Stanley Cup Contender Rankings: Who Dethrones Panthers, Oilers?

Carolina Hurricanes

Odds to make Final: +360 | Win Cup: +800

Why they haven`t broken through yet: Despite seven consecutive playoff appearances, the Carolina Hurricanes have yet to reach the Stanley Cup Final, accumulating 44 postseason wins — a record for the most victories without a Final berth, surpassing the Toronto Maple Leafs` 1998-2004 mark. They reached the Eastern Conference finals twice in the last three seasons but struggled offensively, leading to a sweep by Florida in 2023. Goaltending, a persistent issue, also failed to contain the Panthers, particularly Sam Bennett, in 2025.

Why 2025-26 could be different: For the 2025-26 season, Carolina will continue with Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen in goal; their combined .823 save percentage in the previous Eastern Conference finals against Florida raises questions about a different outcome. However, the addition of forward Nikolaj Ehlers is expected to boost their offense. Furthermore, defenseman K`Andre Miller (acquired via trade) and prospect Alexander Nikishin strengthen an already robust blue line, offering more youth and potential, especially if Miller can rebound to his 2022-23 performance. The Hurricanes are banking on their established puck-possession strategy to finally overcome a largely unchanged Florida lineup.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Odds to make Final: +650 | Win Cup: +1400

Why they haven`t broken through (recently): The Tampa Bay Lightning previously achieved significant success, securing two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and reaching the Final again in 2022. Just as their dynasty seemed to be waning, the Lightning saw a resurgence in 2024-25, posting their best goals-per-game differential (+0.91) since 2018-19. However, similar to the 2019 postseason, this regular-season prowess didn`t translate into playoff success. For the second consecutive year, the Lightning were eliminated by Florida in the first round (five games), a stark contrast to their historical dominance in the cross-state rivalry.

What could change in 2025-26: Primarily, Tampa Bay retains a highly skilled core, suggesting they are still capable of serious Cup contention. Their offseason saw minimal significant departures, with defenseman Nick Perbix being the only notable loss, but also few major additions. As the NHL`s fifth-oldest team in 2024-25, age remains a factor. While players like Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, and Jake Guentzel will eventually decline, the team currently possesses the talent to challenge Florida, despite recent playoff outcomes not reflecting their past rivalry success.

New Jersey Devils

Odds to make Final: +850 | Win Cup: +1600

Why they haven`t broken through yet: The New Jersey Devils` success largely hinges on the health of Jack Hughes. In 2022-23, when Hughes played over 62 games, the Devils ranked fourth in the league for goals per game. However, with Hughes missing 20 games in each of the subsequent two seasons, their offensive ranking dropped to 12th in 2023-24 and then 20th last season. This offensive decline coincided with the team missing the playoffs in 2023-24, leading to coach Lindy Ruff`s dismissal, and a first-round exit against Carolina in five games a year ago. This was a letdown for a team that had boasted the third-best goal differential and was the third-youngest (a promising combination) in 2022-23.

Why 2025-26 could be different: The 2025-26 season could bring change if Hughes remains healthy from the start of training camp, potentially restoring the team`s earlier promise. With Hughes in the lineup over the past two seasons, the Devils averaged 3.13 goals per game, compared to 2.93 without him – a difference that would translate to a jump from 21st to 12th in the league`s 2024-25 offensive rankings. To further enhance their scoring, New Jersey acquired Evgenii Dadonov this summer, and Russian right-winger Arseny Gritsyuk could also be a valuable addition. If the Devils can also resolve contract negotiations with Hughes` brother, Luke, they could become a formidable Eastern Conference contender, though they`ll need to overcome a Carolina team that eliminated them in both 2023 and 2025.

Ottawa Senators

Odds to make Final: +1200 | Win Cup: +3500

The Ottawa Senators ended their seven-year playoff absence in 2024-25, driven by a youthful core featuring Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, and Shane Pinto, all 25 or under last year. While still developing their winning mentality, this core, along with promising young defenseman Jordan Spence, returns, aiming for further improvement after last season`s 19-point gain in the standings.

Montreal Canadiens

Odds to make Final: +2800 | Win Cup: +5000

The Montreal Canadiens have shown significant development recently, marked by three consecutive seasons of improved goal differentials, leading to their first playoff appearance since 2021. Nick Suzuki`s 89 points represent the highest total by a Canadien in almost three decades, while Cole Caufield`s 37 goals were the most by a Montreal player of his age since 1989-90. With this dynamic young duo at the helm, complemented by an enhanced roster including defenseman Noah Dobson and forward Zack Bolduc, Montreal appears to be on the cusp of a major breakthrough.

Colorado Avalanche

Odds to make Final: +450 | Win Cup: +800

Why they haven`t broken through (recently): After winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 with one of hockey`s most formidable teams, the Avalanche seemed set for sustained success reminiscent of their 1990s and 2000s eras. However, they succumbed to the typical challenges faced by champions in the salary cap era, including injuries (Gabriel Landeskog) and significant player departures (Darcy Kuemper, Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky). While Colorado remains a strong team, its goal differential has decreased for four consecutive seasons.

What could change in 2025-26: Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar show no signs of slowing down, having combined for 438 points over the last two seasons—the highest tally for any forward/defenseman duo in over three decades. With this elite core, further strengthened by the return of trade deadline acquisition Brock Nelson and veteran additions Brent Burns and Victor Olofsson, the Avalanche might be capable of another deep playoff run, despite consecutive postseason losses to the Dallas Stars.

Vegas Golden Knights

Odds to make Final: +450 | Win Cup: +850

Why they haven`t broken through (recently): Last regular season, the Golden Knights` performance, reflected in their +0.68 goal differential per game, statistically surpassed their 2023 Stanley Cup-winning campaign (+0.52) where they were the only team to defeat Florida in 12 postseason series. However, their previously potent playoff offense has faltered, declining from 4.00 goals per game during their Cup run to just 2.44 since, culminating in consecutive shutout losses to Edmonton in the second round last spring. Despite retaining significant talent and depth, recent results haven`t matched their potential.

Why 2025-26 could be different: The primary source of optimism for Vegas in 2025-26 is the acquisition of star winger Mitch Marner from Toronto in a late June sign-and-trade, the offseason`s biggest move. Since 2020-21, Marner has averaged an impressive 29 adjusted goals, 65 adjusted assists, and 94 adjusted points per season, establishing him as one of the league`s most formidable offensive players, especially as a playmaker. While new players often require time to adapt, Marner is expected to seamlessly integrate alongside talents like Jack Eichel, forming a formidable playoff duo (despite some overblown perceptions of Marner`s past playoff struggles).

Dallas Stars

Odds to make Final: +475 | Win Cup: +1000

Why they haven`t broken through yet: Similar to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Dallas Stars have consistently fallen short of the Stanley Cup Final. Over the past three seasons, they`ve accumulated 29 playoff victories—a record for a team in a three-year period without reaching the Final—only to face consecutive conference final eliminations by Edmonton. While some historically strong teams eventually break through after such near misses, the pressing question for the Stars is whether their current roster can ever achieve that final step.

Why 2025-26 could be different: The 2025-26 season offers new possibilities with Mikko Rantanen joining the team for a full season, a significant boost after the Finnish winger made history last year by playing for three different teams (Avalanche, Hurricanes, Stars) in a single campaign. Additionally, the Stars made substantial offseason changes, including replacing head coach Pete DeBoer with former bench boss Glen Gulutzan, and experiencing the league`s largest net loss in goals above replacement. While these changes might not immediately inspire confidence, the Florida Panthers` experience suggests that a major shift in team identity can sometimes be precisely what`s needed to overcome past obstacles.

Los Angeles Kings

Odds to make Final: +1000 | Win Cup: +2000

It may appear audacious to suggest the Los Angeles Kings could unseat the Oilers in the Western Conference, given that L.A. has been defeated by Edmonton in four consecutive postseasons. This makes them only the fourth team in any major men`s league to lose four straight playoff series to the same adversary without a preceding victory. Nonetheless, the Kings present an interesting blend of young talent and seasoned veterans. Notably, their offseason acquisitions included Corey Perry, a player whose teams have reached the Stanley Cup Final in five of the last six seasons.

Utah Mammoth

Odds to make Final: +2000 | Win Cup: +4000

Anticipation is high for the Utah Mammoth as a potential rising force in the Western Conference. Last year, they featured the league`s seventh-youngest roster, spearheaded by Clayton Keller, Mikhail Sergachev, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther, all aged 26 or under. The team also showed consistent improvement, enhancing its goal differential for the third consecutive season. Building on this foundation, Utah further bolstered its lineup by acquiring talented forward JJ Peterka via trade and signing veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt and forward Brandon Tanev, marking an offseason of net talent gain. While the franchise, including its Arizona tenure, has only made the playoffs once since 2012 (in 2020), a promising future now appears to be on the horizon for Utah.