is sure to be a busy offseason for many teams. While the new campaign is off in the distance, it is never too early to see which teams will be in contention to dethrone the Panthers next season. Time to analyze the five teams with the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup as we head into the offseason and discuss why each team will and won’t win it next season.

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Carolina Hurricanes +700

Why they will: After a botched trade for Mikko Rantanen, the Hurricanes flipped the script by adding future capital and Logan Stankoven when they sent the Finnish star to Dallas. Now they will have a full season with the budding star, and they have about $26 million to work with this offseason with a handful of draft picks to dangle. The team also retains four of their top five scorers and three of their four 20+ goal scorers. The core is in place and acquiring a star is the final piece of the puzzle. Carolina will be in the running for a guy like Mitch Marner, but whatever the name is, Carolina will land that big star and boost this team to a Stanley Cup contender.

What could stop them: Their blueline core is taking a hit as Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov are free agents. The two combined for 57 points in the regular season and were second and third on the team in points for defensemen. They are also losing Jack Roslovic who tallied 22 goals in 81 games last season. Another factor to follow is the aging Frederik Andersen in the crease. He will turn 36 years old in October and while he has been dealing with significant injuries over the last few seasons, he has still been one of the best shut down goalies when he gets on the ice. His assumed successor, Pyotr Kochetkov, was awful in the postseason this year which raises concerns in his ability to takeover and lead Carolina to the Stanley Cup.

Work to do: Carolina has a lot of capital which is a great thing for a team already in a winning window. They will need to avoid another Rantanen like deal and acquire a star who wants to commit to a championship run. Suring up the blueline will also be a necessity for a team with a physical profile. Dante Fabbro, Brian Dumoulin, and Ryan Lindgren are sure to be top targets.

Florida Panthers +750

Why they will: Well, they did it the past two seasons. They know how to win. Though there are some key names set to hit the open market, there are quite a bit of this close-knit team staying together. Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, and Evan Rodrigues are all back while Sergei Bobrovsky is set to continue to defend the crease. This is a top core in the league and even if they don’t bring back some of their impending free agent stars, they will have some money to bring in some other top-level talent. Florida will once again be back in contention for another date with the Stanley Cup.

What could stop them: While the capital will be there to replace them, the Panthers are losing some key players. Brad Marchand quickly went from public enemy number one in Florida to fan favorite after an incredible postseason performance. He will now assess whether a reunion with Boston or Florida is on the table or if he wishes to join another team. Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad will also become free agents this summer. The trio accounted for 22% of Florida’s team points in the postseason. Though the core largely remains intact, the postseason could have looked a lot different for Florida with Marchand and Bennett, not to mention this is an aging roster.

Work to do: Adding another goaltender behind Bobrovsky is an under the radar necessity for Florida. Bobrovsky is entering his age 37 season when puck drops in the fall. Aside from adding a backup netminder, the Panthers will need to address the exiting stars and bring back at least one of Bennett or Marchand.

Edmonton Oilers +750

Why they will: They have the best player in the world playing with the best goal scorer in the world. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have gotten the team there the past two seasons and the duo has shown no signs of slowing down. They have about $12 million in cap space and finding a consistent goalie can elevate this team to where it needs to be to win a cup. Evan Bouchard is almost certainly back despite being an RFA and there is no other significant contributor who is slated to be a free agent.

What could stop them: Failing to address their goalie situation. Stuart Skinner played out of his mind against Dallas in the Western Conference Finals but failed to play on that same level against Florida in the Stanley Cup. He is not the steady presence that the Oilers need him to be. Finding a solid goaltender should be the top priority because running it back with Skinner and Calvin Pickard is not the answer. It is also worth noting the frustration that McDavid has expressed. Does he become so discontent that he requests a trade? Probably not, but a storyline worth following throughout the offseason.

Work to do: Edmonton desperately needs to find an available goalie via trade or free agency to bring some consistency in front of the net. That is the biggest priority as the main supporting cast around McDavid and Draisaitl are back. Once they address the goalie situation, the Oilers need to get to work on adding some depth pieces as they are set to lose Jeff Skinner (29 points), Trent Frederic, John Klingberg, and Corey Perry.

Dallas Stars +850

Why they will: The Dallas Stars will once again enter the season with one of the best teams on paper. Now the question is whether or not they can do anything with the core in place. Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Thomas Harley, and a healthy Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin make for quite a core. Then you consider some of their budding talent like Mavrik Borque, Oskar Black, and Lian Bichel and a guy like Jake Oettinger in the net. They don’t need to do anything to be considered a contender, they just need to find a coach that can get them to the finish line.

What could stop them: The depth may be put into question if the prospects don’t graduate well to regular NHL ice time. The Stars are likely to lose Mikael Granlund, Collin Blackwell, and Evgenii Dadonov after already losing Mason Marchment. The depth will need to be addressed, but the cap space is limited so Jim Nill will have to be creative to address those needs.

Work to do: Jamie Benn is a current free agent, but it is likely that the long-time Star finds his way back onto the roster. However, the Stars need to find some proven postseason skaters and find a way to stay healthy. The obvious need is to address the coaching situation, but they need to plug the holes from last year’s roster.

Colorado Avalanche +850

Why they will: Any team with a dynamic duo like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will surely be in the running for a Stanley Cup. The odds of doing so increase when they have a supporting cast that includes Artturi Lehkonen, Brock Nelson, Valeri Nichushkin, and Martin Necas. Colorado is set to run it back with a solid core in place.

What could stop them: Poor goaltending and the division. The Avalanche have a tough path to the Stanley Cup thanks to the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets. Like Dallas, they would be battled worn by the time they reached the Western Conference Finals. The depth on this team is inconsistent and the goaltending is still a little questionable. Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood came in and provided some solid stability in the crease, but Blackwood played over his head with Colorado this season and it will be a big question on if he can repeat that performance.

Work to do: Colorado needs to find their way back to the Stanley Cup Finals with what they have in place as they have the least amount of cap space to work with this offseason. They need to get creative to polish off the roster with some depth pieces as they are set to lose Ryan Lindgren, Joel Kiviranta, and Jonathan Drouin to free agency.

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