Early 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup Final Winner Season odds, predictions, best bets and longshot picks: Can the Panthers three-peat or will a new champion be crowned?

The Florida Panthers hoist the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena.
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Connor Grootenhuis

NHL

Connor has been covering the sports betting industry in a wide variety of roles for almost five years, and most enjoys writing about MLB, NHL, and college football. He is an avid supporter of #MACtion, and his favorite professional teams are the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. When it comes to his sports bets, Connor is a firm believer that every loss is a bad beat and every win is easy money.
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The Florida Panthers have claimed back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, but it’s never too early to look ahead to the next champion! We have a long and exciting NHL offseason ahead of us, and a wide variety of player transactions are sure to be made. But now is the time to scout out each team and find the potential value for who will be lifting the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2025-26 NHL season. Along with our best bets on the 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup odds, be sure to keep an eye out for all of our NHL predictions during the offseason.

2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup Odds

Odds courtesy of bet365 and available at time of publishing.

  • Carolina Hurricanes +700
  • Edmonton Oilers +700
  • Florida Panthers +750
  • Colorado Avalanche +900
  • Dallas Stars +900
  • Vegas Golden Knights +1200
  • Tampa Bay Lightning +1600
  • New Jersey Devils +1800
  • Los Angeles Kings +2000
  • Toronto Maple Leafs +2000
  • Winnipeg Jets +2200
  • Washington Capitals +2500
  • Ottawa Senators +3300
  • New York Rangers +3300
  • Utah Mammoth +3500
  • Minnesota Wild +3500
  • St. Louis Blues +5000
  • Vancouver Canucks +5500
  • New York Islanders +6000
  • Columbus Blue Jackets +8000
  • Philadelphia Flyers +8000
  • Calgary Flames +8000
  • Montreal Canadiens +8000
  • Detroit Red Wings +10000
  • Nashville Predators +10000
  • Boston Bruins +12500
  • Buffalo Sabres +15000
  • Pittsburgh Penguins +20000
  • Seattle Kraken +30000
  • Anaheim Ducks +30000
  • Chicago Blackhawks +50000
  • San Jose Sharks +50000

You can bet on next season’s Stanley Cup winner and EVERY NHL game in the 2025-26 season with bet365, where now is the perfect time to sign up! Simply click here to join now and you’ll receive $150 in bonus bets INSTANTLY when you make your first $5 wager — win or lose!

2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup best bet: Vegas Golden Knights (+1200)

Odds courtesy of bet365 and available at time of publishing.

The Vegas Golden Knights currently have the 6th-best Stanley Cup odds for 2025-26 over at bet365. Head coach Bruce Cassidy led the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in his first season at the helm in 2022-23. Cassidy owns a career win percentage of .521 in the postseason, and is 24-16 (.600) in the postseason behind the bench in Vegas. The Golden Knights have made the playoffs each of the past 3 seasons, and most recently were eliminated in the conference semifinals against Edmonton. Looking ahead, the Golden Knights should bring a well-balanced game into 2025-26, and their mix of stars and contributing role players makes them a solid option when looking at next season’s Stanley Cup odds.

The Golden Knights ranked 5th in the league with 3.34 goals per game and ranked 2nd with a power-play percentage of 28.3 in the regular season. Jack Eichel leads the way, and he finished the regular season with a career-high 94 points on 28 goals and 66 assists. If he can stay healthy, Eichel can lead Vegas to great offensive numbers once again next season. Vegas also possesses a well-rounded defensive group that includes Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb, Alex Pietrangelo, and Noah Hanifin.

The team has dealt with a plethora of injuries over the past few seasons, but they are consistently in the mix when the postseason comes around. No matter who is in or out of the lineup, Vegas just finds a way to win. They are a veteran team that knows how to get the job done, and they should be considered a dangerous team heading into 2025-26.

2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup longshot pick: Washington Capitals (+2500)

Odds courtesy of bet365 and available at time of publishing.

As for a longshot pick on the 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup odds, the Washington Capitals are a team to keep your eye on. The Capitals surprised a lot of people in 2024-25, as they led the Eastern Conference and ranked 2nd in the league with 111 points during the regular season. In the postseason, Washington defeated Montreal 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Carolina in the conference semifinals. Now, a pivotal offseason is in store for the Capitals, and if they make the right moves, they could be right in the thick of things once again next spring.

Alex Ovechkin showed no signs of slowing down in 2024-25. The Great 8 potted 44 goals in the regular season, with 14 coming on the power play. He is now the all-time goals leader in NHL history, and while he will be entering his age-40 season, there is not much to suggest significant regression is forthcoming. But it isn’t just Ovechkin that makes this team interesting heading into 2025-26. John Carlson is a bona fide No. 1 defenseman, and Jakub Chychrun was a pivotal addition to the Capitals in 2024-25. He has already agreed to an 8-year, $72 million contract extension with the Capitals, giving Washington a strong 1-2 punch on the back end. Those are 3 veteran players that makes for a strong leadership group moving forward.

Washington also has strong leadership in head coach Spencer Carbury. Carbury received the 2024-25 Jack Adams Award, which is given annually to the NHL’s best coach. Carbury now has 2 full seasons under his belt behind the bench in Washington, and both seasons have resulted in playoff appearances. He owns an overall regular season record of 91-53-20, and the Capitals have only gotten better over the past 2 seasons. Could the third time be the charm for Carbury and the Caps? Only time will tell, but as it stands right now, Washington is a dark horse contender for the 2025-26 Stanley Cup.

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