The Carolina Hurricanes put forth one of the most dominating seasons in recent memory en route to capturing their 2nd Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Hurricanes led the Eastern Conference with 113 points in the regular season and then made light work of their playoff opponents by going 16-3 in the postseason. The 2025-26 season may have just ended, but it's never too early to look ahead to next season. Stanley Cup odds for next season have already been released by most sports betting platforms out there, and there are many intriguing storylines worth following in the offseason.
Repeat winners have been common in recent years, as the Penguins (2016, 2017), Lightning (2020, 2021), and Panthers (2024, 2025) have all won consecutive Stanley Cups in the last decade. Can the Hurricanes join that club, or will the 2026-27 season bring us a new champion? With that in mind, let’s take a deeper dive into some of the favorites for next season. Furthermore, be sure to keep tabs on all of our NHL picks and the latest NHL odds for the 2026-27 season.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
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The Carolina Hurricanes have turned into a consistent winner under head coach Rod Brind'Amour. Carolina has made the postseason in all 8 of Brind'Amour's seasons behind the bench in Raleigh, and after getting over the hump and winning it all this season, they are well-positioned to be back again next year. Carolina owns a well-rounded forward group led by stars Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, and young guns such as Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven figure to take another big step forward next season. In net, Brandon Bussi appears to be a star in the making as well. Don't be surprised if the Hurricanes repeat as Stanley Cup champions next season.
The Colorado Avalanche put together an incredible, dominating regular season in 2025-26, as they won the Presidents' Trophy with 121 points. Colorado made quick work of Los Angeles and Minnesota in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, but fell flat and got swept by Vegas in the Western Conference Finals. But with plenty of star power consisting of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas, it's likely that the Avalanche aren't going away anytime soon when it comes to the Stanley Cup race. The Avs have all the parts necessary to make another run, and there's no denying that they are among the most dangerous teams in the league once again when the 2026-27 season rolls around.
The Vegas Golden Knights shocked the hockey world when they made the move to part ways with Bruce Cassidy in favor of John Tortorella in mid-March. The move paid off, as the VGK went 7-0-1 down the stretch of the regular season to win the Pacific Division before reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the 3rd time in 9 seasons as a franchise. In total, Vegas went 21-8-1 with Tortorella leading the way. The Golden Knights have now made the postseason in all but one season in franchise history, and they can truly never be counted out. With their veteran core coming back next year, look for Vegas to be in the mix for the Stanley Cup yet again.
After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025, the Florida Panthers came back down to earth in 2026. Their season was dealt a tough blow early on, as superstar center Aleksander Barkov suffered a season-ending knee injury in September. Barkov is arguably the most underrated player in the NHL, and getting him back healthy for the upcoming season puts Florida right back in the thick of things. Along with Barkov, other strong contributors such as Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, Seth Jones, and Sam Reinhart, among others, all missed significant time this season due to injuries. It really was a lost season in South Florida as the injury bug bit hard, but as they look to get healthier this offseason, the Panthers enter the new campaign poised to compete for a Stanley Cup once again.
One of the most intriguing teams in the NHL heading into the 2026-27 season is the Edmonton Oilers. Head coach Kris Knoblauch was fired following Edmonton's disappointing first-round loss to Anaheim, and that position has yet to be filled as of this publishing. The Oilers can't afford to get that hire wrong, as superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have yet to win a Cup in their respective careers. Mike Babcock's name has been floated around as a potential candidate, which would certainly be a story worth following. But no matter who takes over behind the bench in Edmonton, plenty of pressure faces this Oilers franchise next season.
Now check out our expert's 2027 Stanley Cup best bets and predictions for the next NHL season, including a +2500 longshot!
