2026 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Odds: Florida Panthers Not Favorites
-
Eric Kelly
- June 24, 2025
With this year’s Stanley Cup Finals done and dusted, we are already looking ahead to next season’s betting odds and what way the top-rated sportsbooks are leaning when it comes to next season’s favorites.
You can’t look beyond the Florida Panthers to tree-peat, right? At the same time, it hasn’t been done since the New York Islanders in 1983. Then we have those potential prospects who could finally be about to hit their stride next season, the likes of Dallas or Winnipeg (who both had solid seasons, but they just crumbled in the playoffs).
We can’t forget the back-to-back bridesmaids, the Edmonton Oilers. Can they finally get their hands on the elusive Stanley Cup?
Either way, we are in for another fantastic NHL season in 2026. Let’s check out the future odds and which team we believe is the best value to get behind right now.
NHL Stanley Cup Odds
Panthers, Oilers, and Other Contenders
The Florida Panthers have been just about made second favorites for this upcoming season, while the team they beat in the previous two finals, the Edmonton Oilers, have been made the early favorites.
The sportsbooks give the Oilers the edge right now, but given how the past two finals went, if it’s a 3rd year in a row we see a Florida and Edmonton final, give us the Panthers any day of the week. The Oilers can likely beat any team in the NHL finals, except for the Panthers, who seem to have their number right now.
Carolina Edges Out Dallas and Colorado
Surprisingly, the Carolina Hurricanes have been made next season’s 3rd favorites over the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche, although only slightly. That being said, we would have probably gone Dallas +900, Colorado +950, and Hurricanes +1000. Carolina is a hard team to beat, but no more than that. They have been to three conference finals in the past 7 seasons, and their record in those finals is 1-11.
Dallas had a somewhat poor season and still managed to make the conference finals, losing 4-1. Although the Stars struggled towards the end of the playoffs to generate offense, they are a team on the up and have been dangerous in recent seasons, making three conference finals and one Stanley Cup finals in the past 7 seasons, although they are 0-4 in all four finals.
Looking for Postseason Progress
The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022 but have failed to make it past the 2nd round since then, despite making the postseason in all three seasons. Colorado is dangerous, but we would hope to see more from them in the upcoming season.
The only other team in the top ten of the NHL betting markets that has caught our eye as a potential winner is the Toronto Maple Leafs at +1400, but as any hockey fan knows, tread very carefully with Toronto, as they are always a disappointment. We wouldn’t lay any less than +1400 with Toronto given their post-season history.
Who Can Win It?
A team that hasn’t been priced up inside the top ten, which we believe could be potential winners next season, is the nicely priced Winnipeg Jets at +2200, although they are the 11th favorites in the market, so they’re not exactly big underdogs.
The Jets, however, have a nice set of odds in our opinion at +2200. We would happily lay as low as +1500 on them at the time of writing. Since 2018, the Jets have only failed to make the playoffs on one occasion; however, they failed to get past the 2nd round in 6 of those 7 postseason appearances.
The Jets are improving offensively, and some slight improvement could see them make their first Conference finals since 2018, especially with one of the top goaltenders, Connor Hellebuyck, in the crease.
Oilers Still Contenders?
The Sportsbooks are no fools, though, because the Edmonton Oilers are one of the most likely teams to win it next season. Once they don’t meet the Panthers in the finals, we believe the Oilers could win it all, but they do need to get a solid goaltender in the crease.
For us, the Winnipeg Jets at +2200 and the Edmonton Oilers at +600 are two of the best bets at the time of writing.
NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets to Win Stanley Cup (+2200) at BetOnline
NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers to Win Stanley Cup (+600) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
