2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Panthers Go Back-to-Back, +750 to Three-peat

History has a funny way of repeating itself.

The Florida Panthers conquered the Edmonton Oilers for the second year in a row, and opened at +750 to pull off the three-peat according to the 2026 Stanley Cup odds. Only the Carolina Hurricanes (+700) have shorter opening odds.

Here's an early look at the NHL odds to hoist Lord Stanley's hardware next season.

🏆Stanley Cup Final 2025-26 odds

Team	Odds
Carolina Hurricanes	+700
Florida Panthers	+750
Edmonton Oilers	+750
Colorado Avalanche	+850
Dallas Stars	+850
Vegas Golden Knights	+1200
Tampa Bay Lightning	+1600
New Jersey Devils	+1800
Los Angeles Kings	+1900
Winnipeg Jets	+2100
Toronto Maple Leafs	+2400
Washington Capitals	+2800
Ottawa Senators	+3100
New York Rangers	+3400
Minnesota Wild	+3400
Utah Mammoth	+3500
St. Louis Blues	+4000
Vancouver Canucks	+5000
New York Islanders	+6500
Philadelphia Flyers	+8000
Calgary Flames	+8500
Columbus Blue Jackets	+8500
Nashville Predators	+8500
Montreal Canadiens	+10000
Detroit Red Wings	+10000
Boston Bruins	+11000
Buffalo Sabres	+14000
Pittsburgh Penguins	+28000
Seattle Kraken	+31000
Anaheim Ducks	+50000
Chicago Blackhawks	+50000
San Jose Sharks	+50000

Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 6-18.

You may be asking yourself why the Carolina Hurricanes are favored to win the Stanley Cup in 2026 after throwing up all over themselves again, but there is some sense to it.

Human beings play in the NHL — not robots — and three straight runs at the Cup won't do Florida any favors next year. Pair wear-and-tear with the very real possibility the Panthers lose Sam Bennett, Aleksander Barkov, and Brad Marchand, and the road to the Stanley Cup Final becomes much brighter for the Canes.

As for who they'll face, Edmonton has the best odds to make it out of the Western Conference... but the same wear-and-tear concerns apply to the Oilers. Also, let's not kid ourselves... Edmonton isn't winning a title with Stuart Skinner between the pipes.

2026 Stanley Cup prediction

Now that I've told you why the Hurricanes are favored, let me tell you why they aren't winning. Because only one team can win the Cup, and the team to do that in 2026... will be the Toronto Maple Leafs.

WHOA WHOA WHOA WAIT A MINUTE! At least let me explain.

Toronto may be losing Mitch Marner, but the Leafs have $25 million in cap space to fill out the rest of their roster nicely, and an un-concussed Anthony Stolarz in net that was looking like a bona fide No. 1. 

Don't pretend like the Maple Leafs weren't the only team to take Florida to seven. Don't pretend like the Maple Leafs weren't a Brad Marchand overtime goal away from a 3-0 lead. 

Toronto will return with a deeper roster, and this time, the Cats won't be clawing back. With a price tag of +2400, there's simply too much value for me to pass up.

Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (+2400)

⏱️ Stanley Cup odds over time

Here is a look at how the 2024-25 Cup odds played out!

Stanley Cup betting splits 

Highest ticket percentage:
•    Maple Leafs: 11.0%
•    Avalanche: 10.0%
•    Oilers: 9.3%

Highest handle percentage:
•    Maple Leafs: 12.1%
•    Oilers: 11.4%
•    Avalanche: 10.4%

Books breathed a sigh of relief when Florida won, as the Cats didn't crack the Top 3 in either ticket handle or percentage.

⚙️ Covers NHL betting tools

• NHL odds
• NHL free picks
• NHL player props
• Best NHL betting sites

Opening Stanley Cup odds

• Florida Panthers: +1000
• Dallas Stars: +1100
• Toronto Maple Leafs: +1300
• New Jersey Devils: +1300
• Colorado Avalanche: +1300
• Carolina Hurricanes: +1300
• New York Rangers: +1300
• Edmonton Oilers: +1400
• Vegas Golden Knights: +1800
• Vancouver Canucks: +1800
• Boston Bruins: +2000
• Los Angeles Kings: +2200
• Tampa Bay Lightning: +2500
• Minnesota Wild: +3200
• Calgary Flames: +3200
• Pittsburgh Penguins: +3500
• Ottawa Senators: +3800
• Buffalo Sabres: +4000
• Winnipeg Jets: +4000
• Detroit Red Wings: +4000
• New York Islanders: +4500
• Nashville Predators: +5000
• Seattle Kraken: +5000
• St. Louis Blues: +5500
• Washington Capitals: +5500
• Chicago Blackhawks: +9000
• Philadelphia Flyers: +9000
• Montreal Canadiens: +12000
• Columbus Blue Jackets: +13000
• Arizona Coyotes: +13000
• San Jose Sharks: +14000
• Anaheim Ducks: +15000

📈 Stanley Cup betting trends

Here are some trends you may want to consider before placing a bet on the Stanley Cup.

• Repeat winners are more common than you think. Since 2010, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning have successfully defended their Cup once. Florida now enters that elite group.
• Top teams from the beginning of the year typically go on to win the Cup. Since 2010, just five teams with odds above +1,000 have gone on to hoist Lord Stanley.
• In the last 10 seasons, the Eastern Conference has won seven Cups.
• The President’s Trophy winner has gone on to win the Stanley Cup just eight times in the 35 years that both trophies have been awarded.
• A team has won 2+ consecutive Stanley Cups 16 times, with the Panthers just completing the task.
• The runners-up have gone on to win the Stanley Cup in the following season only once since 1990 (Pittsburgh Penguins 2009).

Despite losing in the Eastern Conference Finals again, books think next year may be the year for the Carolina Hurricanes. Following suit are familiar faces in Florida and Edmonton.

👑 Past Stanley Cup winners

Here are the last 15 winners of the Stanley Cup, their odds of winning just before the playoffs began (courtesy of Sports Odds History), and the team that lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Season	Stanley Cup Winners	Odds before playoffs	Runner Up
2024-25	Florida Panthers	+1000	Edmonton Oilers
2023-24	Florida Panthers	+800	Edmonton Oilers
2022-23	Vegas Golden Knights	+1,200	Florida Panthers
2021-22	Colorado Avalanche	+325	Tampa Bay Lightning
2020-21	Tampa Bay Lightning	+800	Montreal Canadiens
2019-20	Tampa Bay Lightning	+650	Dallas Stars
2018-19	St. Louis Blues	+1,250	Boston Bruins
2017-18	Washington Capitals	+1,225	Vegas Golden Knights
2016-17	Pittsburgh Penguins	+770	Nashville Predators
2015-16	Pittsburgh Penguins	+650	San Jose Sharks
2014-15	Chicago Blackhawks	+800	Tampa Bay Lightning
2013-14	Los Angeles Kings	+1,400	New York Rangers
2012-13	Chicago Blackhawks	+400	Boston Bruins
2011-12	Los Angeles Kings	+2,200	New Jersey Devils
2010-11	Boston Bruins	+800	Vancouver Canucks
2009-10	Chicago Blackhawks	+450	Philadelphia Flyers

As the Lightning appear set to fade a bit, the Panthers have reached consecutive Cup Finals and are favored to do it again next year.

🥅 NHL teams with the most Stanley Cups

Team	Stanley Cup wins	Stanley Cup appearances
Montreal Canadiens	24	35
Toronto Maple Leafs	13	21
Detroit Red Wings	11	24
Boston Bruins	6	20
Chicago Blackhawks	6	13
Edmonton Oilers	5	8
Pittsburgh Penguins	5	6
New York Islanders	4	5
New York Rangers	4	11
Colorado Avalanche	3	3
New Jersey Devils	3	5
Tampa Bay Lightning	3	5

The Habs have a comfortable lead in the clubhouse but haven't hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup since 1993 — the last Canadian-based team to do so.

Stanley Cup Odds FAQs

Pages related to this topic