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 wherein the Panthers had been capable of come out on prime in opposition to the Oilers.
Shortly after the Panthers gained 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 implies 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 constructing a run on the 2026 Stanley Cup from a betting perspective.
Odds through FanDuel
Florida Panthers (+700)
It is not a shock that the Panthers are projected because the odds-on favourite to win the Stanley Cup subsequent season. In spite of everything, common 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 season. It is nearly about the identical group except for 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 form of main harm, it is arduous to think about a world wherein the Panthers do not make one other deep run on the Stanley Cup in 2025-26.
Hear, I do know what you are considering. We have heard this tune 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 Closing. 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 pace to Carolina’s lineup, whereas additionally including a ton of goal-scoring prowess to the group’s prime six. That pace might loom giant when the Hurricanes inevitably should take down the Panthers in the event that they wish 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It is a story as outdated as time: the Golden Knights have acquired an elite participant as they pursue one other Stanley Cup.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 up to now 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 accumulate 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 group 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 the moment constructed, the Golden Knights supply 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 group 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 Closing. At this level, the Oilers need to be questioning what they need to do so as to take down the Panthers. That is going to be fairly a special group than the one Edmonton has trotted out up to now 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 supply some depth scoring on the second line. The largest difficulty for the Oilers stays their goaltending, and it seems that they may very well 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 may very well be Connor McDavid’s last 12 months with the franchise since he is set to be a free agent subsequent summer season.
When the Stars landed Mikko Rantanen on the commerce deadline, it was anticipated that the Stars might contend for a Stanley Cup this previous season. Nevertheless, the Stars fell quick, ousted within the Western Convention Closing for the third straight season. It is the identical solid coming again to Dallas except for deadline acquisition Mikael Granlund, who may very well be a fairly-sized loss. Nonetheless, this can be a group that has a ton of scoring depth inside its prime three traces. A full season of Rantanen along with his new teammates might do wonders, whereas new management additionally may very well be a blessing in disguise with coach Gulutzan behind the bench. The West may very well be a four-team race between the Golden Knights, Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and Stars subsequent season. Nonetheless, the Stars might must make some tweaks later within the marketing campaign so as 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 season, but it surely’s largely the identical group coming again. It is value noting that captain Gabriel Landeskog will not be fairly as rusty subsequent season and could have a full offseason below 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 arduous 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 the moment constructed.
The Lightning had been a group that many (together with myself) believed had an opportunity to make one other Stanley Cup run on account of the Panthers doubtlessly 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 chucking up the sponge on the subject of this veteran group. The same old suspects stay, and it is arduous to ever depend out a group that has Andrei Vasilevskiy in internet. Whereas they don’t seem to be a group that is value categorizing as a possible Stanley Cup winner, a daring commerce deadline transfer might put them excessive for a possible Stanley Cup run.
Toronto Maple Leafs (+2000)
I am definitely not saying that the Maple Leafs are a group to which bettors ought to hitch their wagons, however they’re an intriguing group regardless of dropping Mitch Marner this summer season. Whereas Marner is unquestionably a giant deal, it is a scenario the place each 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 predicted 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 spite of everything, Maccelli had a 57-point marketing campaign simply two seasons in the past, so he may very well 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 group that might contend for the Atlantic Division title as soon as once more subsequent season.
