• NHL

2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup Odds & Predictions

The weather is cooling down, the leaves are about to change colors, and the puck is set to drop on the 2025-26 NHL season.

The Florida Panthers come into the season as back-to-back champions, but some massive injuries and big signings around the league have threatened their position as the betting favorite.

I’ll break down the 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup odds, including both favorites and longshot picks, as we gear up for puck drop.

2025 Stanley Cup Favorites

Team	Stanley Cup Odds	Team	Stanley Cup Odds
Carolina Hurricanes	+750	Tampa Bay Lightning	+800
Edmonton Oilers	+850	Vegas Golden Knights	+900
Colorado Avalanche	+900	Dallas Stars	+1000
Florida Panthers	+1100	New Jersey Devils	+1300
Toronto Maple Leafs	+2000	Los Angeles Kings	+2200
Winnipeg Jets	+2500	Ottawa Senators	+3000
New York Rangers	+3000	Washington Capitals	+3000
Minnesota Wild	+4000	Utah Mammoth	+4500
St. Louis Blues	+5000	Montreal Canadiens	+5000
Vancouver Canucks	+7000	Nashville Predators	+7000
Detroit Red Wings	+9000	Columbus Blue Jackets	+9000
Calgary Flames	+10000	Buffalo Sabres	+10000
Anaheim Ducks	+10000	Philadelphia Flyers	+15000
New York Islanders	+15000	Boston Bruins	+15000
Seattle Kraken	+20000	Pittsburgh Penguins	+20000
San Jose Sharks	+50000	Chicago Blackhawks	+50000

The Panthers hoisted their second straight Stanley Cup in June but the team will look a lot different due to some key injuries heading into the 2025-26 NHL season. Captain Aleksander Barkov is expected to miss 7-9 months with a knee injury, while Matthew Tkachuk will be out until at least December.

That’s opened the door for some other teams to take over as the betting favorites in our early 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup odds, starting with the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers, who share the betting lead at +750.

The Hurricanes have been a consistent contender for several seasons now and added a couple of impact players this offseason in Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller. Could this be the year they finally break through?

Top online sportsbooks are also giving a ton of love to the Oilers, who are coming off their second straight Stanley Cup Final appearance (and loss) to the Panthers. Will Connor McDavid finally get his Stanley Cup?

Eastern Conference Favorites

The Hurricanes enter the 2025-26 season as the Stanley Cup favorite in the Eastern Conference, with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Panthers trailing close behind.

Carolina has not reached a Stanley Cup Final since the franchise won its only championship in 2006, but a relatively soft Metropolitan Division could help the Hurricanes finally break through.

Carolina Hurricanes (+750)

The Hurricanes have been one of the NHL’s most consistent Stanley Cup contenders since the 2018-19 season – the club has made the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons, with three Conference Finals appearances over that span.

Carolina was ousted by the eventual champion Panthers in last year’s Eastern Conference Final, but the bookies think it may finally be the Hurricanes’ year.

Carolina lacks high-end superstar talent as Sebastian Aho led the club with just 74 points last season, but their depth and ability to play a suffocating system are what make them so good. The Hurricanes led the league in shots against per game last season (24.9) and also owned the highest percentage of shot attempts at 5-on-5 (58.4%) – both signs of their ability to control the puck.

The Hurricanes are one of the NHL’s most solid teams from top to bottom, as they don’t have any significant weaknesses. Winning the soft Metropolitan Division for the third time in five years could help them finally return to the Stanley Cup Final.

Tampa Bay Lightning (+800)

The Lightning are already four seasons removed from their last Stanley Cup Final appearance and five years removed from their back-to-back championships – time really flies!

But still, the club remains one of the Stanley Cup betting favorites thanks to their star power as well as some questions surrounding their Atlantic Division rivals.

Nikita Kucherov led the NHL with 121 points last season en route to his second straight Art Ross Trophy (and third overall). Backed up by a trio of 80-plus point scorers in Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, and Jake Guentzel, Kucherov also helped the Lightning lead the league in goals per game (3.56).

Andrei Vasilevskiy also had a huge bounce-back season in 2024-25 with a .921 save percentage and stingy 2.18 goals against average. The Lightning allowed just 2.63 goals against per game last year, the fourth-best mark in the NHL.

With the Panthers battling injuries and the Toronto Maple Leafs also looking to reimagine themselves, this could be the Lightning’s chance to capture another Cup.

Florida Panthers (+950)

The Panthers won their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2023-24 and arguably got even better in 2024-25 en route to their second straight championship. They’ll look to become the first team to three-peat since New York Islanders won four straight Cups from 1979-80 to 1982-83.

Florida faces an uphill battle this time around as it’ll likely be without captain Aleksander Barkov for the entire regular season, while Matthew Tkachuk will remain sidelined until at least December.

While those absences will definitely take a toll on the team, the Panthers should still easily make the playoffs with players like Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand more than capable of stepping up.

Sergei Bobrovsky may be a question mark for the club, though. He just turned 37 in September and is coming off an unremarkable season where he posted a .906 save percentage. We all know how important goaltending is, especially in the playoffs, and Bobrovsky will likely need to be even better this season to make up for what projects to be a lower-scoring year for the Panthers.

Western Conference Favorites

Just like the Eastern Conference, three teams in the West stand above the rest when it comes to the early 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup odds.

The Oilers lead the way at +750 following back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, while the Golden Knights and Avalanche are also considered strong contenders.

Edmonton Oilers (+750)

There’s plenty of controversy surrounding the Oilers heading into the 2025-26 campaign, as Connor McDavid has just one year remaining on his contract and has shown no signs of getting a deal done any time soon.

The three-time Hart Trophy winner could be destined for a new team next summer, but for now, he’ll look to bring the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton for the first time since 1990.

With a dynamic duo of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who totaled over 200 points in just 138 combined games last year, it’s hard to look past Edmonton’s chance to reach a third straight Final.

Like many other teams, the biggest question mark for Edmonton will be between the pipes. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard shared postseason duties last year, and both finished with a sub-.890 save percentage in the playoffs – not good enough for a Cup-winning team.

The Oilers just claimed Connor Ingram off waivers from the Utah Mammoth, but it’s hard to say whether the 28-year-old will be an improvement over their other options.

Vegas Golden Knights (+825)

The Golden Knights made the biggest splash of the offseason when they acquired Mitch Marner from the Maple Leafs. Marner is coming off a career-high 102-point season and will bolster an already elite Vegas offense.

Marner is expected to share a line with center Jack Eichel, who is also fresh off a career year where he posted 94 points. Both players finished in the top eight in scoring last season, making them arguably the most dangerous duo in the league outside of McDavid and Draisaitl.

After finishing with 110 points last season, good for third in the NHL, Vegas fell to Edmonton in just five games in the Second Round. Will Marner be able to get the Golden Knights over that hump?

The former Maple Leafs star never skated in a Conference Final with Toronto, but perhaps a change of scenery could help him unlock another level in the postseason. Marner will also be surrounded by a battle-tested Vegas team that’s just three years removed from a Stanley Cup.

Colorado Avalanche (+900)

The Avalanche are a perennial contender, and that hasn’t changed heading into the 2025-26 NHL season despite a bit of a roster shakeup.

Led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, the Avalanche will look a bit different this year following last season’s departure of Mikko Rantanen. The front office did a good job of trying to fill in the gap, though, as they acquired Martin Necas in that trade and also added Brock Nelson at last year’s deadline.

The Avalanche will also welcome the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog, who will skate in his first regular season since 2021-22 when he helped the club hoist its first Stanley Cup in more than 20 years.

It’s not clear just how effective Landeskog will be over the course of a full season, but you can never count out a team that features MacKinnon and Makar.

2025-26 Stanley Cup Odds & Our Picks

The 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup odds suggest that we’ll see some fresh faces hoist the Cup this season as the Hurricanes and Oilers lead the way. Personally, I’m not sold.

In the East, I think the Cup stays south as it heads back to either Florida or Tampa Bay.

We know the Panthers will be without Barkov and Tkachuk for a while, but both are likely good to go for the playoffs. And once the puck drops on the postseason, we know there’s no team as dominant as Florida.

The Lightning’s Cup window has been open for over a decade now, and I don’t think it’s closed just yet. The franchise has not won a playoff series in three years, but they’ve been ousted by the Maple Leafs or Panthers in each of those seasons. With both Florida and Toronto likely taking a step back in the regular season, I see Tampa Bay winning the Atlantic and having an easier path to the Cup.

In the West, I’m going with the Golden Knights. Vegas is coming off a 110-point campaign and will only be better with the addition of Marner. The Golden Knights have always played a fast, heavy game that’s suited for the postseason, and I think Marner will find another level surrounded by proven playoff performers.

My longshot pick will be the Winnipeg Jets at a whopping +2800. The club is not getting a ton of love in early Stanley Cup odds despite leading the league with 116 points last season.

Winnipeg has only won two playoff series in the past seven seasons, but if back-to-back Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck can ever put it together in the postseason, the Jets will be hard to beat.

Where to Bet on the Stanley Cup

If you’re ready to wager on the 2025–26 Stanley Cup, BetOnline is one of the best options available. The site consistently offers competitive futures odds, quick payouts, and reliable bonuses for both new and returning players.

BetOnline’s sportsbook features lines on every NHL game throughout the season, plus props, live betting markets, and updated Stanley Cup futures as the playoff race develops. New users can also take advantage of generous welcome offers that boost their first deposit, which is perfect for locking in early value on their Cup picks.

If you’re shopping for odds, it’s smart to compare BetOnline’s numbers to other major sportsbooks. But in terms of selection, interface, and long-term reliability, BetOnline remains a top choice for hockey bettors looking to stay ahead of line movement.

Keep an Eye on the Stanley Cup Odds

The 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup odds were just released, and there’s no better time to get solid prices on the Cup favorites.

Stay up to date with all the latest NHL news, odds, and predictions throughout the season at GamblingNerd.com.