5 Teams Who Will Contend for the 2025/26 Stanley Cup

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is now complete, after the Florida Panthers lifted Lord Stanley's silverware for the second-straight season by beating the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

This now puts a wrap on the 2024/25 NHL season, and we have a busy summer ahead of us.

It is now time to look to the next NHL season and see how the odds are shaping up for the 2026 Stanley Cup winner. Here are the top 10 teams in the odds to win the next Stanley Cup, followed by five picks to lay down a major challenge.

2025/26 NHL Stanley Cup odds

CAR Hurricanes	+700
EDM Oilers	+700
FLA Panthers	+750
COL Avalanche	+900
DAL Stars	+900
VGS Golden Knights	+1200
TB Lightning	+1600
NJ Devils	+1800
LA Kings	+2000
TOR Maple Leafs	+2000

The Florida Panthers are the third-favorites with +750 odds to three-peat. The runner-up Edmonton Oilers are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes with the shortest odds at +700.

The next seven teams all made their mark in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and while their odds significantly change as you go down the line, they are all still in good spots to be added to this list.

While any team can claim the ultimate prize, here are five teams we have our eye on that could take home the 2026 Stanley Cup.

Edmonton Oilers (+700)

The Edmonton Oilers have reached the Stanley Cup Finals for each of the past two seasons, but were bested both times against the same Florida Panthers. This group is really pushing for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to earn their first Stanley Cup, and while these are hard lessons to learn, they are only going to help them grow.

Next year could be the year we see this group finally lift the Stanley Cup, but they will need to make some changes. This playoff run has shown major inconsistency in net, but the organization has proven they are willing to go off script when they need to, so we could very well see them bring in a new goaltender.

Their roster has lots of talent, but depth needs to be tinkered with. The Panthers have built this dynasty by killing teams throughout the entire lineup, and relying on the entire team rather than a handful of players. This should be clear now to Edmonton, who could look to make those changes.

With that being said, the majority of this group should stay intact, leaving lots of experience and dissatisfaction within them. To be frank, time is also running out with Connor McDavid, as his contract is expiring after this upcoming season.

They are an extremely talented team, and these factors could, in turn, help them finally reach their goal.

Colorado Avalanche (+900)

Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche are not that far away from their Stanley Cup success in 2022, but since that magical season, they have not been particularly close to returning to the summit. A majority of that successful team is still intact making them a usual powerhouse in the league, but this group knows they need to push harder and make their elite level count.

This season they made massive deals that included shipping off star Mikko Rantanen, changing their entire goaltending tandem, and making numerous trade deadline splashes. They also got back captain Gabriel Landeskog, who had not played since their Stanley Cup victory.

Now that these pieces, along with Landeskog, can get a full season under their belt, they may be far better equipped to go on a long run and win their second Stanley Cup in a five-year span.

This is a dominant team with the likes of MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Landeskog, and Martin Necas, and could make some serious noise next season.

Florida Panthers (+750)

How can you not mention the Florida Panthers on this list? Make no mistake, winning the Stanley Cup three straight times is an extremely difficult feat, but if one team can do it, it is this Florida franchise.

Like all teams, these Panthers are likely to be in for some significant changes to the roster over the offseason. However, with core pieces like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and head coach Paul Maurice among many others to return, how can you not expect them to be a major threat yet again?

Any and all momentum in the NHL is with this organization. If they are to lose players, it is an extremely attractive organization and location that will warrant many talents wanting to come their way. The system and the team on the ice has worked wonders, and it will be a shock if they don't go deep yet again.

New Jersey Devils (+1800)

A dark horse team would be the New Jersey Devils. This is another team that was in last year’s playoffs, but after being eliminated in five games, it was clearly not a memorable run.

However, they are a young and exciting team that is on the rise, and could take an even bigger step next season.

This playoff run was clouded with their best player in Jack Hughes, being injured. With a few other pieces added over the offseason, an expected bounceback from elite goaltender Jacob Markstrom, and hopefully more health, these Devils could really surprise the NHL landscape.

Vegas Golden Knights (+1200)

The Vegas Golden Knights are another team that has won the Stanley Cup in recent memory (2023), and could threaten to do it again. This is one of the strongest teams in the league with a plethora of talent, but they were bested by the red-hot Oilers during the second round.

A majority of this group should be back and ready to avenge their recent playoff exits, and get back to their Stanley Cup contending ways. Since they entered the league in 2017, that has been their only goal. 

Vegas has also shown time and time again they are not afraid to make a big splash in trades and free agency. Who knows what major moves they will make in their efforts to win another Stanley Cup?

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.