This week will mark the start of regular season hockey! The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils will be participating in the NHL Global Series in Czechia this Friday and Saturday, which will count towards the regular season. The puck doesn’t drop in North America until next Tuesday when the six-game opening night slate commences.
Before every season begins, predicting who will hoist the Stanley Cup is always the topic of discussion. Based on the odds that have come out, there is a high possibility that there’ll be a Finals rematch between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers from this past June. There’s no surprise to see teams like the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche right behind them but also alongside Dallas and Colorado are the Devils, who have the same odds going into this season as last season.
As the season gets underway in a few days, let’s take a look at the favorites to take home the Stanley Cup in 2025.
*Odds via FanDuel
Favorites to Win the Stanley Cup in 2024-25
Edmonton Oilers (+850)
As expected, the Oilers are favored to hoist the Stanley Cup this season. They were in a seven-game fight with the Panthers just a few months ago, ultimately falling short of the prize. Coming into 2024-25, optimism couldn’t be higher with this team.
It all starts with Connor McDavid still leading the way as the best player in the world alongside another top player in Leon Draisaitl, who the Oilers locked up to an eight-year, $14M (AAV) deal this offseason. As long as those two are on the ice, the Oilers are going to be contenders. But as great as they are, it’s not just those two carrying the team. They have great complementary pieces like 50-goal scorer Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins up front to go along with Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm on the back end. Edmonton also signed Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner to add to this high-powered offense.
Stuart Skinner returns in net for the Oilers, who posted a 36-16-5 record with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage last season. He had a 2.45 goals-against and a .901 save percentage in the playoffs, exceeding the expectations of many. The Oilers certainly have the pieces in place all around the ice to add a sixth Stanley Cup to their trophy case.
Florida Panthers (+1000)
In 2022-23, the Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. They had more to prove than just getting to the biggest series in hockey. Last season, not only did they appear in their second-consecutive Stanley Cup Final but they beat the Oilers in seven games to capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Heading into 2024-25, they’re the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season.
That’s because the Panthers have most of their core returning, including getting back 57-goal scorer Sam Reinhart on an eight-year, $68M deal the night before free agency began. They also have star Matthew Tkachuk along with 70-80 point players in Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. Florida did lose a couple of defensemen and some depth pieces but with most of their main core still intact, they have the firepower to be back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions.
Dallas Stars (+1100)
Despite making their second straight Western Conference Final appearance, the Stars failed to advance to the Stanley Cup Final yet again. They are set up to make another deep run this season but this time hoping to break through and advance to the biggest stage.
The Stars have one of the best all-around rosters in the league with a great mix of young and veteran talent. Eight players last season tallied 50+ points, led by the core of Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Roope Hintz. Also signing back veteran Matt Duchene was key as he put up 65 points last season. Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley anchor down the defense with All-Star goaltender Jake Oettinger between the pipes, keeping the Stars a dangerous contender to win it all.
Next Best Odds:
New Jersey Devils (+1100)
Colorado Avalanche (+1100)
New York Rangers (+1300)
Vegas Golden Knights (+1400)
Carolina Hurricanes (+1400)
Toronto Maple Leafs (+1500)
Nashville Predators (+1600)
Tampa Bay Lightning (+1700)
Boston Bruins (+1800)
Los Angeles Kings (+2300)
Vancouver Canucks (+2300)
Minnesota Wild (+2500)
Main Image: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
