The season is just about upon us as Tuesday kicks off opening night in the NHL. Everyone has been patiently waiting for another exciting season of hockey to begin after what felt like an eternity that was the offseason.
The odds have come out for the 2025-26 Stanley Cup and the usual suspects clog up the top, including the defending cup champions. If there was any season to place odds and bet on the game, including checking out online casino Canada, then this season would be it. Will there be a three-peat champion, or will a new team rise to the top and take the most historic trophy in sports? Puck drop is just around the corner on the new hockey season.
Florida Panthers (+750)
The Florida Panthers currently have the best odds to win the Stanley Cup, and until proven otherwise, why wouldn’t they be? They’ve won the last two cups and come into the season with a real shot at a three-peat. The Panthers have also gone to three straight finals but fell to Vegas in 2023.
They’ll be without a couple of forwards for an extended period of time, though, as Matthew Thachuck got surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia and will be out for the first three months of the season. Tkachuck will have time to shake the rust off, but the same can’t be said for Aleksandar Barkov. Barkov tore his ACL and MCL and will miss 7-9 months. That knocks him out for the entire regular season and possibly the playoffs. Even if he were to come back for the playoffs, it’s no guarantee he will even be ready to face the grind that is playoff hockey.
That being said, a lot of talent was brought back to the Panthers, and they still have the depth and physicality to match up against anyone in the league. Tkachuk will be back with plenty of time to spare, and who knows, Barry Zito might be able to work his magic on the trade market at some point before the deadline. Even with the injuries sustained, the Panthers are still the team to beat in the NHL.
Dallas Stars (+850)
The good news for the Dallas Stars? They’ve made it to three consecutive Western Conference Finals. The bad news? They’ve lost all three times. The Stars have been Stanley Cup favorites for years now, but can’t seem to get over the hump. Because of that, they fired head coach Pete DeBoer and have since hired a familiar face in Glen Gulutzan, who coached the Stars for two seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Dallas traded for Mikko Rantanen at last season’s deadline, which was thought to be the move that would propel them in the Stableu Cup Finals. While that wasn’t the case last season, the Rantanen and the Stars will now have a full training camp and season to work with, which might make Dallas an even more dangerous team and Rantanen an even more dangerous player. Not to mention he’s surrounded by three 30-goal scorers from last season in Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson, and Wyatt Johnston.
With a new voice behind the bench, that could also motivate the Stars even more than previously. All of those factors are why the Stars are the favorites to represent the West in the Stanley Cup Final, and don’t be surprised if they finally get over the hump.
Edmonton Oilers (+850)
Speaking of trying to get over the hump, the Edmonton Oilers have faced off against the Florida Panthers in the last two Stanley Cup Finals and have fallen short both times. It’s been frustrating for a team that puts the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl out on the ice.
The one thing that has plagued the Oilers for years now is goaltending. While they’ve made it far the past two seasons, none of their goalies have been thought of as the one to win a Stanley Cup. That’s the same thought for Stuart Skinner, who’s been the starting goaltender for the last three seasons now. While he remains between the pipes, the Oilers claimed Connor Ingram off waivers before the start of the season, so it’ll be interesting how that plays out.
But the Oilers might have a bigger problem on their hands, and it involves McDavid. This is the last year on his contract, and there’s been no sign of an extension being close. That doesn’t mean he’s leaving, but if the Oilers don’t figure something out on and off the ice, things could get interesting on that front. With that being said, it’s all about the season ahead for McDavid and as long as Edmonton has him and Draisaitl on the ice, the Oilers are always one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
Carolina Hurricanes (+950)
The theme of this article might be teams getting over the hump because the Carolina Hurricanes are yet another team looking to get over the hump with their playoff woes. The Hurricanes have made the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons. They’ve been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference for much of the span, having three 100-point seasons and two 99-point seasons, including last year. While that’s been the case, they’ve never reached the Stanley Cup Final in any of those seasons. Carolina made it to the conference final three of those times, including two of the last three seasons, but again, has never taken that next step.
The Hurricanes play a great style of hockey and excel with goaltending and defense, but have lacked the offensive capability in the playoffs to be taken seriously. That’s what has always held them back from taking that next step, but it doesn’t stop them from being favorites year in and year out. They’ve tried on several occasions with bringing in goal scorers to help with that problem, but it’s never worked out. This offseason, the Hurricanes will try again as they signed forward Nikolaj Ehlers. If he can stay healthy, it’s a great pickup for Carolina and their hopes to finally get the monkey off of their backs.
Vegas Golden Knights (+950)
If there was a season that the Vegas Golden Knights could get back to the Stanley Cup Final, it’s this one. They acquired yet another star this offseason in hopes for another cup run. That player was forward Mitch Marner, who was acquired via sign-and-trade from Toronto.
He joins a cast of Mark Stone, Thomas Hertl, 35-goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev, and 100-point hopeful Jack Eichel. Vegas also added some nice depth this offseason. Even though Marner hasn’t had the best playoff track record with the Maple Leafs, he is still a very talented player joining a team that has found playoff success in the past.
The Golden Knights will be fighting with the Stars and Oilers in the Western Conference, and even though they are behind those teams when it comes to Stanley Cup odds, Vegas might be the better team coming into the season.
